Wexner Center Focused on Audience Development in Hires for Marketing, Outreach, and Patron Service

Three new staff members have joined the Wexner Center for the Arts this spring, all devoted in varying degrees to audience development, marketing and communications, visitor services and experience, and university and community outreach.

“Each of these individuals has unique but complementary knowledge and know-how in audience development,” says Deputy Director Jack Jackson. “The synergies that result from their combined talents will not only enhance but significantly advance the Wexner Center’s continued efforts to find the right voice, the right reach, and the right communications for attracting new audiences while sustainingand reinvigorating our base.”

Jerry Dannemiller, formerly Assistant Director at University Marketing Communications at The Ohio State University, is the Wexner Center’s new Director of Marketing & Communications. He joins a team that includes public relations, outreach, and editorial staff members, and will guide the department in the institution’s efforts to build and maintain a consistent brand, direct effective marketing campaigns, and harness new technologies in the center’s communications and outreach efforts. Dannemiller had been with Ohio State for seven years, first as associate editor in the publications office before being promoted to assistant director in Marketing Communications. He has also been a music critic for The Columbus Dispatch, National Public Radio, salon.com, and The Other Paper, among other media outlets. Dannemiller has a B.A. from Ohio State in communication and is completing an M.A. in Design Management and Planning in OSU’s College of the Arts (with a thesis on non-profit branding).

Notes Jackson, “Jerry’s new media experience, especially developing all manner of web and e-mail communications—from a content, design, and technology perspective—as well as his arts writing background brings a whole new portfolio of skills and perspective to the team and the center.”

Joel Díaz, the center’s new Outreach and Marketing Manager, also comes to the Wexner Center from another Ohio State department: Undergraduate Admissions and First Year Experience. At the Wexner Center, Díaz is spearheading university and community outreach initiatives, working to develop new and more diverse audiences, and strategizing with the marketing team on ad placement and marketing tools. At OSU admissions, he worked as an undergraduate admissions counselor and territory manager, participating in recruitment activities in Texas and counseling prospective students and their families. Most recently, he has served as a manager of competitive admissions. Díaz has a B.S. from Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business (with a major in international business and a minor in Latino/a studies). While at OSU, Díaz was a student leader and also served as a work-study student in the Wexner Center’s administrative offices.

“We’re delighted to welcome Joel back to the Center,” Jackson says. “He has strong ties with a diverse array of university and community organizations, a successful track record in competitive recruitment, and a talent for harnessing technologies for audience research and outreach.”

Natalie Hirniak was hired earlier this spring as the Director of Patron Services where she oversees operations for all direct points of contact with center patrons, including the ticket office, house (usher) management, and the Wexner Center Store. Working across several additional departments, Hirniak is using technology, research, and cross-departmental collaborations to integrate and focus the center’s audience engagement capabilities. Hirniak hailed from The Museum of Modern Art in New York, where during her eight-year tenure she worked in various capacities, most recently as a manager in the film and media department. She has a B.A. in Communications from DePaul University in Chicago and an M.A. in Cinema Studies from New York University.

Notes Jackson, “Natalie brings not only experience at a like-minded art museum, but also a wealth of skills in the fields of visitor services, audience development, and event planning that is helping her to guide collaborations among various departments and to implement new practices and initiatives—all of which are creating a consistently positive on-site experience for the center’s visitors.”