Jackson, MS – Jackson State University (JSU) Marketing Director Tangelia T. Kelly, Ph.D., has been selected as a finalist for the American Marketing Association’s Emerging Marketer in Higher Education Awards. This inaugural award commends marketing professionals for their extraordinary creativity and ingenuity in cultivating marketing and communications initiatives in higher education.
“To think back that I was once a student member of the AMA, and I am now a nominee for this award feels like a full-circle moment to me,” said Kelly, who holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a doctorate in philosophy from JSU. “It feels great to be recognized in an industry that I have worked nearly two decades in, and I look forward to developing my future.”
Kelly will be one of five finalists recognized on Nov. 14 at the AMA Awards and Excellence in Higher Education ceremony, which will be held during the annual AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education in Chicago. During the symposium, Kelly will be joined by JSU Digital Media Manager Kentrice Rush to present “We ‘Bout That Action: Effectively Motivating Your Audience,” a presentation on the strategy behind JSU’s six-year winning streak in The Home Depot’s Retool Your School Competition.
“We are so proud of Tangelia for this well-deserved recognition,” said Alonda Thomas, JSU’s chief communications officer and associate vice president for marketing and communications. “Her dedication to uplifting the Jackson State University brand is unmatched. We celebrate this moment with her as she represents our division and our institution in this prestigious inaugural award.”
Kelly has worked a combined 11 years for JSU, starting as an undergraduate recruiter/counselor and later in Development, before returning to join the marketing department in 2018. During her undergraduate days at JSU, Kelly ran various campaigns for her friends who were running for student government, worked as a sports marketing intern, and managed the website for her sorority.
“Back in my college days at JSU, I’d often share with my friends how the university could benefit from its own marketing department because they didn’t have one at the time. I also expressed how I’d love to be part of it,” said Kelly. “Now they remind me how that dream turned into a career.”
In addition to her JSU degrees, Kelly holds a master’s in business administration from Belhaven University. She is also a part of FORBESBLK, a new community created by Forbes Magazine focused on amplifying the voices of Black leaders and creating change.
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