Shani L. Crayton is ASU's Full-time Executive Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing

   

By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU

A life-long member of the Hornet Nation Family has been hired as the leader of Alabama State University's office of Strategic Communications and Marketing (SCM). An ASU alumna, Shani L. Crayton (class of 2008), has been named as the full time executive director of the University's department that oversees advancement, marketing and communications; having earlier served as its interim executive director and first as its director of Brand and Marketing. 

METEORIC RISE

Crayton, who hails from Fairfield, Ala., has risen to the top of the SCM department after having begun work there just over a year ago. She is recognized by many for her acumen and expertise in marketing and communications; having previously been a long-time executive with NBC's WSFA TV 12. She came to the University as an Emmy-nominated journalist in television broadcasting and marketing, and recently won an Alabama Broadcasters

Association Award for TV 12's "Summer of 1963" documentary.

  ASU's Shani L. Crayton (photo by David Campbell/ASU).

"I am a Hornet through and through and being an alumni -- along with many members of my family -- I am ecstatic in the trust that the leaders of ASU have shown me in being named to this incredible position at O' Mother Dear," said Crayton. "This is the most important event to take place in my professional life and I look forward to assisting the positive and successful missions that have been undertaken here, which have lifted Alabama State to such important heights."  

 
ASU IS A FAMILY TRADITION

She is well known as a legacy member of the Hornet Nation Family; who along with her father, Mikul Leonard, class of 1974, (who was a standout basketball player for the Hornets); and her siblings and a nephew, all graduated from the nation's oldest "state sponsored" Historic Black College or University - ASU. Crayton graduated with a bachelor of science degree in Communications-Radio/TV and a master's in Education from Alabama State University. She was an adjunct professor of television broadcast classes at the University and served on the external advisory board for ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

While working at WSFA TV 12 News (the NBC network affiliate in Montgomery, Ala. and one of the highest rated NBC affiliates in the nation) she began as a part-time editor, and in a series of rapid promotions, served as a senior editor, newscast director, operations supervisor, senior technical media producer and as its news operations supervisor. 

She is married to an Alabama State alumnus, Kris Crayton (class of 2009), and they have an elementary-aged son.

 

"Next to my family, I love ASU more than anything else in this world and I am grateful for the confidence, support and inspiration that ASU President Quinton Ross and Col. Gregory Clark have exhibited to me in allowing me to serve in my new position. Each of them have lifted me up by their examples of leadership in everything they do for our University, which inspires me to do my utmost to follow their lead to promote our globally acclaimed institution of higher education and in serving our fabulous students," Crayton exclaimed. 

New media contact: Kenneth Mullinax, 334-229-4104.

 

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