Chamberlin named Gillings School’s director of communications and marketing

May 16, 2019

Matthew Chamberlin

Matthew Chamberlin, former deputy director of the myFutureNC Commission, has been named the new UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health director of communications and marketing, effective May 28.

In his role as deputy director of the myFutureNC Commission, Chamberlin was responsible for the creation and implementation of strategic communications goals for the statewide commission, which focused on educational attainment for all North Carolinians. He oversaw all online, print and electronic media outreach. The goal of the Commission was to create a multi-year education plan, from early childhood to postsecondary education, and to propose promising reforms to guide the future of education in North Carolina. His efforts helped to achieve the unanimous adoption of a statewide postsecondary attainment goal, which was endorsed by the Governor of North Carolina and several other key political and academic leaders across the state.

“We are confident that, with Matthew’s strong communications and marketing credentials, management and leadership experience, and demonstrated skills, he will lead our communications and marketing enterprise effectively and will take our efforts to an exciting new level,” said Gillings School Dean Barbara K. Rimer, DrPH. “We are excited to welcome him to our Gillings School leadership team and to the broader UNC-Chapel Hill community, where he will be an asset.”

Prior to joining the myFutureNC Commission in 2017, Chamberlin was the first director of external relations for Higher Education Works in Raleigh, N.C., a nonprofit organization dedicated to building grassroots support for North Carolina’s system of public higher education. In that role, he contributed to achieving system-wide awareness of Higher Education Works’ mission through a weekly online newsletter, a successful video series and the production of a live television forum discussion between the presidents of the UNC and N.C. Community College systems and the Speaker of the N.C. General Assembly.

“My recent work in North Carolina has focused on fostering healthy communities by partnering with schools, businesses and other organizations to teach good wellness habits, and this work resonates with me very deeply,” Chamberlin said. “Education in all its forms is the surest path to improving one’s health and quality of life. My own experience has proven to me beyond any doubt the importance of building strong communities, raising expectations and continuing to seek measurable solutions to issues around health. I’m excited to be joining the Gillings team at such a critical juncture in its history.”

Chamberlin, who has more than 25 years of domestic and international experience in strategic planning, digital online marketing and communications, and video production, will become the director of communications and marketing at the Gillings School at a time when the communications office is transitioning to a more integrated and comprehensive communications and marketing strategy. Gillings ranks nationally as the top public school of public health, and number two overall.

Chamberlin earned a Bachelor of Arts in international relations and Spanish from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. Born and raised in New York City, he has lived and worked in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Argentina and Spain. He is a member of the Board of Trustees at St. Mark’s School in Southboro, Massachusetts, and is the father of two teenaged children.

Contact the Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@listserv.unc.edu.