Tarrant County College Announces Two New Directors

FORT WORTH, Texas (Mar. 11, 2011)

Tarrant County College announced Frank Griffis and Cacy Barnard as new directors in keeping with implementation of its TCC Vision 2015 Strategic Plan Strategy.

Griffis, former director of communications for the Texas A&M University System, has been named Director for Public Relations and Marketing, and Barnard, former public information coordinator for Tarrant County College, has been named Director for Communications.

Griffis has extensive experience in management, student recruitment/admissions, public relations and marketing from both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. A product of the Texas two-year college system, Griffis earned his associate of arts degree from Howard County Junior College in Big Spring before graduating with a B.A. in journalism from Texas A&M University and  M.A. in marketing/public relations from Vermont College of Norwich University.

Griffis’ news media experience includes stints as city editor for the Bryan Daily Eagle and as capitol reporter and news editor for United Press International in Austin and Dallas. He opened the Dallas office of Carl Byoir & Associates, an international public relations firm headquartered in New York City, and served clients such as Honeywell, Eastman Kodak, Burlington North Railway, Johnson Wax, and McDonnell-Douglas.

He managed his own Austin-based public relations/marketing firm, Frank Griffis & Associates, Inc., and was managing partner of Grassroots Texas, Inc., an innovative public affairs firm that integrated public relations and marketing strategies and techniques for passage of key legislation, including Blue Law repeal, mandatory seat belts, and increased funding for small businesses and higher education.

Griffis held a variety of positions at Norwich University in Northfield, VT, the nation’s only private military college. While serving as director of public relations he planned and executed public relations campaigns that resulted in national publicity for the university, including The Today Show, A Current Affair, Washington Times, New York Times, Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor and a documentary produced for the Public Broadcasting System.

Barnard holds a B.S. in communications, with a double major in advertising/public relations and Spanish, from Texas Christian University. During her tenure at TCC, Barnard has coordinated several District publications, community partnerships, media relations and marketing efforts.

She has also transformed the District’s Projection magazine, managed Spanish translations and co-led efforts to expand TCC’s social media presence. Barnard is an active mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas, and serves on the Board of the Greater Fort Worth Chapter of PRSA, leading the public relations new professionals group.

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