Brian Whitson

Bio

Reporting to the Vice President for Strategy & Innovation, Brian Whitson is the university's primary spokesperson and responsible for University News & Media, University Research Communications and University Web & Design.

As the Chief Communications Officer, Whitson is a member of the President's cabinet and serves as the university's senior communications strategist. This includes overseeing university-wide media relations and public relations programs, the William & Mary News, national news outreach, the university web, social media, visual identity and online and print publications.

Whitson also chairs the university's Emergency Communications Team, as well as a coordinating committee of communications professionals from across campus.

Whitson received his B.S. in Mass Communications from Virginia Commonwealth University where he completed the News Editorial track within Mass Communications. Before coming to W&M in 2003, Whitson worked as a daily newspaper reporter for more than eight years. His last journalism position was covering higher education for the Daily Press in Newport News.

An avid sports fan, Whitson got his start in journalism as Sports Editor of the Commonwealth Times, VCU's student newspaper. As a student, he covered everything from NCAA college basketball and soccer to NASCAR and professional baseball. His one and only interview with a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer was with the late Tigers manager Sparky Anderson. It lasted all of five seconds.

Whitson and his wife, Monet, have two adult sons, Morgan and Garrett, and three spoiled Boston Terriers, Riley, Dexter and Mo.