Page 16 - The Fayetteville Press Newspaper November 2025 Edition

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FTCC announces new director of marketing and communications
Fayetteville Technical Community College is
pleased to announce Valerie Newton as the Executive
Director of Marketing and Communications.
She started in the position Oct. 1, succeeding
Catherine Pritchard, who retired at the end of August.
Newton is a North Carolina native who has called
the Fayetteville area home for more than 30 years. She
brings two decades of leadership experience in educa-
tion with prominent roles in marketing, communications
and public relations.
"We are thrilled to welcome Valerie Newton to the
Fayetteville Tech family and campus,” FTCC President
Dr. Mark Sorrells said. “With her extensive expertise in
marketing and deep experience in the education sector,
we are fortunate to have such a skilled professional join
our team. Her vision and leadership will undoubtedly el-
evate our institution’s presence and inspire meaningful
connections with our community."
Newton said she’s grateful for the opportunity to
take on new challenges and support the continued growth
of the college.
“It's an incredible opportunity to collaborate with a
talented team of community college leaders, support our
The Fayettville Press October/November 2025 Editon
Valerie Newton - Executive Director
of Marketing and Communications.
students and share the stories of all the incredible
things happening in higher education,” she said.
Newton was most recently the Director of Com-
munications, Marketing and Community Engagement
for Sampson County Schools, where she was respon-
sible for shaping system-wide communications and
brand strategy.
She exercised varied skills while leading the
system’s successful Cognia reaccreditation, oversee-
ing a district-wide branding and website overhaul and
authoring, securing and managing more than $76 mil-
lion in grant funding.
Prior to her four-year stint with Sampson County
Schools, Newton served for 15 years as the Public Re-
lations and Communications Director for the Bladen
County Public School District.
She oversaw all marketing, communications, cri-
sis response and community outreach for the district,
which includes 13 schools and serves 5,000 students.
Newton has served since 2022 as president of the
North Carolina School Public Relations Association,
a statewide professional association overseeing more
than 100 school public relations leaders. She earned
her bachelor's degree in marketing from N.C. Wesleyan
College.