Walton College Names Blake Woolsey Chief Strategy and Communications Officer

The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas has named Blake Woolsey as its chief strategy and communications officer, a leadership role focused on strengthening strategic alignment, expanding external partnerships and elevating the college’s national visibility in support of student success and research impact.

Woolsey brings deep Walton College experience and national communications leadership to the position. Earlier in her career, she served as director of development for the Walton College, where she played a key role during a transformative period that included the $50 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation that resulted in the college being named the Sam M. Walton College of Business. Most recently, Woolsey served as chief communications and development officer for Heartland Forward, a national think-and-do tank, where she led strategic communications and brand positioning while working closely with business, philanthropic and civic partners across the country to advance research, policy and economic development initiatives.

“Blake’s experience and understanding of the Walton College make her uniquely qualified for this role,” said Brent Williams, dean of the Walton College. “By strengthening alignment across strategy, communications and external engagement, this role will help us expand corporate partnerships, increase research impact, create more opportunities that directly benefit our students and grow the college’s national visibility.”

As a member of the dean’s leadership team, Woolsey will lead an integrated portfolio that includes strategic planning, marketing and communications, branding and external relations. A central focus of the role will be supporting and expanding strategic partnerships with companies across the region and country, connecting industry partners with faculty expertise, research initiatives and experiential learning opportunities for students. Woolsey’s work will also support fundraising and external engagement, advance the Walton College’s visibility and rankings, and deliver a cohesive, data-driven communications strategy that elevates the impact of the Walton College and the U of A.

“I’m honored to return to the Walton College in this new role,” Woolsey said. “The Walton College has an exceptional story to tell as a leader in preparing students to enter the working world with an innovative mindset and entrepreneurial spirit. I’m excited to help elevate its national brand visibility by strengthening industry partnerships, amplifying the impact of our faculty research and showcasing the experiences that prepare our students to lead.”

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: Founded in 1926, the Sam M. Walton College of Business stands as one of the largest colleges at the University of Arkansas, serving over 10,300 students across undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs. The college holds AACSB accreditation and consistently ranks among the top business schools in the United States. Walton College ranks 25th for its undergraduate business program among public colleges in the U.S. News & World Report's 2025 national rankings. Its undergraduate supply chain management program is recognized as the top program in North America by Gartner. In 2025, The Princeton Review included Walton's M.B.A. program in its Best Business Schools list for On-Campus M.B.A. Programs.