Alonda Thomas

Alonda Thomas is the Chief Communications Officer and Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications at Jackson State University. She manages a team of 12 dynamic innovators, and is responsible for university brand and reputation management, marketing, media relations and strategic communications.In 2016, Alonda served as a publicity consultant for Liquid Soul, an entertainment and sports marketing company in Atlanta. She led the PR strategy for a variety of clients, including ABC Network, CNN, Walt Disney Studios and Fox Searchlight. She executed national urban press outreach for the highly acclaimed Spike Lee film “Chi-Raq,” and CNN’s award-winning docu-series “The United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell.” She also developed the PR campaign strategy and crisis management for season 2 of ABC’s hit sitcom, “black-ish,” which increased the show’s viewership among its target demographic and led to multiple award nominations. Thomas earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. She received her master’s degree in integrated marketing and management communications from Florida State University where she served as a university fellow and taught public speaking. She is a sought-out speaker on media relations, branding and crisis communications. She is recipient of the PRNews 2020 Top Women Award, PRWeek 2021 Hall of Femme Women to Watch, Award and the PRNews 2023 Top Women Award.