After over three years of faithfully serving Contra Costa College, Marketing and Media Design Director Brandy Howard has decided to leave CCC and join the marketing team at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

Howard’s last working day was Oct. 15, but a reception was held on Oct. 11 for her and SparkPoint Coordinator Bill Bankhead, who is also leaving CCC to work as a district employee at Los Medanos College.

“It’s been such a privilege to become a part of the CCC family,” Howard said. “I’m really in awe of the work, the passion, the commitment and the grit that (faculty and staff) show every single day to get it done for our students. So I thank them for letting me be a part of that. I hope the work continues.”

Howard said near her last days at the college that she was going through the transition plan with her CCC marketing team. She has plans for her replacement to keep the current marketing plan on track and make sure her replacement doesn’t have to start over.

Howard said she has a regular schedule for content that she will share and it will be provided to her replacement — giving that person a guide to continue the work she and her staff have done.

That depends on what type of work she has to advertise or send to faculty and students, because it might be events via social media, CCC’s website or through emails.

“I think the biggest (marketing) key to success to (a new marketing coordinator) getting started here at CCC is to come in with an orientation to listening to what is needed from the campus and to understand where and how to prioritize the work,” Howard said. “Because (marketing is) such a small department with minimal resources, it’s really important to try to put energy in places where it will yield the biggest return on investments for the campus and for the community.”

Currently, the CCC marketing team consists of Digital Marketing Specialist Larry Womack and Media Design Specialist Tim Gleason. Both are part-time classified staffers.

Womack has worked closely with Howard and said it will be difficult without her, but he is optimistic because they currently collaborate with a lot of capable people who have worked with her in the past.

Acting President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said, “We have now opened the marketing and media design director position to find a replacement, but I don’t want to use the word replacement, because Brandy is irreplaceable.”

The hiring process will take about four-six weeks, while applications are reviewed and interviews are conducted. Finalists for Howard’s position will also be interviewed by the new college interim president, when one is selected.

Dean of Students Dennis Franco said Howard had an impact campuswide and what she did was help get faculty messages out to the students in their language and in a way they would understand.

Mehdizadeh said before Howard was hired, the college administration couldn’t even access social media, the college website was “less than stellar” and “she has totally and completely set us straight.”

Mehdizadeh said Golden Gate University is extremely lucky to have her and she will be missed here at CCC.