Three pros added to 2019’s college Wall of Fame

Three acclaimed alumni are now part of the Wall of Fame in MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment: archival engineer Deborah Fairchild, New York Times best-selling author Leland Gregory, and public relations and marketing executive Dwayna Haley.

The trio join the 89 media leaders already included on the list, which is featured inside the university’s Bragg Media and Entertainment Building on an interactive digital display as well as available via a searchable online database. https://www.mtsu.edu/media-wall-of-fame/

Fairchild, a 2005 graduate of the Department of Recording Industry, a started her career as an archival engineer at VEVA Sound. In the past 15 years, she has risen to lead the company in all facets of the business. As the president of VEVA, she has grown it into a global entity servicing major labels in North America and Europe — establishing offices in New York, Los Angeles, London and ultimately residing in VEVA’s headquarters in Nashville. Fairchild plays an active role in the development and execution of VEVA Sound’s ever-growing technology, systems and new product development. She is currently the co-chair of the DDEX Conformance Working Group, which focuses on providing continuity and accurate conformance of all DDEX messages and implementations across the digital supply chain. She is working to define and document a conformance regime for all DDEX metadata standards. This involves working with other technical Working Groups to adapt this to the various standards, co-ordinating and overseeing the development and maintenance of tools to support the conformance regime. VEVA’s clients include UMG, Sony Music, Warner UK, all UMG Major Label Group in North America, Provident Label Group, Big Machine Label Group, Third Man Records, Garth Brooks, Bruce Springsteen, Jason Isbell and many more.

Gregory, a 1983 Media Arts graduate in radio and television, is the two-time New York Times bestselling author of Stupid American History and America’s Dumbest Criminals and is a former writer for Saturday Night Live. Gregory has authored more than 30 books, many of them national best sellers. He has written and sold a screenplay to Disney and optioned another screenplay to Touchstone. He was co-creator of the nationally syndicated TV series America’s Dumbest Criminals (five years in syndication). He served as head writer and co-executive producer for the PBS series The Whole Truth. He has created advertising campaigns for national corporations such as Hyundai, Captain D’s, International Paper, Cracker Barrel, Dollar General, AT&T and many more and has contributed to such publications as Reader’s Digest, George and Maxim.  Gregory is an overall nice guy who has no interesting hobbies.

Haley, a 2005 School of Journalism graduate in advertising and public relations, has spent the last decade leading public relations and marketing campaigns for Fortune 100 and 500 brands. She’s currently “Causing Good Trouble” as a vice president at Porter Novelli, leading digital, corporate and consumer communication programs. Currently, she leads one of the largest business sectors of the agency’s anchor, global account: Bayer Crop Science. In addition, she leverages her extensive background in consumer / B2C to build-out strategy and activation for Carter’s / OshKosh Inc., Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and more.  Prior to joining Porter, Haley worked at MSLGROUP where she was account director and senior client contact for the agency’s third largest global and largest U.S. integrated digital account in the network: Comcast / XFINITY. She also managed a cross-functional team of digital, marcom and public relations associates for top-tier accounts including McDonald’s. In 2010, Haley formed Haley Communications Group (HCG) to consult with small to medium businesses, helping them to use public relations and digital strategy, working with organizations like the W.E.B. Du Bois Society and Partnership Against Domestic Violence (PADV). Prior to forming HCG, she worked with Ketchum Inc. on brand visibility and media campaigns for Kodak, Kellogg’s and Clorox. She also provided crisis communication counsel to both Cracker Barrel and Florida Power and Light. She began her career at Bob Gold and Associates where she served as management lead for the planning and execution of all industry trade shows, media tours and special events. She also served on the board of the Southern California chapter of Women in Cable Telecommunications and was honored as Board Member of the Year.

The MTSU College of Media and Entertainment Wall of Fame began in 2000 as a way to honor successful mass-communication graduates and inspire current students to continue working toward their goals. Each of the college’s three departments submits an honoree for consideration each year, and the Wall of Fame ceremony then becomes a part of the college’s annual awards day for students in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media, Department of Recording Industry and Department of Media Arts with scholarships and other honors.

One of the largest communication programs in the nation, the MTSU College of Media and Entertainment offers degree concentrations in 15 major areas — ranging from journalism to digital media and media management to recording industry management — and is accredited by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

For more information about MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment, visit www.mtsu.edu/media.