AlthoughJana Rucker was a 1989 graduate of Oklahoma Chri tian lJni\'ersity, she aspired to join the kingdom work at Harding since her sons, seniorJ ohn and alumnusjamie Rucker, became tudents, but she ne\'er expected it would be as the \'ice president of university communications and marketing. '·I think how we fell in loYe with Harding was coming here looking for a . chool for our sons;'Jana Rucker said. '·I hm·e seen them growino- piritually, professionally and socially, and certainly from an academic standpoint, they ha\'e gotten such a great education. Seeing that product has made me very pro-Harding, and I wanted to be a pan of that.'. In early 2014, her plan was to become a business professor at Harding within the next fi\·e to 10 year . Her family had already begun making the proper adjustments, including down izing their house and her job position, allowing her to begin work on her academic credentials to become a profes or. \\'hile making those adjustments, she received an offer to become the senior director ofglobal brand marketing for Satcom Direct in October 201-l-, but when she recei\'ed a personal email from President Dr. Bruce McLarty informing her of an open position as \·ice president ofcommunications, she realized her dream of working at Harding could come sooner than expected. After interviewing for the \·ice president position, which took place only a week later, she was told she would know ifshe had gotten thejob within the week. She stepped out into the David B. Burks American Heritage Building to text her sons and call her husband, but while she was still on the phone with her husband, McLarty walked out of his office and said, 'J ana, we want you to come to Harding." "One of the strengths that she brings with her is a fre h set of eyes," M cLarty said. "She comes into a place that she has not really been before, at least not as an employee. She asks question that we have forgotten to a k. She has experienced Christian education as a student, she has experienced Harding as [a] mom and AT IONS By Megan Ledbetter he has \'ast experience in industry. I think you bring those together and you ha\·e something ycry special.'' She became the \·ice president of communications on Aug. l, 2016, and began marketino- the product of H arding. After only two weeks, she proposed the change of her title, as well as the name of the Public Relations Office to the Office of UniYcrsity Communications and ~farkcting, which McLarty immediately implemented. Hannah Owens, director of digital media, \·alucdJana Rucker's confidence and esteem for thejob. "I ha\·e honestly ne\'er talked to someone who i so pas ionatc about Harding;· Owens said. '·People call her 'the truth fairy.' She is super animated and \'ery energetic, and that i a new type of energy we ha\-c.·· Owens was surprised to find out that .omeonc who did not go to H a rding wanted to come and lead the branding and marketing effort for the uni\-crsity. Howe\'er,J ana Ruckcr's enthusiasm encouraged Owens and reminded her of the \'alue and blessing of getting to do public relations, communication a nd marketing work for a higher purpose. John,Jana Ruckcr's son, appreciated hm·ing his mother on campus. "~ly morn being at Harding for my senior Lyearl has been such a cool experience, e\·cn though she' cooler and more popular than 1 \\"ill C\ 'Cr be,"John said. "She wa made for this position, and she's always wanted to end up at Harding. \\'e just had no clue it \1·ould be so oon. God has been preparing her [throughoutl her whole career for thisjob, and it' awesome to sec how he i already using her to further the kingdom through Harding." Jana Rucker strongly believed that Goel brought her to thejob, and she said she was m·e1joyecl about being able to spend every day doing kingdom work at Harding. "I get teary-eyed at my desk almost every clay, because I look around me and sec what I get to do," Jana Rucker said., Vice President for Universi/y Communications and Marketing J ana Rucker joins 10 other vice presidents on the President's Cabinet in a newly appointed role. Rucker assumed the position on Aug. 1, and brought a vast knowledge of marketing, branding and public relations. I Photo by Ka~u Fujisawa ~l·'.\IOH \"I( I·'. PHF.~IIJE\ r~. CII \\CF.I.I.Oil \"ICE PIU'.~IIJF.\ T~ <( 1<J/
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==