Catrina Burks
- Director of Advancement Communications
Biography
Catrina Burks is the Director of Advancement Communications at the University of West Florida, where she leads strategic messaging and marketing initiatives in support of the University’s fundraising, alumni engagement, and community partnership efforts. She also directs communications and marketing strategy for UWF Historic Trust properties, including the Pensacola Museum of Art and Pensacola Children’s Museum. She brings more than a decade of experience spanning higher education, corporate marketing, military intelligence, and entrepreneurship.
An Army veteran, Mrs. Burks served as a cryptologic linguist and signals intelligence analyst after attending the Defense Language Institute. She later applied her expertise in communications and operations at Marriott International, supporting new hotel openings with a focus on both marketing and guest experience strategy. In higher education, she has held progressive communications roles at UWF, most recently as communications coordinator for the Usha Kundu, MD College of Health, where she advanced the college’s brand identity and digital engagement.
Beyond her higher education leadership, Burks is a serial entrepreneur who has grown and sold businesses in Indianapolis and Houston, and she currently owns and operates a consulting firm specializing in web design, data analysis, and growth strategy for service-based businesses. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in professional, technical, and scientific writing with an emphasis in marketing from Indiana University East.
Education
- B.A. Professional, Technical and Scientific Writing, Emphasis in Marketing
Indiana University East – Richmond, IN - A.A. Liberal Arts
Ivy Tech Community College - Indianapolis, IN
Awards and Honors
2025 American Advertising Federation Multiple Local ADDY Award Winner