About Us
Office of External Affairs
Annalee Ashley, Vice President for External Affairs, Communications, and Strategic Initiatives; Chief of Staff to the President
Dr. Annalee Ashley serves as Vice President for External Affairs, Communications, and Strategic Initiatives; Chief of Staff to the President. In this capacity, she supports the President to advance the university’s mission and overall strategic priorities.
Serving on the President’s Cabinet, Dr. Ashley helps lead strategic and operational initiatives and provides counsel to the President and broader executive leadership team. She also manages the operations of the Division of the President and provides executive leadership to Georgia Southern’s departments of External Affairs, Special Events and Protocol, and University Communications and Public Relations.
Prior to her current role at Georgia Southern, Dr. Ashley has held various positions in communications and government relations within higher education. Dr. Ashley previously served in various roles on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. for the Secretary of the U.S. Senate and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. Her first opportunity on Capitol Hill came through Georgia Southern’s Eagles in D.C. Internship Program, where she served as a legislative intern for U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson.
Named to Georgia Southern’s “40 Under 40” Class of 2020, Dr. Ashley is a proud “Double Eagle” alumna of Georgia Southern, holding a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the Parker College of Business. She attained her Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership (Ed.D.) from the University of Georgia. Dr. Ashley is engaged in several regional community initiatives and serves on the board of Statesboro’s Blue Mile Foundation.
Kendria Lee, Associate Vice President for Corporate and Community Affairs
Kendria Lee serves as the Associate Vice President for Corporate and Community Affairs for Georgia Southern University.
In her role, Lee manages the Office of Special Events and Protocol and oversees economic development and community relations for the university, working closely with economic development officials; city and county officials; and key stakeholders throughout the region to establish new ways to align the strategic goals of the university with the initiatives of the University System Office.
Prior to her current role, Lee held the position of Operations Manager and Executive Associate for Government and Community Relations – both with the Office of External Affairs.
Lee is a “Double Eagle” graduate of Georgia Southern University earning a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Systems from the Parker College of Business. She is a graduate of Leadership Georgia Class of 2020/2021. Engaged in several community initiatives, Lee, an alumna of the regional program, Leadership Southeast Georgia, is currently serving on the Board of Directors. She also serves on the board of Synovus (Statesboro) and Junior Achievement of Savannah. Lee is a certified Protocol Officer and is a member of the Protocol and Diplomacy International – Protocol Officers Association.
Kristin Boylston, Community Affairs Liaison
Kristin Boylston is the Community Affairs Liaison with the External Affairs Division, a role that utilizes her long-term community service and leadership in the region. She has been with the University since 2015. Previously, she was the project manager of the Lumina Foundation’s Community Partnership for Attainment program, where she led the community-wide initiative focused on creating a more educated workforce in Savannah-Chatham County. In this role, she served as liaison to area companies, agencies and schools to encourage degree completion, and she led the creation and implementation of the Near Peer Career and College Advising program in six of the Savannah Chatham County Public High Schools. Kristin also served as the director of development and communications for Telfair Museums, where she was responsible for strategic planning, implementation and evaluation of the development and communications plans. At the Telfair, she led a $1.2 million campaign to support major exhibitions and raised approximately $3.1 million annually from individuals, corporations, foundations, government and other sources. She secured additional funds through aggressive grant-writing programs, managed six major special events netting more than $500,000, and produced award-winning communications materials for the organization’s rebranding efforts. Over the years, she served as the director of corporate relations and marketing for the Savannah Economic Development Authority and as the dean of institutional advancement for the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she continued her own education with a focus on art history, arts administration and museum studies. In 2012, Savannah Technical College Foundation recognized Kristin as a Community Star for her work in the Savannah community. She is a graduate of Leadership Savannah and has served on the boards of American Red Cross, American Marketing Association, Tourism Leadership Council, Savannah Chamber of Commerce, Savannah Marketing Group, South Magazine, United Way and Visit Savannah.
Ashlyn Morris, Executive Assistant
Ashlyn Morris serves as the Executive Assistant in the Office of External Affairs. She joined the team in March 2023. In her role, she supports the day-to-day operations of the office. Ashlyn graduated from Georgia Southern in December 2022 having earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology. She is a Statesboro native and has always enjoyed cheering on the Eagles!
Location
Marvin Pittman Administration Building
1770 Southern Drive
Statesboro, GA 30458
Last updated: 10/28/2024
