President Wente announces two internal promotions

Mark Petersen

Brett Eaton

President Susan R. Wente announced two promotions that took effect on July 1. Mark Petersen has accepted a promotion to Senior Vice President of University Advancement, and Brett Eaton has accepted a promotion to Vice President of Communications and Chief Communications Officer. 

“Mark and Brett have both served Wake Forest with distinction for more than a decade,” Wente said. “They have helped develop and implement several of the major initiatives I have launched since my arrival at Wake Forest. These promotions represent recognition of their individual expertise and experience and increase the level of expectation and responsibility for their roles.”

Petersen came to Wake Forest in 2008. As Wake Forest’s Vice President for University Advancement, he was responsible for planning and implementing Wake Forest’s largest capital campaign, which concluded in 2020 and raised more than $1 billion for student financial aid, faculty support and facility enhancements. 

“In Mark’s 15 years at Wake Forest he has made positive contributions that have stretched his position description beyond development, external engagement and communications to play an increasingly important leadership role in strategy development and board and council management,” Wente said. “The promotion to Senior Vice President formalizes the important role he already plays in developing strategies for both individual and collective trustee engagement, leadership development, and new trustee recruitment.”

Eaton came to Wake Forest in 2011 with a focus on media relations and was promoted to lead the Communications and External Relations team in 2012. In 2014, Eaton became Senior Associate Vice President and assumed responsibilities for coordinating capital campaign activities as the Executive Director of the Wake Will Campaign. His campaign leadership included designing and implementing the Call to Conversation program that expanded in about two years to engage more than 5,000 members of the Wake Forest community in meaningful small-group dialogues.

The Vice President of Communications and Chief Communications Officer is a Cabinet-level position and a dual report to the President and to the Senior Vice President of University Advancement. 

“Many University leaders already depend on Brett for communications leadership, strategy and guidance,” Wente said. “Adding an executive-level communications position to the Cabinet reflects the value I place on the role of communication to build and sustain trust, transparency, and teamwork. The pace of change impacting society, higher education, and the ways we communicate requires a proactive approach to communication and cross-university alignment to adapt existing and adopt new institutional positions as our circumstances change.