Thursday, February 21, 2008

Mimi Cunningham, official spokesperson for the University of North Carolina Wilmington from 1982 to 2006, is retiring March 1. Her career spanned three chancellors, during which time the university grew from a student body of 4,391 in 1982 to 12,000 in 2008, as well as in its national prominence.

A native of the South Carolina low country, she studied at the University of South Carolina, earning bachelor's (1968) and master's (1975) degrees in journalism. Cunningham moved to Wilmington in 1974 with her husband Tom. She joined UNCW in March, 1982, as the university's first full-time public information officer.

During 1997-98, Cunningham chaired UNC Wilmington's 50th anniversary celebration. One of the most interesting and challenging aspects of her job was to manage communications for the university during emergency situations such as hurricanes Bertha, Fran, Bonnie, Dennis, Floyd and Irene – six in 39 months.

During fall 2000, she led UNCW's media relations campaign for the $3.1 billion higher education facilities bond issue that voters passed overwhelmingly by 73 percent. Working with two other UNC institutions and 13 area community colleges, she coordinated a two-day, 16-county, 12-stop media blitz to raise awareness of the bond issue.

Following the successful bond issue, she co-authored the cover article for the April 2001 issue of the international publication, CASE Currents, "From the Barbershop to the Board Room," which described the effective marketing and communications plans used for the bond issue.

The University Relations office that she directed became a busy internship site for Communication Studies and English majors, with more than 80 students earning 550 credit hours since fall 1982.

In June, 2006, she was named executive director of community relations, a new position within the university's reorganized marketing and communications department.

She and her husband are active philanthropic supporters of the university as members of the Chancellor's Club and the E. L. White Planned Giving Society.

Active in the community, Cunningham is a member of the Wilmington Rotary Club, serving as the club's first female president in 1994-95, and a member and past president of the North Carolina Women's Forum. A life member of the American Association of University Women, she was president of the North Carolina Division of the AAUW in 1984-86.

She was active with the charitable Landfall Foundation from its inception in 1996, was elected to the Board of Directors of the Landfall Foundation from 1999 to 2006, and served as president in 2001-03. A former deacon at First Baptist Church of Wilmington, she is co-chairing the church's 200th anniversary celebration.

Her awards include twice being named Outstanding Internship Supervisor, UNCW Department of Communication Studies, 1998 and 2006; YWCA Woman of Achievement Award for Community Service, 1995; and Order of the Long Leaf Pine by N.C. Gov. Jim Holshouser, 1974.