USD names Tena Haraldson Director of Communications and Media Relations
Haraldson formerly served as Associated Press chief of bureau for North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. Her 35-year career with the AP included state Capitol and political reporting, as well as developing and managing AP staff and news coverage in six bureaus.
“USD has a great story to tell as it grows academic programs and moves into NCAA Division I,” Haraldson said. “I look forward to sharing that experience and spreading the word about all the new developments.”
As chief of bureau she worked with newspaper and broadcast executives across the region, provided professional training for hundreds of journalists and advocated for government openness. Since 2000, she has served on working groups appointed by the South Dakota attorney general and the South Dakota Supreme Court to increase citizen access to government meetings, records and courts.
“With more than three decades of experience at the Associated Press and a vast network of media resources at the state, regional and national levels, we’re very excited to have Tena’s leadership and expertise lead the communications and media relations department at USD,” stated Jeff Baylor, vice president of marketing, enrollment and student services at USD.
Haraldson is a 1976 graduate of South Dakota State University with a B.S. in science writing journalism. She was named a distinguished alumnus of both the SDSU journalism department and the university.