Communications and Marketing - Virginia Military Institute
New Website Loading »

Communications and Marketing

The Office of Communications and Marketing presents the face of the Institute to the public.

We provide a variety of services including providing news to the VMI community; developing and maintaining VMI websites, capturing photos and video, and designing and preparing publications for print. 

The Office of Communications and Marketing (C&M) is also responsible for building brand loyalty, brand awareness, and enhancing efforts of the Institute to build a dynamic Corps of citizen soldiers. We can help you establish social media accounts, prepare departmental marketing materials, provide authorization and advice on the use of official logos and marks. 

Our Services

News & Media

C&M writes news releases, headlines, and featured articles shared on VMI digital platforms and with local and national news outlets. The team also produces The Institute Report, VMI’s monthly newsletter, which offers news and features on cadet, faculty, and staff activities on and off post and is published eight times each academic year.

Media Relations

Official Comments

Lt. Col. Michelle T. Ellwood, Interim Director of Communications & Marketing
Email: ellwoodmt@vmi.edu
Phone: 540-464-7207
Fax: 540-464-7443 

For NCAA Athletics

VMI NCAA Sports Information Office

Mr. Phil Marcello
Sports Information
P: 540-464-7515 

Governance and Regulatory Communications:

AAUP Letter

In 2013, the associate secretary of the American Association of University Professors alleged VMI had shortcomings concerning academic freedom and faculty governance. The links below are to the original AAUP letter and to VMI’s response.

Fact Sheets

Branding & Visual Identity

VMI Brand Guide

The Brand Guide provides direction for presenting Virginia Military Institute in a consistent manner to all audiences, internal and external, while protecting the VMI trademarks and amplifying the brand. Included in the guide are the:

Logos

All VMI logos and trademarks are registered and protected under U.S. Trademark and Copyright Law.

Any individual, cadet, VMI faculty or staff member, or organization wanting to utilize a VMI logo for personal non-commercial use will need to fill out the Logo Use Request form for official authorization of use along with any digital files of requested logo or official mark needed. Examples of recent logo use requests include: the use of the primary or secondary “spider” logo on custom t-shirts, congratulatory graduation signs, cakes, custom graduation or alumni gift, etc.

No entity, internal or external to VMI, may use or alter marks, brand elements, or logos unless given specific authorization. 

Any individual or organization looking to use a VMI logo on items for commercial sale will need to become a licensed vendor through our licensing partner CLC.  

Direct all questions regarding the use of VMI logos and trademarks to marketing@vmi.edu

Photography and Video

Photos and video taken by our Institute photographers and videographers are generally for marketing or public relations purposes. In other words, they are taken for specific use by the media or in an official Institute publication.

Events

Photographs of events throughout the academic year are available for free download from VMI’s official flickr website, www.flickr.com/VMIPhotos.

Cadet Portraits

If you are looking for official cadet portraits, contact Candid Color Photography at 800-321-4256.

Faculty / Staff Portraits

To schedule an official VMI staff portrait, contact Kelly Nye in C&M News and Editorial Services. 

Web Services

Web services include updates, graphic design, consultation on existing vmi.edu websites and other related web projects.

VMI employees looking for help on your existing section of the public VMI website or who are thinking of developing something new within the VMI framework, should complete the appropriate project request form located on the VMI Portal [log-in required].

A member of the Web Team will be in touch to discuss your request, needs, and timeline. Please note, all requests are subject to approval by page and content owners and approved submitters. All contents must also meet federal accessibility standards. Content change or addition requests are only accepted from current VMI faculty and staff.

If you have need help with content on the VMI Portal, please contact Information Technology directly.

Questions? We’re Here to Help

Phone: (540) 464-7207

Communications & Marketin

111 Smith Hall

Mailing Address

NAME (If to an individual)
Communications and Marketing
510 Burma Road
P.O. Box 1839
Lexington, VA, 24450

Other Carriers

NAME (If to an individual)
Communications and Marketing
510 Burma Road
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, VA, 24450