Brette Lea

Brette Lea is the Vice Chancellor of College Relations & Marketing for the Austin Community College District (ACC), among the fastest growing two-year colleges in the nation and well-recognized in areas of university transfer, health sciences, renewable energy, and video game technology. Specializing in public and media relations, Brette leads an award-winning marketing team and numerous high-profile communications initiatives, from the "i am acc" image campaign and new Riverbats brand to crisis communications and social media strategies.

A 20-year veteran of the communications industry, Brette is a former Emmy Award-winning reporter and anchor at television stations in Nashville and Houston; she was featured on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw for breaking the Firestone tire fatalities story that led to a congressional hearing and worldwide recall.

Brette landed her first marketing position in higher education with her alma mater, The University of Texas at Austin. As lead publicist for Texas Performing Arts and the College of Fine Arts, she enjoyed working with artists such as Renee Fleming and Juanes; expanding relations with the bi-lingual community; and promoting arts in education to a global audience.

Whether writing speeches, producing TV commercials, or developing integrated marketing strategies, Brette is a true believer in the product we "sell"- education. Her passion is creating clear channels of communications that link the community to the power of higher education and put students on the pathway to success.

Brette is a native Texan. She earned her Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin. She resides in Austin with her daughter and several spoiled pets.