EdVenture names Columbia native to Marketing Director position
July 8, 2016
EdVenture is pleased to announce the hiring of Margaret Clarkson as the organization’s Director of Marketing. Clarkson, who grew up in Columbia, returns to the Midlands after 23 years where she worked in branding as a partner for Brand & Buzz in Washington D.C. and before that a business development representative at Charitybuzz, an online auction house for which she raised funds for non-profit partners.
Prior to her work in D.C., Clarkson worked abroad. In Singapore, she envisioned, built and launched the first and only urban biodiversity butterfly trail in the world on behalf of The Nature Society. “The Butterfly Trial” is a public-private partnership supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Parks and corporate sponsorships. In England, she opened her own advertising agency in London, Clarkson Communications, where for six years she worked with notable clients across the United Kingdom and then onto McCann-Erickson in new business development.
After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Clarkson worked in Columbia for both WIS-TV and Chernoff/Silver & Associates Advertising Agency.
“We found the perfect person to lead our marketing efforts in Margaret,” said Karen Coltrane, EdVenture president and chief executive officer. “To have someone who grew up in Columbia, but also brings experience from around the world, is exactly the background we need to raise EdVenture’s visibility as we expand our mission.”
Also, joining Clarkson in the Marketing Department is Laura Baker as Marketing Coordinator. She is coming from the Communications Department at Richland School District Two. Prior, she was in promotions and programming at WLTX-TV, and owned her own event company. “Laura brings a great background to EdVenture,” said Coltrane. “When we find a communications professional who has been both a graphic artist and a preschool teacher, we know that person is a good fit for EdVenture.”
About EdVenture
The mission of EdVenture is to inspire children to experience the joy of learning. EdVenture is a locally-managed, not-for-profit informal educational institution dedicated to lifelong learning through its 92,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor interactive exhibit space and in its educational outreach programs and after-school programs. The museum has welcomed visitors from all 50 states and 18 foreign countries, creating shared experiences and memories for families learning together. For more information about EdVenture, visit www.edventure.org or call 803-779-3100.
