Bush School Dean Mark Welsh has announced that Molly Watson has joined the Bush School staff as assistant dean for Strategic and Developmental Planning. She holds a BA in communications from Baylor University and an MA in speech communication from Southwest Texas State University, where her studies emphasized organizational communication.
Watson was formerly the assistant director of the Mosbacher Institute, and more recently worked in University Development operations at Baylor. She previously served as associate vice president for Major Gifts, where she worked closely with the vice president of Strategic Initiatives and Development. She was also director for development for Buckner, an international social service organization, and taught at several colleges in Texas. A long-time resident and active community volunteer in Bryan-College Station, Watson has worked with several local nonprofit organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors of the Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley and the Junior League. She is currently chairing the Brazos Community Foundation’s Tribute Luncheon and serves on the Board of the Prenatal Clinic.
As assistant dean, Watson will coordinate and support the School’s alumni and donor relations activities and will develop outreach initiatives that reflect the School’s academic and service goals. She will also be responsible for planning and implementing the School’s strategic and long-range goals, incorporating the vision of Dean Welsh, the faculty and staff, and other administrative units.
Watson said the opportunity to work for the Bush School is one she eagerly looks forward to because of the broad range of responsibilities and the great potential for the School’s growth.
“During my time at Baylor, I greatly enjoyed strategic and organizational planning for the division of University Development, working alongside the administration, the provost, deans, and faculty to ensure that we were all focusing on the important issues,” Watson said. “My job here will be to create and maintain that same kind of strategic alignment for the Bush School’s planning and outreach, making sure that our efforts complement the strategic goals developed by Dean Welsh and his leadership team,” she added.
In making the announcement, Dean Welsh said, “Molly wants to make sure we are still a great college when our great-great-grandkids are admitted. We’re delighted to have Molly back with us at the Bush School and look forward to her contributions to our strategic and developmental planning efforts,” he added.
