Chief Communications Officer

Brad Hilliard, APR

Brad Hilliard, APR is the Chief Communications Officer (CCO) for the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon (SSMO) Ministries Corporation. In that role, Brad provides strategic leadership in the marketing and communications of SSMO ministries – including the SSMO Foundation, Valley Catholic School and Maryville.

His team is responsible for both internal and external communications. This includes marketing, media relations, graphic design, online presence (social media and web), photography and videography.

Brad is an accredited public relations professional with experience directing and leading organizational strategic communications and media relations for more than 15 years.

Prior to joining SSMO, he served as a Public Affairs Manager for the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services – leading communications and marketing for the Division of Financial Regulation. He also served as the Pacific NW Media Manager and Spokesperson for State Farm.

In these roles, Brad developed marketing plans and policies for the state – saving nearly $600k per biennium; he created and served as editor of the award-winning financial services newsletter “Common Ground” – earning more than 37,000 subscriptions; and he executed strategic communications campaigns that earned approximately 250 local and national media placements, helped hire more than 2,000 new employees, and secured $2.5 million in financial support from both public and private partners.

Brad has served in several board roles for the Public Relations Society of America’s Oregon Chapter, including President in 2020. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Public Relations and earned his Accreditation Public Relations (APR) in 2014.