Blake Fry, Ed.D., has been named Metropolitan Community College’s new executive director of district communication and marketing. The MCC Board of Trustees approved his appointment Oct. 25.

Fry most recently served as president of the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce, where he led the development of a new strategic plan and the renewal of the organization’s five-star accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Fry had previously served as president of the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau in Wisconsin.

With more than 20 years of higher education experience, Fry has served in a variety of roles, including director of communications and external relations and special assistant to the chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. As the senior communications officer, he led marketing, media and government relations, and community engagement. Fry also has experience in student affairs at the University of Central Oklahoma and Avila University.

Fry has served on and chaired the boards for several national and regional professional, economic development and civic organizations. In 2013 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education.

He earned his doctorate of education in higher education from Oklahoma State University in 2008. Fry’s research focused on the interrelationship between co-curricular leadership experiences and cognitive development.

He also holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wichita State University and master’s degrees from Avila University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.