Allegra East

Communications Manager

As Communications Manager, Allegra is responsible for leading communication strategy and implementation to increase visibility of the brand and services of The Polis Center with  external and internal (IU Indianapolis) audiences while helping our partners build capacity. With more than 20 years experience in the field, she offers broad-based experience across industry and nonprofit sectors. Her expertise is in strategic communications, corporate communications, marketing strategy, digital marketing, strategic planning, public & media relations, graphic design, brand management, content marketing, web content writing, design thinking, corporate social responsibility, strategic corporate philanthropy, and situational leadership.

Her professional experience prior to joining The Polis Center includes work with the Dallas Mavericks, Pacers Sports & Entertainment, Purdue University, Clarian North Medical Center (now IU Health North), and AUL  (now OneAmerica). In addition to writing, media relations, and graphic design in all these jobs, she served as director for the Dallas Mavericks Foundation and The Pacers Foundation and represented AUL with numerous efforts on behalf of local nonprofits.

Allegra previously worked with IU Indianapolis at the Herron School of Art and in External Affairs. She attended Purdue University studying Nutrition and Dietetics then transferred and graduated from Indiana University-Bloomington with a B.A. degree in English. Allegra also completed a graduate certification program in design thinking from the Herron School of Art which teaches and hones problem solving skills and the Institute for Supervisory Excellence program. She has been a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Hoosier Chapter and the American Marketing Association Indianapolis Chapter.