New Director of Communications and PR
Published on: April 5, 2019
Samaritan Announces New Director of Communication & Public Relations
Watertown, NY — Samaritan Medical Center is pleased to announce the appointment of the new Director of Communication & Public Relations, Leslie M. DiStefano of Watertown. As Director of Communication & Public Relations she is responsible for all marketing, strategic communication, and media relations, including the public spokesperson for the Samaritan Health network.
“We are very pleased to have Leslie join our Marketing team, with her experience and knowledge, we will continue to build on the strength of the Samaritan brand and continue to make the community aware of Samaritan’s high quality, expanded and enhanced services,” explains Beth Fipps, Vice President, Foundation and Community Services.
Ms. DiStefano comes from Jefferson Community College where she served as the Director of Marketing & Communication. During her time at the College she led the marketing team into a comprehensive digital advertising presence and led the recent redesign of the College website.
Prior to Jefferson, she worked in the Samaritan Marketing department as the Online Communication Coordinator/Webmaster. DiStefano started her career at WPBS-TV as Educational Services Manager and then later was promoted to Director of Corporate Support.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to be leading the Marketing department of this vital healthcare system and being back at an organization I care deeply about,” states Ms. DiStefano. “I look forward to continuing the great communication strategies that have been in place and cultivating new ways to communicate our brand.”
Ms. DiStefano serves on the North Country Family Health Center Board of Directors and is a 2017 Jefferson Leadership Institute alum and continues to be an active planning member of the Race Against Poverty event. She holds an MBA from Clarkson University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from SUNY Potsdam.
Ms. DiStefano began her new role on Thursday, March 28th. Her office is located in the Marketing and Foundation office at SMC, and can be reached at 315-785-4504.