M ichael Cavaliere has been named Georgia College & State University’s new assistant vice president of University Communications and chief communications officer, effective Oct. 1.

Cavaliere joins Georgia College with 15 years of experience in communications—10 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he currently serves as executive director of News and Media Relations.

 

He’s been a journalist—both reporter and editor—as well as a university public relations specialist under multiple titles. He also worked in publishing and has written two books.

“Mike comes to us with more than a decade of higher education communications experience— plus news, journalism and creative writing experience, all of which will impact our ability to tell the impressive stories of Georgia College in a more comprehensive and positive way,” said GCSU President Cathy Cox.

“He also brings a positive, thoughtful and can-do persona that will be a great fit for our campus,” Cox said. “We are all looking forward to his leadership.”

Raised in Flagler County, Florida, Cavaliere got his Bachelor of Arts in English/creative nonfiction at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. He worked at Ocean Publishing in Flagler Beach two years, rising from proofreader to writer and editor. His most satisfying accomplishment comes from that job: He was asked to step in, after a writer withdrew from a contracted assignment about turtles.

“Long story short, I was offered the job. I didn't know anything about turtles. I'd never written a book before. I had no idea what I was doing,” he said.

Nevertheless, Cavaliere finished the book by deadline, providing a human element to “Tracks in the Sand: Sea Turtles and Their Protectors.” This “massive learning experience” taught him the importance of “storytelling and setting lofty goals.”

 

From there, he worked for Observer Media Group in Palm Coast, Florida, writing for their Palm Coast and Ormond Beach Observer newspapers. He “covered every news beat possible” and wrote an opinion column, “Common Nonsense.” Cavaliere served as business editor, associate editor and finally multimedia director.

He won four awards, all in the top three, from a local media association in Florida and in the Better Weekly Newspaper Contest.

“Being a reporter was hard, but it was the most valuable job I've ever had,” Cavaliere said. “It taught me how to work under pressure and deadlines, how to put the reader—and later, the student—first, how to find and value truth, and how a byline isn't just about credit. It's also a personal mark of quality. There's no better training.”

 

Cavaliere worked at Embry-Riddle since 2014. He started as a communications specialist, moving on to digital communications coordinator, digital managing editor and news manager before pursuing his master’s in business administration and leadership at the same university.

He’s written talking points and speeches for senior leaders, headed a team of veteran communicators, created databases, managed websites, overseen social media and successfully led that university’s crisis communication during hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In recent years, Cavaliere was Embry-Riddle’s director of News and Media Relations before serving in his current position as executive director.

 

Why come here?

Cavaliere wanted to work in a liberal arts environment. He was attracted to Georgia College specifically for its tight community, diverse interests and big ambitions. 

“Once I got on campus,” he said, “it became immediately obvious how much people cared about their work, about this school and about growing together. Passion like that isn't always easy to find, but it's energizing and inspiring.”

At Georgia College’s Office of University Communications, Cavaliere will lead a team of 12 staffers handling media and public affairs, Front Page content, the alumni magazine and campus publications, marketing, web, photography, video, public radio and creative services, as well as  communications for University Housing and Auxiliary Services.

Promoting a university requires visual storytelling, which Cavaliere said “starts with a good subject, driven by action and change. In higher ed, that means focusing always on student growth. Each new university initiative should be brought back to how it will improve the student experience and, ultimately, increase the value of their degrees.”

In his early days as AVP and chief communications officer, Cavaliere plans to go on a “fact-finding campaign” to learn how his new team can best address the university’s needs.

That will also be his most challenging role.

 

“It will take patience,” Cavaliere said. “We’re all eager to start new projects and campaigns but, if we want to go far, we need to—to steal a line from self-help—‘begin with the end in mind.’ Painting that picture takes time.”

“Relationships and trust are huge with me,” he said. “I like supportive and collaborative atmospheres where I really get to know the people I work with as people, and where each team member has a clear understanding of their roles and goals. Once expectations are set, I want my team to feel empowered to ‘own’ projects and pitch new, ambitious or even seemingly weird ideas in an environment that values and encourages their feedback.”

Who is Mike Cavaliere beyond the resume? 
 

For fun, we sprung a few unorthodox questions on him.

When asked who’d win in a fight between a bobcat and an eagle—the mascot at Embry-Riddle—Cavaliere answered like a public relations pro.

“The Eagle has the power of flight,” he said, “but the Bobcat is scrappy. It would be a long, hard fight and, realizing this, I think the two would set aside their differences then pour each other bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch to enjoy while watching ‘Seinfeld’ reruns instead.”
 

Something most people don’t know about Cavaliere is his fondness for movies.

He’s such a big fan, in fact, Cavaliere logged and rated every single film he saw in the past 18 years. In addition to the “The Godfather” series, his top picks include “Mulholland Drive” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” He also likes horror and anything directed by Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino or Alfred Hitchcock.

The most treasured item he’ll bring for his office desk in Newell Watts House is his coffee mug.

Cavaliere is moving to Central Georgia with his wife, Rebecca, and stepdaughter Charlotte, who’s in seventh grade. They love to travel and look forward to exploring the North Georgia mountains. The family has two dogs: Winnie the Pooch and Geno.

He’s excited to explore Milledgeville with its “love for arts and culture.” He wants to participate in visiting writer events and, of course, not miss anything film-related.

“It will be a lot of change all at once, which is exciting,” Cavaliere said. “I'm looking forward to working with a bunch of positive and passionate people. I've worked in a lot of communications roles over the years. But mostly, I have no interest in being the ‘smartest person in the room,’ and I like to see that as a strength.”

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