Avery Enderle Wagner

I launched my career in the advertising industry, but since 2019 I've brought these critical skills to mission-driven work in higher education.

I currently focus my skillset on major campaign strategy, multimedia design, research communications, and brand development at the University of Virginia College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

Previously at UVA I handled print, web, environmental design and even crisis communications design at the University of Virginia Facilities Management, and strategic communications, campus-wide functional design systems, and publication design for the University of Virginia Office for Sustainability.

Before joining higher education, I held the title of Creative Director at Hoot Design Co., a culture-driven brand agency.

In my total of nine years of experience at Hoot, I developed extensive brand strategy, graphic design, copywriting and marketing skills as I learned the ins and outs of bringing story-driven brands to life. As creative director, I oversaw a creative team of designers, strategists, and copywriters, facilitating award-winning creative collaboration in a high-stakes industry.

I’ve also designed brand identities, campaign strategies and integrated content marketing campaigns through my independent work at Real Shiny Creative Studio.

I harness the power of design thinking frameworks to ask big questions, iterate, solve complex problems, and track what works.

I've developed expertise across design and creative tools (Adobe Creative Cloud suite, photography, video production), digital marketing platforms (various CMS backends, Marketing Cloud, Mailchimp, search marketing, optimization funnels), and technical skills (HTML/CSS, analytics, copywriting) to create comprehensive content strategies that I continuously optimize based on performance data.

Beyond technical expertise, I excel at leading creative teams and facilitating collaborative environments where innovative ideas flourish. My leadership experience includes building and mentoring teams, managing cross-functional projects, and translating strategic vision into actionable creative direction that drives measurable results.

I earned my B.A. from the University of Missouri–Columbia in 2015, where I designed my own interdisciplinary major focused on 19th Century Art & Culture. (Yes, I was that student who wanted to study everything at once!)

My interdisciplinary degree from the Mizzou Honors College allowed me to dive deep into research questions that explored the intersection of visual culture, history, social movements, and storytelling—themes that continue to influence how I approach design and communications work today. I also completed a Certificate of Multicultural Studies, which shaped my understanding of how diverse perspectives strengthen creative solutions.

In parallel with my liberal arts education, I pursued an apprenticeship-style approach to develop my professional skillset as I worked full- or nearly full-time at Hoot Design Co. as a graphic designer, copywriter, and web developer throughout my undergraduate experience.

I graduated magna cum laude, and took that interdisciplinary focus straight into the advertising world... before realizing I was most energized by mission-driven work where strategy and storytelling serve a deeper purpose. I've now brought my blended passion for interdisciplinary analysis and creative production full circle.