Grant Walker named Asante marketing manager

Grant Walker has joined Asante Communications and Marketing as manager of marketing and consumer engagement, effective Jan. 4. Many employees may already know Walker, who served as the department’s senior public relations specialist for more than seven years.

He returns to Asante after six years as the director of marketing and public information at Rogue Community College.

In his new role, Walker will focus on systemwide marketing with an emphasis on consumer engagement, one of Asante’s key strategic priorities. He will oversee a team of marketing consultants and a provider outreach coordinator.

“Grant brings a wealth of experience to this position,” said Kimberly Schauer, director of Asante Communications and Marketing. “He  has a deep knowledge of Asante and the health care industry as well as research-informed marketing strategies.”

Before joining the department for the first time in 2007, he served in communications for nine years at Southern Illinois Healthcare. Earlier, he taught English at Murphysboro High School in Illinois and introduction to theater classes to inmates enrolled in the Illinois Department of Corrections college education program.

He has worked as a theatrical producer for Barnstorm Productions in Portland and wrote feature stories for  Portland’s Neighbor Newspaper.

Walker holds a master’s degree in theater and playwriting from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale; a bachelor’s degree in English from Portland State University; and an associate degree in television production from Mt. Hood Community College.

He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and earned his accreditation in public relations in 2015. He volunteers as a course facilitator in APR.

He also volunteers in the community, most recently serving a communications role with the Rogue Gateway Rotary. He has served on the board for Healthcare Communicators of Oregon and the Jackson County Sexual Assault Response Team.

In his free time, Walker enjoys playing guitar, editing home video, gardening and making hot sauce.

He lives in Grants Pass with his wife, Jill, who works as a speech language pathologist for Asante Three Rivers.

Walker is looking forward to returning to Asante. “At Rogue Community College I had the opportunity to develop new marketing strategies and expand its marketing into new areas,” he says. “When I saw an opening to do the same at Asante, I was excited to apply. Asante is a great organization, and it is an honor to work here again.”