Xavier University of Louisiana has appointed Leslie D. Rose ‘05 as Associate Vice President of University Communications, recognizing her deep institutional knowledge and longstanding commitment to the University’s mission and future. 

Rose steps into the role after serving as Interim Associate Vice President of University Communications, where she provided strategic communications through the University’s landmark Centennial year. In her permanent appointment, she continues to lead and mentor a multidisciplinary communications and creative team, oversee brand stewardship and storytelling across platforms, and advance cohesive, mission-aligned communications that elevate Xavier’s profile. 

As a proud Xavierite with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication, Rose said her appointment represents both a professional milestone and a full-circle moment. She works in Xavier South, the same building where she once sharpened the writing, reporting, and storytelling skills that anchor her career today. 

“I’m Xavier South made, so there is something incredibly meaningful about doing this work in this building,” Rose said. “This is where I learned how to think critically, tell stories with purpose, and understand the responsibility that comes with communicating truth. To help lead the University’s voice from the very place where my journey began is deeply affirming.” 

Since joining Xavier in 2023, Rose has played a pivotal role in shaping the University’s institutional narrative. In her interim appointment, she developed and implemented a formal crisis communications plan, led communications during complex, high-visibility campus events, and positioned Xavier’s president as a thought leader in higher education, the Catholic faith, and HBCU excellence. She also spearheaded integrated campaigns for signature moments, including the Centennial Gala, major-market media buys, and flagship video storytelling. 

Previously, as Director of Advancement Communications, Rose led donor-focused storytelling across print, digital, and executive channels, including the creation of Forward, Xavier’s magazine of research, engagement, and innovation, and taking editorial ownership of Xavier Gold, the magazine for alumni and friends. 

Beyond Xavier, Rose brings a distinguished background in journalism, higher education, philanthropy, and grassroots communications. She is an award-winning freelance journalist and a recurring contributor to Parents.com, where she focuses on celebrity and culture, and has interviewed Common, Misty Copeland, and KeKe Palmer, among others. She previously served as an editor at Blavity, where she supported the development of young writers, conducted live interviews, crafted compelling and timely stories, including every top-performing HBCU article during a Black History Month campaign, and interviewed a wish list of celebrities – Mariah Carey, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Rep. Maxine Waters, among countless others. Rose has served as the main voice in an episode of Celebrity True Crime Story (VH1/BET) and was a featured journalist on ABC’s Emmy-winning documentary, Rap Trap: Hip-Hop on Trial. She also has four essays in the St. James Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop Culture (2018, Gale). Additionally, she has held communications roles at Baton Rouge Community College, Build Baton Rouge, and national organizations, including the United Philanthropy Forum and the Housing Narrative Lab, leading crisis communications, executive messaging, visibility efforts, communications programming and training, and large-scale engagement campaigns, while strengthening inclusive storytelling practices. 

Rose is a New Jersey native with Louisiana roots who first moved to New Orleans to attend Xavier. Upon graduation, she relocated to Baton Rouge, where she met her husband, Donney, and later adopted twin cats, Jalen and Derrick. The family relocated to Maryland for five years before returning to New Orleans for Rose’s role at Xavier, or what she likes to call an extended Homecoming.