Elizabeth Mendes

Elizabeth Mendes is an innovative communications executive with decades of experience spanning the news, nonprofit, and corporate arenas. As the associate dean for communications at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Mendes leads an award-winning communications and marketing department. 

She has held numerous leadership positions at organizations, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Cancer Society, and Gallup.

Previously, Mendes was deputy director for the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center. There, she led a team of researchers, investigative reporters, editors, and developers.

Mendes has also worked with two of America's oldest and most trusted brands—Gallup and the American Cancer Society—to move them from a traditional print to a digital-first mindset. At the American Cancer Society, Mendes oversaw the creation and management of all digital editorial content for its flagship website, cancer.org. She also served as the organization's first managing editor for research, charged with creating a modern digital content strategy for the American Cancer Society's multibillion-dollar investment in cancer research.

At Gallup, Mendes played a lead role in reengineering Gallup.com to become a must-visit news site, helping shape its journalistic style, digital presence, and news brand.

Mendes has reported on public policy, technology, health issues, and a broad spectrum of international topics. She holds a master's degree in film and video from American University, with a focus in documentary and digital journalism, and a bachelor's degree in political science, with a minor in international economic development, from The Ohio State University.