Ellen Klingler has had the honor of dedicating over 24 years of her career to advancing the mission of public higher education in North Carolina. As Executive Director of University Special Events at NC State University, Ellen leads a team dedicated to planning and executing strategic live events that inspire and nurture a culture of pride in place–one speaker, one story, one event at a time. Ellen has an extensive background in special events management, event production, donor engagement and brand awareness. Her success with executing meaningful and authentic events starts with her commitment to the art of hospitality and ends with unique storytelling that is in concert with the university’s strategic priorities, the comprehensive communications and marketing plan, as well as stewardship and engagement plans.
Ellen earned a degree in corporate communications from Elon College and landed her first professional job at the University of North Carolina system office. It’s here where she forged a career in event planning before joining the NC State Chancellor’s Office in 2006. In 2013, responsibilities for Chancellor events and University Advancement events were consolidated under Ellen’s leadership. Her experience ranges from managing large, multi-campus conferences and university-wide initiatives such as Red and White Week (NC State’s homecoming celebration), to U.S. Presidential visits, athletic events, academic recognition events, personalized donor experiences and a variety of productions supporting the university’s $1.6 billion Think and Do the Extraordinary Campaign.
Ellen is a card-carrying extrovert who lives in Apex, NC with her husband and two daughters.
