Marketing & Communications Staff
We are a highly unified, yet eclectic group of professionals. Together, we’ve racked up decades of creative experience in sustaining and leveraging Butler’s stories through our wide array of services. Along the way we’ve won some awards and been nationally recognized for our work. We don’t simply settle for good enough; rather, we reach for continuous personal and professional growth. Whether this is through attending various conferences, or development of our own creative afternoons and monthly creative exercises, we are always pushing ourselves to look for new and innovative ways to share all things Butler with the rest of the world.
Administration
Jonathan Purvis is a respected leader in higher education advancement with over 25 years of experience. He was named Butler University’s Vice President for Advancement on April 16, 2018. Purvis led the public fundraising phase of Butler Beyond: The Campaign for Butler University which concluded on May 31, 2022 having surpassed its $250 million goal with $262 million raised.
Prior to arriving at Butler, Purvis held progressive leadership positions at Indiana University including Vice President for Development and Regional Campuses, Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations for the Indiana University School of Education, and Executive Director of Special Gifts and Annual Giving.
Purvis holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive credential (CFRE) and has taught a variety of fundraising courses. He is a frequent presenter on a range of Advancement topics and a contributing author to the third edition of the acclaimed Achieving Excellence in Fundraising. He holds a BA in English and Master of Public Affairs, both from Indiana University.
Having grown up in Noblesville, Indiana in a family of Butler alumni, Jonathan is excited to be part of the Butler community along with his wife Brittany, daughters Sophie and Abi, and son Joshua.
Courtney Tuell serves as Butler University’s Executive Director of Brand Marketing, where she leads strategies that enhance Butler’s reputation as a premier national university. She oversees the talented Brand Strategy and Creative teams, guiding their work to elevate Butler’s visibility and impact. Since joining Butler in 2002, Courtney has held various communication, account management, and leadership roles, including Director of Public Relations during the University’s historic back-to-back Final Four appearances.
Prior to her time at Butler, Courtney served as an Account Executive with full-service marketing communications firm Hickman and Associates. She is a 1999 graduate of Butler University where she studied Integrated Communications.
Away from the office, Courtney enjoys time with her two boys, Connor and Chase.
Kristi Lafree joined Butler University in 2013 and currently serves as the Executive Director of Enrollment Marketing and Technology. A member of the Marketing and Communications leadership team, she oversees both the Enrollment Marketing and Web teams, helping to shape the University’s prospective student experience from first impression to final decision.
Over the years, Kristi has had the unique opportunity to serve within both the Enrollment Management and Marketing and Communications divisions at Butler. She works closely with Enrollment Management, graduate programs, the Transformation Lab, IT, and Butler’s academic colleges to drive marketing strategy and optimize technology throughout the student journey.
Kristi is a 2011 graduate of Indiana University Bloomington. She earned her MBA in 2013 from WGU Indiana, where she also served on the University’s public relations team before joining Butler.
When she’s not on campus, Kristi enjoys spending time with her husband, Nathan (a fellow Butler employee), their high school senior, Madison, their new baby, Luke, and their very opinionated cat, Lisa Frank. A former fastpitch softball pitcher whose throwing arm is now strictly decorative, she still loves watching baseball (go Cubs), listening to audiobooks, and scouting out new restaurants on Indy’s south side.
Brand Strategy
Rachel Stotts first joined Butler University in 1999 in what was then the Publications Office. She served as Account Manager until 2003 when she left Butler to stay home with her children. She returned to Butler in 2013 to Marketing and Communications and currently serves as Senior Marketing Manager.
Rachel is a graduate of Greenville University in Greenville, Illinois with a degree in English. Rachel, her husband, Doug MS ’01, and their children, Amelia and Owen, live in Broad Ripple with their French bulldog, Stuart.
As a Marketing Specialist, Victoria Ochs facilitates the development and completion of marketing projects for University clients. She supports Butler’s Marketing and Communications team via project management, copywriting for print and digital content, and other Brand Strategy efforts.
Prior to her work at Butler, Victoria developed her passion for higher ed and the nonprofit sector in roles at Taylor University, her alma mater, and the nonprofit law firm Charitable Allies.
In her spare time, Victoria enjoys exploring Broad Ripple and participating in the Indianapolis arts, music, and poetry scenes. She serves alongside her husband at The Sanctuary, a neighborhood church that gathers in the Indianapolis Art Center.
Evan Krauss, a 2016 College of Communication graduate and Strategic Communications Masters candidate, has been with the Butler Marketing & Communications office in one form or another since 2013. Starting as a volunteer handler of Butler Blue III and working his way through an internship his Senior year, Krauss is now Senior Marketing Manager and Handler/Dad of Butler Blue IV.
Enrollment Marketing
Kaitlyn Roberts is a distinguished 2015 graduate of Butler University, holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Management Information Systems. Kaitlyn joined Butler’s Marketing and Communications team in May 2022, and is currently serving as Butler’s Enrollment Marketing CRM Manager. She plays a pivotal role in managing all marketing assets within the Enrollment Management’s CRM—Slate. Her responsibilities encompass the management of email campaigns, forms, landing pages, and more, catering to both the Undergraduate and Graduate domains.
Kaitlyn finds joy in spending quality time with her very spoiled pup, Urie, and her husband. Demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning, she is currently enrolled in the MSDA program at Butler, showcasing her dedication to personal and professional development. In her free time, she is into crafting and creating things with her Cricut!
Kaitlin Hennessey is 2023 graduate of Western Michigan University, holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in Strategic Communication with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Event Management. Kaitlin recently joined Butler’s Marketing and Communications team in May 2024, and currently serves as Butler’s Enrollment Marketing Specialist. Her responsibilites include developing marketing content and executing marketing strategies while supporting project management responsibilites for the Enrollment Management division.
Outside of the office, you can find Kaitlin reading, playing with her cat, Perwinkle, and going on walks. She loves spending time with her family and enjoys listening to music and/or snuggling on the couch with a good show playing. She also creates content for her book review page on Instagram, so if you are ever in need of book recommendations, Kaitlin would be happy to assist!
Creative Services
I have been with Butler since August 1999, relocating back to my hometown from stints in Arizona and Vermont through the nineties after college in Terre Haute, Indiana, where I studied Graphic Design and Art History. My interests outside of work include painting, playing cello, and wondering how I got so lucky to have such a wonderful family.
Web
