Colleen Mastony, Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs
(734) 936-5190
cmastony@umich.edu
Media inquiries: public.affairs@umich.edu

Colleen Mastony is the assistant vice president for public affairs at the University of Michigan. She serves as the university’s primary spokesperson and she leads the public affairs team, which handles reputational issues, media inquiries for the central administration, and communications planning for major initiatives. In addition, she oversees the University Record, the official news source for the campus community, as well as the office that handles inquiries involving the Freedom of Information Act. Colleen joined the university in 2024, after more than five years at the University of Chicago. Prior to that, she worked for two decades as a journalist at outlets including the Chicago Tribune and Forbes magazine. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

Kay Jarvis, Director of Public Affairs
(734) 936-5190
kdjarvis@umich.edu

Kay Jarvis is director of Public Affairs at the University of Michigan. She serves as a spokesperson and advises top leaders on an array of issues. Kay leads media relations efforts for central communications working in collaboration with communicators across three campuses and an academic medical center. She joined the university in 2024 and most recently worked with the University of Oregon. She also has experience in corporate communications and public relations, and worked for two decades as a journalist for outlets including The Denver Post and Austin American-Statesman. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University.

Brian Taylor, Communications Manager
briatay@umich.edu

Brian is the Communications Manager in the Office of Public Affairs. Brian’s main areas of responsibility are supporting media relations, collaborating with teams across the Ann Arbor campus and developing content on reputational issues. He brings more than 20 years of diverse experience in media relations and strategic communications to the role. He most recently served as director of communications and media relations at the Detroit Medical Center, where he directed internal and external communications for the health system. Brian began his career as a general assignment TV reporter in Flint; he also worked as a reporter/anchor and bureau chief in the Grand Rapids area before moving into media relations.

Chris Sebastian, Director of Strategic Communications
(734) 649-4680
csebas@umich.edu

Chris is responsible for developing and executing a proactive strategy to measurably strengthen the university’s reputation around institutional priorities and leadership. He also leads the team that produces The University Record – the official news source for the campus community – and its website, weekly print edition and daily email newsletter. He brings more than 20 years of mission-based communication experience. Chris joined U-M in 2025 from Ducks Unlimited, where as director of communications he led outreach strategy to support wetlands conservation efforts across North America. He previously was director of communications and alumni relations at St. Clair County Community College and started his career as a daily newspaper reporter. Chris earned his B.S. in journalism from Central Michigan University.

Jeffrey Bleiler, Associate Editor
(734) 764-6825
jbleiler@umich.edu

Jeff joined the Record in 2019 — assisting with story planning, editing and production of its print, online and daily email editions — after a lengthy career in journalism and communications, mostly with the Jackson Citizen Patriot as a sports reporter, copy editor and news/sports leader, and with MLive Media Group as a news and local sports leader. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Eastern Michigan University.

Steve Culver, Graphic Designer
stevecul@umich.edu

Steve brings more than 30 years of experience in news design and production to the Record, which he joined in 2014. Steve is responsible for the newspaper’s graphic design and production, and also oversees circulation and distribution of the print edition. Previously, he helped students at The Michigan Daily and Monroe Street Journal produce their publications. Steve published a magazine for Southeast Michigan’s LGBT community from 1990-2024.

Dirk Milliman, Advertising Sales Representative
734-764-4342
dirkmill@umich.edu

A graduate of Central Michigan University with a degree in journalism, Dirk has been working in Michigan media for nearly 40 years, owning and managing newspapers, shopping guides and digital media sites. He is a past president of the Michigan Press Association and remains active with the MPA Foundation. His wife, Penelope, is a professional photographer. They have two children and three  grandchildren.

Genevieve Monsma, Writer
gmmonsma@umich.edu

Genevieve joined the Record in 2024 and writes news and feature stories. She brings more than 25 years of writing and editing experience, mostly in New York City, as a magazine editor covering health, fitness and personal care. Genevieve has written for publications including Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Real Simple, Shape and Health. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Miami University and is working toward a master’s in strategic communication from Michigan State.