Media contacts
David Nordman
Executive Director of Communications
508.561.0065
Role: As executive director of integrated communications, David Nordman leads strategic communications, news and media relations, executive communications and research communications for the University of Maine. He is responsible for enhancing the university’s visibility, strengthening its brand and aligning communications with institutional priorities. Nordman serves as the university’s primary spokesperson, advises President Joan Ferrini-Mundy and her leadership team, and works to raise UMaine’s profile at the state, national and global levels.
Bio: Nordman joined UMaine after serving as executive editor in the Office of Communications and External Affairs at Northeastern University in Boston. There, he expanded digital storytelling platforms, launched new editorial initiatives and helped shape institutional messaging. He also played a key role in elevating faculty expertise and research to national audiences by partnering with professors to shape stories that linked their work to pressing global issues.
Before transitioning to higher education, Nordman spent more than two decades in journalism. He was executive editor of several news organizations in the Gannett/USA TODAY Network across New England, where he led print, digital and social media strategy. A recipient of the New England First Amendment Award, Nordman is known for his leadership in integrated newsrooms, commitment to public service journalism and ability to navigate complex communications challenges.
Originally from Massachusetts, he is the father of a recent Black Bear graduate and a lifelong sports fan who now proudly calls Maine home.
Marcus Wolf
Director of News and Media Relations
207.581.3721
Role: Marcus Wolf is the director of news and media relations for the Division of Marketing and Communications. He writes and edits news releases, media advisories, long-form stories and other editorial content for the University of Maine. He also coordinates the production and execution of several other communication initiatives for both institutions.
Bio: Wolf earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing with a minor in journalism from the State University of New York at Potsdam in 2016. Before joining the UMaine Division of Marketing and Communications, the Upstate New York native worked as a reporter for a daily newspaper writing about business, agriculture, energy, the environment, infrastructure and more. He won a feature writing award from the New York Press Association.
Ashley Yates
News Writer
Role: Ashley Yates is a news writer whose job it is to explore, understand and compile information regarding the work of researchers, faculty and students with the University of Maine. She writes press releases, web content and feature articles using real stories from UMaine to support its public outreach.
Bio: With a communications degree in journalism and electronic media from the University of Tennessee, Yates migrated north to gain experience in university communications suited toward feature writing. She has worked as a staff reporter at a daily newspaper in her home state of Tennessee since her graduation and completion of an investigative journalism fellowship. Covering local business and government within a small community in East Tennessee, she has won awards in business coverage and photography. She also enjoys painting and cinema.