The Team

Brette Lea serves as the Vice Chancellor of College Relations & Marketing at Austin Community College District and a strategic consultant on the Chancellor’s Cabinet. She leads an award-winning marketing and communications team dedicated to elevating the District’s student-first philosophy, top-tier training programs, and innovative partnerships.

Specializing in authentic storytelling in a digital world, Brette oversees all aspects of communication, awareness marketing, and the College’s broadcast TV station. She has spearheaded major initiatives, including the new “Built for What’s Next” image campaign, the Riverbats spirit brand, and a comprehensive web redesign set to go live in early 2027.

Before entering higher education marketing, Brette was a veteran of the communications industry. She is a former Emmy Award-winning news reporter and anchor for television stations in Nashville and Houston. Notably, her investigative work breaking the Firestone (Bridgestone) tire fatalities story was featured on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, ultimately leading to a congressional hearing and global recall.

Brette transitioned her storytelling expertise to higher education at her alma mater, The University of Texas at Austin. Serving as a lead publicist for Texas Performing Arts and the College of Fine Arts, she collaborated with world-renowned artists like Renée Fleming, Juanes, and the cast of Broadway’s The Lion King. In this role, she focused on expanding relations with the bilingual community and promoting arts in education to a global audience.

Whether writing executive speeches, producing television commercials, or executing digital marketing strategies, Brette is a true believer in the transformative power of higher education. Her core passion is creating clear communications that tell that story, touching the hearts and minds of the community, and putting students on a path to success.

Brette is a native Texan and a proud mom, friend, and colleague. She earned her Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, holds a Certification of Public Communications from Texas Christian University, and is a proud recipient of the President’s Leadership Excellence Award and the John & Suann Roueche Excellence Award.