Jeff Angileri B.A. ‘06

Jeff Angileri named 2025 Distinguished Alumnus for Service to UW-Whitewater

Written by Dave Fidlin and Kristine Zaballos | Photos by Craig Schreiner

Jeff Angileri proudly proclaims he “bleeds purple” as he reflects on the innumerable positive experiences he has encountered at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater — first as a student and, in the past decade-and-a-half, as a campus leader.

After graduating from UW-Whitewater with his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in 2006, Angileri worked as a broadcast journalist for several years and then returned to campus in several roles, most recently as executive director of University Marketing and Communications.

“My life changed, in a very positive trajectory, by earning my degree at UW-Whitewater,” Angileri said. “When I started working here, I naturally had the opportunity to pay it forward by promoting this university and sharing our story so that other folks who are interested in coming here have that same transformational experience.” 

This spring, Angileri is receiving the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award for Service to UW-Whitewater. The recognition is presented to a UW-Whitewater graduate in recognition of outstanding support in the development of the university, its goals and mission and university affairs.

When Angileri was exploring college options in the early aughts as he graduated high school, UW-Whitewater became a logical institution to earn his degree. A number of experiences helped solidify his decision, including a positive first experience on campus participating in a KEMPA journalism camp and an interaction at a recruiting event near his family’s home in the Chicago area with Paul Jones, at the time the associate director of admissions.

“He made me feel like I was the most important student they were recruiting that year,” Angileri recalled. “He showed tremendous interest in my goals and aspirations and who I was. I felt like this was the kind of place where I would be seen as a person and not a number. I could see myself being there.”

In his current leadership role, Angileri is the university’s official voice and spokesperson for a variety of audiences. He leads the team that is responsible for internal and external communications and for setting and managing the brand identity of the university. That chance encounter with Jones is a reminder of the importance of a good first impression and sharing the university’s collective story, internally and externally.

“We are a university family,” Angileri said when asked to describe UW-Whitewater. “It’s a place that deeply cares about everyone on campus. We all work together, through challenges and through successes to change lives for the better.”

Angileri has used his communication and marketing talents to champion UW-Whitewater during its greatest triumphs and achievements and, critically, to serve as a rock of stability and strength during the university’s most challenging times. During the pandemic, when video communications became a primary source of communication, he hosted many virtual meetings, panels, and events to inform the campus community and provide an outlet for conversations to help guide Warhawks through this time.

That sense of caring — exemplified by the university’s focus on belonging and student support — was evident to Angileri from the get-go. UW-Whitewater is noted for its programs and services tailored toward first-generation students who were exploring the intricacies of college admissions and higher education without the insight of family. Angileri was among this group of students.

“I didn’t have the benefit of having other people in my family who could help me know what college is like, or what to expect in my classes or engage with the campus community and learn what opportunities there would be available to me,” Angileri said. “I depended upon the faculty and staff and my peers to support me — and they did. Every single faculty member I ever had would try to connect me with something.”

On campus, he conducted research on the history of UW-Whitewater that culminated in a senior capstone video project, which was of such high quality that departments across the university used it as an informational tool for various audiences. DVDs were created and offered for sale in the university bookstore, with the majority of royalties supporting the campus.

As a student pursuing journalism, Angileri was attracted to UW-Whitewater because of its strong program that offered bountiful hands-on opportunities. Angileri took part in UWW-TV, the university’s TV station, as a reporter and news anchor. He also learned the ins and outs of the various technical aspects of assembling and airing a newscast.

“One of the things we talk about at UW-Whitewater is how well prepared students are to enter the workforce,” Angileri said. “I got to see that, first hand, as a student. It’s one thing to be in the classroom and learn about your major and the industry you’re pursuing, but then the practical applications were things I experienced at UW-Whitewater.”

When he landed his first professional job at WJFW-TV, the NBC affiliate in Rhinelander, Angileri quickly realized how prepared he was to work at the station, thanks to the forward-thinking nature of UW-Whitewater’s journalism program. At the time the station was still working with tape-to-tape editing, a method that was being phased out. Angileri knew the technique through UW-Whitewater, but also had knowledge of the more current non-linear editing programs via computers.

“I was so prepared because UW-Whitewater knew what the future was going to be, but they also knew what the realities of the industry were,” Angileri said. “I was future-proofed in my career.”

Angileri subsequently worked at Madison’s ABC affiliate, WKOW-TV, before assuming his role at UW-Whitewater. In 2010, he was hired as assistant director with the university’s Marketing and Media Relations team and, in 2019, he was named director of the renamed University Marketing and Communications. In 2021, he was promoted to executive director.

While Angileri is quick to point out he has been a benefactor from UW-Whitewater’s culture and resources over the years, he has also had a strong desire to give back to the university and its students through multiple avenues.

One example has been the mentorship he provides to students who speak at commencement ceremonies, competitive events and other venues — as student speaker for his own commencement in 2006, he is uniquely positioned to share his expertise. To date, he has assisted 35 UW-Whitewater students, helping them perfect their message, improve their storytelling and deliver their speech as effectively as possible.

“Even the most polished speaker can get filled with anxiety in a building that is filled with 7,000 people, which is almost certainly the largest audience that they’ve ever spoken to in person,” Angileri said.

One of the ways Angileri has had the greatest impact on campus is as a mentor to students, affecting both their time on campus and their eventual careers. Those relationships embody his belief in the fundamental mission of the university and the commitment to mentorship and hands-on learning.

Natalie Arriaga De Brooks is one of those students, working at UMC throughout her college career. Natalie, who earned a B.A. in international studies with a minor in Spanish in 2018, is assistant director of the Multicultural Center at the Wisconsin School of Business at UW-Madison, where she earned an MSE in Education Leadership and Policy Analysis in 2019.

“As a student staff member who worked with Jeff Angileri for about five years, the rapport he cultivated was unparalleled,” said Natalie. “While working together, Jeff provided an environment where I felt valued as a team player and where I could come as my authentic self. Jeff took it upon himself to ask intentional questions to help me discover while strengthening the skills that would contribute to my post-graduation success. Over time, I realized Jeff genuinely wanted to see me thrive as a student and as an individual.” 

Angileri is an experienced writer who is called upon to tell the highest-level stories that are closest to the Warhawk spirit. He has written movingly of campus leader Roger Pulliam — both in 2019 when he won a statewide award for his illustrious career in student success and inclusivity at UW-Whitewater, and in 2020, when he passed away. Jeff has also written seminal stories about enrollment milestones, chancellor inaugurations, student championships, fundraising successes, and a Warhawk’s White House visit.

As a respected colleague, collaborator and ambassador, Angileri is frequently asked to be part of the recruitment teams that identify new employees. He has participated in numerous search and screen committees, including at the chancellor’s cabinet level.

In 2017, Angileri also stepped outside his normal duties and authored a sesquicentennial photo book that was written in honor of UW-Whitewater’s 150th anniversary in 2018. Writing the forward to each of the book’s chapters — A Sense of Place, Our University Family, Wonder and Imagination, Soaring Ever Higher, and Beyond Campus — as well as many of the captions for the photos in the book, Jeff volunteered many hours over weekends pouring his heart into this once-in-a-career opportunity to leave a love letter to the university he loves.

“I had the benefit of looking back on 150 years of who we are, staying true to that, but also helping position us for what will be another 150 years of transforming lives at UW-Whitewater,” Angileri said.

As the recipient of college scholarships, Angileri experienced first hand the impact of philanthropy, and is an annual donor to the Warhawks Give and Giving Tuesday fundraisers. 

“It’s a gift to have the opportunity to invest in the lives of others,” he said.