Deborah Hakes

Deborah Hakes is an accomplished brand storyteller and strategist whose career has focused on amplifying organizations and individuals working to create positive change. She currently works for the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions (PLEJ), a national, nonpartisan community of best practices and engagement among election offices working to build confidence, trust, and transparency in the U.S. electoral system. As the Senior Strategic Initiatives and Impact Lead, Hakes oversees the development and rollout of new initiatives and helps capture, understand, and demonstrate the impact of their work.

Hakes previously led marketing and communications for Georgia Public Library Service and was named Library Journal’s national 2020 Marketer of the Year. Her career has spanned state, national, and international nonprofits, including Welcoming America, where she built a communications department from the ground up for an organization focused on immigrant and refugee inclusion and conflict resolution.

Hakes began her career at The Carter Center, where she documented international programs and traveled with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter to more than 25 countries experiencing post-conflict transitions and emerging democracies. Her photography has been published by major media outlets, and she remained part of the Carter Center family, serving as a family photographer for the Carters’ memorial services in 2023 and 2025.

Hakes has also demonstrated a strong commitment to community service and leadership, serving on the Library Marketing Conference Group Board, as an elementary school PTA president and fundraiser, a youth basketball coach, and a freelance photographer.

Her connection to SVSU began as a member of the Roberts Fellowship, which took her to Japan, China, and Taiwan and helped inspire her passion for international travel and photography. With guidance from President Eric Gilbertson, she took time away from her studies to travel through Africa, ultimately building the journalism skills that would become an important part of her career. She also graduated from Michigan State University with a Master of Arts in Journalism in 2005.

Hakes has continued giving back to SVSU through lectures, fellowship events, workshops, and professional mentorship. In 2025, she delivered the William and Julie Edwards Lecture, led a Barstow Seminar workshop, and was featured in a Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum photography exhibition. She has spoken to SVSU students to provide guidance and mentorship via the Roberts-Gilbertson Fellowship, photography and political science classes.

Her career reflects the power of storytelling, global perspective, service, and lifelong connection to SVSU.

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