Iowa State graduate Tom Ligouri will return to Ames, not as a student, but as the director of external relations for the College of Engineering.

Ligouri’s position is new to the engineering college.

Engineering Dean James Melsa said the college needed the new position “because we are trying to expand the partnerships that we have with industry both in the state and outside the state.”

Ligouri, manager of residential and commercial marketing at IES Utilities, Cedar Rapids, will assume his new position Tuesday.

He will be responsible for the design, development, promotion, coordination and implementation of strategies and tactics.

These strategies and tactics will help to maintain and strengthen the external relations and partnership activities of the college. This will also include establishing new partnerships with industry as well as expanding existing partnerships.

“We felt we needed someone who could expand those partnerships and who had experience in the industry,” Melsa said.

He said Ligouri has nearly 30 years of experience in corporate marketing and communications.

In addition, Ligouri will be in charge of getting word to outside audiences about activities going on inside the college.

Melsa said that Ligouri will be in charge of marketing the Engineering College’s activities. This will include selling the college better and strengthening alumni relations, Melsa said.

Ligouri has worked at IES since 1990 and has been in charge of long-term and short-term marketing and sales programs, staff budgets for commercial and residential energy services.

Prior to employment with IES, Ligouri worked for TelecomUSA as marketing communications manager and for Amana Refrigeration as manager of advertising and market services and product manager.

He also worked as senior advertising manager at Lennox Industries and as an account executive at the Des Moines Register and Tribune.

He graduated from ISU in 1967 with a B.S. in journalism.