Jolene Butts Freeman

Jolene Butts Freeman is a native Atlantan. She was born in East Point, Georgia and was raised in Southwest Atlanta. She attended Benjamin E. Mays High School and graduated with honors in the top 10 percent of her class. After graduating from Mays, Jolene attended Clark Atlanta University where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism/Communications.

Jolene's career has taken her to various markets across the southern United States, where she has excelled as a television anchor. She went on to further her education at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism where she earned her Master's Degree in Broadcast Journalism in the accelerated one-year program. Jolene was the first in her class to land a job in the broadcast television industry. She got her start as a general assignment reporter in Albany, Georgia at WALB-TV.

Like most journalists, Jolene continued to gain experience and move up the ranks in the industry. She worked at CNN as a video journalist and assistant producer, general assignment reporter at WAPT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi and she worked as a television reporter and anchor in both Meridian, MS and FOX 24 News in Macon, Georgia. She landed her dream job as a television reporter at Atlanta’s # 1 station, WSB-TV where she became an Emmy Award winning journalist for a story she covered called “Yerkes Protest”. She also worked as a writer and television reporter for CBS 46, now (Atlanta News First).

Jolene also has experience in education. She has worked and continues to serve as an adjunct professor at Clark Atlanta University where she teaches media courses and shares her “Real World Media Experiences” with her students in Clark Atlanta’s Mass Media Arts Department.

She transitioned from broadcast television into the world of communications, public information and media relations. Jolene served as the official spokesperson and Public Information Officer for several public safety agencies including the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department where she worked with mayors, elected officials, and executive leadership. While employed for these agencies, Jolene has successfully handled large media crises in Metropolitan Atlanta and has conducted media training for public safety employees in an effort to teach the dos and don’ts of emergency communications.

Jolene landed the Chief Communicaitons Officer (COO) position at Fulton County Government where she’s worked closely with county comissioners, city and state politicians, where she led media projects, wrote op-eds and developed strategic communicaitons plans. Jolene has worked as a communications manger for more than 12 years handling communications efforts to include everything from writing for and developing annual reports, writng press releases and scripts, video producing, show hosting, professional photography, planning events, developing logistics, and social media. These experiences have lead Jolene to work as the Director of Communications and External Affairs for the City of Kennesaw and the City of South Fulton where she structured and established the framework for the city’s communications department. Jolene transitioned into the realm of education and now serves as the Associate Vice President of Communications and Media Relations for Clark Atlanta University, where she’s established the framework for and leads the Marketing & Communications Unit within the Office of Institution Advancement and serves as the host of CAU Connects radio show on Jazz 91.9 WCLK Atlanta’s Jazz Station, located on the campus of Clark Atlanta University.

Jolene has won numerous awards for her work in public information/communications from both the National Association of County Information Officers and the International Association of Business Communicators. She uses her vast media background as well as her skills as a professional photographer to tackle projects that have lead to her winning such awards. She is active in several organizations including the Clark Atlanta University Mass Media Arts Alumni Society, National Association of Black Journalists, The Clark Atlanta University Guild and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated where she became a 2022 AKA Leadership Academy Fellow and was elected to serve as the chapter’s graduate advisor for four (4) years and is the newly elected Vice President.

Even with the above mentioned accomplishments, Jolene considers becoming the mother to Jazmine Rachel and Jerry Emanuel “Tripp” her biggest life’s accomplishmets. She is a proud supporter of HBCUs as her children are alum of Spelman College and Bethune Cookman University. She is also the wife of Jerry E. Freeman Jr., a 1994 alum of Clark Atlanta University and a nationally recognized professional musician. Lastly, Jolene lives by the Bible verse Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Jolene Butts Freeman
Associate Vice President
Media Relations and Communications