Growing up in Anderson, Lynn Dingle was always familiar with Clemson University and its impact on the Upstate. Last year, when she saw a job posting for a community engagement coordinator for Clemson Libraries, she thought, “I know a thing or two about that.”
The majority of Dingle’s career has been spent building relationships and engaging with the community for a variety of non-profit organizations, primarily through marketing. Dingle earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and business administration from Benedict College, but as she puts it, “marketing then is not marketing now,” thanks to the advent of new technology that has changed the way people communicate. But some aspects of marketing never change, she said.
“Marketing is nothing but psychology,” said Dingle. “It’s creative psychology. It’s figuring out a way to get into people’s hearts and heads.”
Dingle’s previous positions include three years as director of marketing and communications for the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce and 12 years as vice president of marketing for the United Way of Anderson County. She also started her own marketing firm, LD Marketing Group.
Now she spends her time creating connections between Clemson Libraries and members of the surrounding community, and her marketing background and strong community ties in the Upstate come in handy. Dingle has been in the position for a little over a year.
“My job is letting people in the community know about the Libraries, who we are, what we do, what we have to offer, and that they can have a part in it,” she said. “I am also letting the Libraries know about the community and what is going on off campus. That relationship is a two-way street.”
Dingle says her favorite thing about working at Clemson is the family atmosphere on campus.
“I have learned that there are a lot of people who work at Clemson that went to Clemson, they just never left. I think that is a testament to the way that people feel about Clemson — it’s home, it’s a family,” she said.
Family is very important to Dingle. She and her husband John have three grown sons and three daughters-in-law, as well as three grandchildren, ages 7, 3 and 9 months.
Dingle’s “second job” is being a pastor’s wife. Her husband is pastor of Union Missionary Baptist Church in Barnwell, South Carolina. Because they live in Anderson, that means nearly six hours of driving to and from church every Sunday.
“It’s a commitment,” she said. “Being a pastor’s wife can be challenging. You grow to really care about people. For us to be so far removed from our congregation is difficult because when they’re hurting, I can’t get there right away.”
Dingle said her main goal in life is to be a good person and treat everyone with kindness.
“I try to be nice to anybody and everybody because you never know people’s circumstances,” she said. “I want to make people smile and make them feel good, that’s what I want people to know about me.”