Alumni Focus: Denise Kendust

With more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare and real estate development industries, Denise Kendust has a proven track record of accomplishment for growing and increasing brand awareness and market share in complex environments. Since August of 2021, Denise has worked in Tallahassee, Florida, as the Assistant Vice President for Community Engagement at HCA Healthcare, which is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services, comprising 182 hospitals and approximately more than 2,300 sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and physician clinics, in 20 states and the United Kingdom. Prior to holding this position, she was a director of communications and community engagement for HCA Healthcare in the Fort Walton-Destin market, where she supported and led the community relations team at Twin Cities Hospital and the communications team at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center. Denise’s impressive business career has also included Columbus-area employment. From 2004 to 2008, she was Vice President of Marketing and Planning at Hughston Hospital, where she led strategic planning initiatives and the overall coordination of the marketing department. That experience was followed by a two-year stint as Director of Corporate Business Development at Columbus Regional Health, where she provided support and leadership to community relations and physician sales teams, and external advertising agencies and research firms. From 2011 to 2012, Denise was the Director of Development and Marketing at the Pastoral Institute, where she increased annual fundraising donations by $350,000 over the prior period by developing and establishing new annual donor event and planned giving program. Lastly, Denise completed a three year tenure with the Pink Monarch Breast Center in Columbus from 2012 through 2015. In this role, she increased patient volumes by 35% over the prior period.

Denise’s path to professional success was paved by her education in the Turner College of Business at Columbus State University. She first earned a BBA in marketing from the Turner College in 1989. This was followed by receipt of a Turner College MBA in 1996. Both degrees were earned while working full time. Additionally, during her MBA studies, Denise presented her research concerning the internet and cultural taboos at the 12^th Annual Pan-Pacific Conference in New Zealand. Finally, her educational experiences in the Turner College cultivated a respect for servant leadership. Throughout her career, Denise has given back to her community through volunteer efforts, including service on the boards of the Destin Chamber of Commerce (2021), the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (2018-2021) in Destin, Florida, and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (2013-2014).

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