Alumna of the Year | Caroline Klein, DSHA '03.

Alumna of the Year | Caroline Klein, DSHA ’03
Chief Communications Officer at the Utah Jazz

Caroline Klein, DSHA ’03, grew up knowing she would attend DSHA. A strong tradition in her family, she had six cousins, one sister, and numerous aunts graduate from the school. Additionally, her grandmother, Beverly Bolger Klein, HA ’44, attended Holy Angels Academy and graduated in 1944.  

Upon entering high school, Klein was eager to take advantage of the opportunities presented to her at DSHA. She played basketball for four years and served as the feature editor of the student Word publication. It was her identity as an athlete, and a love of storytelling, that defined her high school experience.

After graduating, she attended Boston University where she received her BS in magazine journalism. Klein moved to New York City where she began her vast career in communications at Red Point Marketing Public Relations. She quickly began expanding her talents and held several communications and marketing positions at boutique PR agencies in New York City and Chicago, specializing in travel and hospitality. For over ten years, Klein worked at the Preferred Travel Group in Newport Beach, CA where she traveled 200 days out of the year and visited over 60 countries. She served as the Chief Communications Officer for her last two years at the organization.

Craving a new challenge, Klein pivoted from her career in travel and accepted the Chief Communications Officer role for the Utah Jazz, the NBA team of Salt Lake City, UT.

Her current position, which was new to the Jazz when she started, requires her to drive the strategy behind the organization’s public relations, community relations, broadcasting efforts, and serve as the public-facing representative of the organization. She is a key interface between different departments, ownership, the executive team, and works closely with the entire organization to ensure that its value of being community oriented rings true across Utah and beyond.

Currently, the Jazz community programming that Klein helps to drive centers on helping youth, which is done in collaboration with key partners. Their efforts range from opening STEM centers at various schools and coordinating player visits at local children's hospitals to volunteering at youth shelters. For her work within the first year, the Utah Business magazine named Klein one of its “CXO of the Year” honorees in 2023.

 

“We all have the ability to make a difference but it’s up to us to decide what that difference will be. DSHA empowered me to figure that out in a way that was true to my passions and who I wanted to be. I was given so many opportunities, learned to be passionate, had the freedom to explore a variety of creative outlets, and learned the power of sisterhood. We need strong women in the world and DSHA continues to facilitate that and show current students what is possible for them.”

In her free time, Klein enjoys traveling, hiking, and baking. If possible, she would do all three at her favorite place in the world—her family’s lake house in Hartland, WI.