As UT-ORII’s communications director, Bridget Waller leads media and community relations efforts, social media, website outreach, external marketing, internal communications, events and sponsorships.  

Before joining UT-ORII, Waller led media, government and community relations efforts for clients including Great Schools Partnership, Project GRAD Knoxville, Knox Education Foundation, Global Medical Response, Medicare Advantage and the City of Knoxville through her own business and affiliation with SRW & Associates. Waller served for nine years as community and government relations manager at the Y-12 National Security Complex. She was the communications lead and main spokesperson for Y-12’s Joint Information Center and for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s $6.5 billion Uranium Processing Facility project. Waller also served in leadership positions with the Ingram Group and Akins & Crisp Public Strategies. She started her career as a news reporter and writer for the Knoxville News Sentinel, the Panama City News Herald, the Noblesville Ledger, the original Knoxville Journal and Whittle Communications.  

Waller is a Knoxville native. She completed her bachelor’s degree in communications/news journalism from Anderson University in Indiana. She serves on the board of Parents as Teachers and volunteers with the Monroe County Friends of Animals. She is a member of the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni group and a graduate of Leadership Oak Ridge. She enjoys spending time with her husband, two daughters. grandson and pups, and volunteering with her church, Cokesbury United Methodist.