Tia Brown McNair

Dr. Tia Brown McNair is the Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Student Success and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC. She oversees both funded projects and AAC&U’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices and student success. McNair directs AAC&U’s Summer Institutes on High-Impact Practices and Student Success, and TRHT Campus Centers and serves as the project director for several AAC&U initiatives, including the development of a TRHT-focused campus climate toolkit. She is the lead author of From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education (January 2020) and Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (July 2016 and August 2022 Second edition).

Marcus Collins

Dr. Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator. He is the former chief strategy officer at Wieden+Kennedy, New York, a marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and the author of the best-selling book, For The Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want To Be. Collins is a recipient of Advertising Age’s 40 Under 40 award and an inductee into the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement. Most recently, he was recognized by Thinkers50 and Deloitte among their class of 2023 Radar List of 30 thinkers with the ideas most likely to shape the future. His strategies and creative contributions have led to the launch and success of Google’s “Real Tone” technology, the “Made In America” music festival, and the Brooklyn Nets, among others. Before his advertising tenure, Marcus worked on iTunes + Nike sport music initiatives at Apple and ran digital strategy for Beyoncé.

Brad Stulberg

Brad is an internationally known researcher, writer, and coach on excellence, well-being, and sustainable success. He is the best-selling author of The Practice of Groundedness, Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox. He is a regular contributor to The New York Times and his work has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Wired, Forbes, Outside, Time and more. In his coaching practice, Brad works with executives, entrepreneurs, physicians and athletes on how they define and pursue excellence and their overall well-being. Brad’s forthcoming book, Master of Change, will be published this Fall.

Dina Abulfotuh

Dina Abulfotuh is vice president for marketing communication and public affairs at the American University in Cairo, a leading English-language, liberal arts university in the Middle East. Dina has more than 20 years of experience in higher education with expertise in communications, marketing, research-based brand positioning, crisis and issues management, fundraising and special events. Dina has led the centennial celebration and a capital campaign, as well as overseeing AUC’s cultural center and AUC Press. A Fulbright scholar, she holds a BA in journalism from Arizona State University and an MBA from AUC. An experienced higher education administrator, Dina has served on several strategic task forces, crisis response teams and chaired a number of working groups on key issues.

Dina served on the CASE Commission on Communications & Marketing (2019-2022) and chair of the CASE Asia-Pacific Advancement Conference in the Middle East in 2019.

Josie Ahlquist

Josie Ahlquist guides leaders, organizations, and students to practice purposeful digital leadership through speaking, coaching, and consulting. Josie’s work is grounded in the grant-funded and award-winning research that has allowed her to train thousands around the globe as a speaker; provide consulting services to institutions and companies; and coach professionals in branding, voice, and positioning.

Josie was selected as a 2023 NASPA Pillar of the Profession, one of the highest honors for student affairs. Josie is a three-time LinkedIn Top Voice in Education, for five years has been recognized by Ed Tech Magazine as the “Top 50 Must-Read Higher Education Technology Blogs” and her podcast, Josie and The Podcast, has been featured by The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed. Her book, Digital Leadership in Higher Education: Purposeful Social Media in a Connected World, was listed as an Amazon #1 new release for college and university student life.

Lisa Baer

Lisa Baer is the AVP of Marketing and Communications for Rosalind Franklin University. She serves as the university’s marketing, public relations, advertising and communications strategist driving brand awareness and recognition. Before RFU, she worked in strategic branding and marketing for over fifteen years, running a successful agency and working with Northwestern University, Motorola Solutions and Blue Cross Blue Shield to develop powerful brand strategies and innovative campaigns. You can find her hiking, kayaking and walking her dog, Wellington, when she’s not promoting and telling everyone about RFU.

Kenna Bartlett

Jeneane Beck

As the Assistant Vice President for External Relations at the University of Iowa, Jeneane Beck has worked to transition her colleagues from a traditional news and publication model to a strategic marketing and public relations team. The organization has continually shifted resources to invest in new priorities from social and digital media to crisis communication and web strategy. In 2020, the team simultaneously managed campus-wide COVID-19 communication while also launching the university’s first-ever master brand strategy. In 2022, Jeneane hired the university’s first Chief Marketing Officer, further evolving the team and its work. Jeneane has a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State University and a M.A. in Strategic Communication from Iowa. Prior to joining Iowa, she was a political reporter for Iowa Public Radio, and State Relations Officer for the University of Northern Iowa.

Fernando Bergás-Coria

As executive director of digital and media at Ologie, Fernando has spent his entire career in the digital media space. He specializes in identifying and solving complex marketing challenges, relying on smart tools, smarter people and over 14 years in the marketing field. Fernando’s capacity to convert audiences is surpassed only by his dedication to creating powerful, accessible digital experiences and bridging the gaps in access to technology. He’s equal parts client-facing advocate and digital nerd, currently focusing on first-party data usage for individualized campaigns vs. “catch-all” lead gen tactics.

Kathryn Bezella

Aimee Bigham

Aimee is the Chief Strategy Officer at MV Digital, a leading social impact and data-driven digital marketing agency. With more than 20 years of experience, her passion and expertise lie in leveraging data, media and messaging to create powerful connections between audiences and content that inspires action. Her innovative approaches and commitment to harnessing the power of technology and data to drive meaningful change has positioned her as a respected leader in the industry. Aimee’s strategic vision has been instrumental in driving MV Digital Group’s success in serving clients across various sectors, including politics, advocacy and higher education.

Colleen Brennan-Barry

Colleen Brennan-Barry is vice president of marketing and communications at Northeast College of Health Sciences, where she oversees the College’s brand, web, digital, PR, and social media. Colleen has marketing and leadership experience at both private and public higher ed organizations and is a long-time presenter on topics such as digital marketing strategy, crisis communications, gamification, communication optimization, and project management. Colleen is also past president of the Higher Education Web Professionals Association, and serves on the Association’s annual conference planning committee. She holds an M.S. in Rhetoric and Technical Communication from Michigan Technological University.

Suzan Brinker

Suzan has dedicated her career to helping higher education initiatives build strong value propositions and communicating them to the right audiences. Her work spans a variety of colleges and universities of various types and sizes, including Penn State, Northeastern, Babson, Tufts, the University of Cambridge, Bryant University, the University of New Mexico and Assumption University.

Suzan is a collaborative leader who understands how to navigate university environments. She has worked extensively with faculty, administrators, and senior leadership teams and is proud of her track record of increasing brand awareness and enrollments for initiatives targeting a diverse set of audiences, including: continuing education and lifelong learning; undergraduate and graduate students; domestic and international audiences; and broader university communities and employers.

Ashley Budd

Ashley Budd is senior director of advancement marketing at Cornell University. She is based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., working remotely for the university as a marketing strategist and manager for the division’s alumni affairs and development marketing team. Known for her creative and innovative campaigns, Ashley is one of the most influential voices in education marketing and fundraising.
Dayana Kibilds is strategy director at Ologie, focusing primarily on enrollment marketing strategy for educational organizations. In her 12 years in the higher education sector, she’s led enrollment and digital innovation work at Penn State, Cornell, and Western University (Canada). She speaks regularly about enrollment marketing, productivity, and stakeholder management at global conferences such as CASE, HighedWeb, Confab, PSE Web, and ContentEd.

David Bushman

An accomplished academic leader, Dr. David W. Bushman draws upon his extensive experience in higher education administration and in the classroom as President of Bridgewater College. Dr. Bushman became the College’s ninth president in 2013. He was previously at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where he was the founding dean of the university’s School of Natural Science and Mathematics. In this role, he oversaw numerous academic programs and new academic program development, and strategic and communications planning and fundraising for the school. Dr. Bushman earned his bachelor of science in biology from Loyola College in Maryland. He graduated from the University of Maryland with both his master of science and doctorate in entomology. Upon completion of his Ph.D., Dr. Bushman worked for several years in private industry as a research biologist and research fellow. He has been published in the field of entomology and undergraduate science education.

Jennifer Butler

As Executive Director of Student Affairs Marketing and Communications at UC Davis, Jen Butler oversees communications strategy and marketing for the Division of Student Affairs and its nearly 30 departments. Leading a team of MarCom professionals, she is responsible for the divisional brand strategy, taking a leading role in crisis communications and collaborating with departments campuswide to ensure they are maximizing reach with current students to effectively communicating their services and story.
Prior to UC Davis, Jen spent 15 successful years at the senior management level directing branding, marketing, sales and admissions efforts in corporate, non-profit and educational environments.

Frank Camp

Frank Camp is the Director of Marketing Strategy focused on non-academic units at the University of Arizona. In this role he works with marketers across campus to create efficiency, collaboration and a more unified brand message. Frank has been with the University since 2012 and spent 8 years in the international office supporting international student recruitment and global programming.

Christie Campbell

Christie Campbell, Vice President for Marketing and Communications at St. Edward’s University, joined the university in 2012 as Associate Vice President for Marketing with experience in education, non-profit and technology, a Bachelor of Arts in French and Art History from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin. At St. Edward’s University, Christie oversees the marketing, communications and external affairs teams. Christie’s conference and webinar speaking experiences include: AMA Higher Education 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022, Stamats Adult Student Marketing Conference, CASE Marketing and Branding, CASE District IV and HESIG in the UK.

Kenneth Carter

Dr. Kenneth Carter is Charles Howard Candler Professor of Psychology at Oxford College of Emory University. He has published in both academic and lay publications, translating psychology research into engaging everyday language. His articles have been published in magazines such as Psychology Today and Women’s Health, and he has appeared on news programs such as, NPR’s All Things Considered, Short Wave and NBC’s Today show. He has delivered a TEDx talk on thrill-seekers and served as a consultant with Science North on Beyond Human Limits a traveling science exhibition the psychology and physiology of extreme sports. His most recent book is Buzz!: Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils and Adrenaline Junkies (Cambridge University Press). When not teaching, speaking or writing, Dr. Carter prefers reading and relaxing on the beach to wingsuit flying or BASE diving.

Rahul Choudaha

Rahul Choudaha, PhD is Associate Vice President of Higher Education Research Solutions at Morning Consult, a DC-based global decision intelligence company of 500+ professionals. Dr. Choudaha brings nearly 15 years of experience offering research, insights, and consulting to higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations. He has delivered over 200 sessions at professional conferences, including ACE, AAC&U, CASE, SXSW EDU and ASU+GSV. He has been quoted over 300 times in global media, including BBC, Bloomberg, Inside Higher Ed, NPR, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Financial Times, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Dr. Choudaha earned his doctorate in higher education from the University of Denver. He also holds Insights Professional Certification (IPC), Master from the Insights Association.

Molly Clark

As the Senior Marketing Director at Lytho, Molly Clark spearheads the development and execution of comprehensive marketing strategies to strengthen brand presence, generate high-quality leads and accelerate revenue growth. Molly possesses a deep understanding of the Creative Operations landscape and is adept at leveraging emerging trends and technologies to optimize marketing efforts.

Molly is a natural team player with excellent communication skills, enabling her to collaborate seamlessly across cross-functional teams, including product development, sales and customer success. She has a talent for aligning marketing initiatives with overarching business objectives.

Outside of work, Molly is busy chasing her toddler, snuggling her pup and enjoying a glass of wine with her friends and husband.

Kevin Coffey

Kevin Coffey leads Creighton University’s content strategy team, which creates multi-channel content campaigns that push the University and its brand forward. Kevin joined Creighton University in 2020, helping refocus the university’s social media efforts. After two years at the university, he was promoted to Director of Content Strategy, leading a team of content strategists, content developers and social media strategists.
Prior to Creighton, Kevin spent years in the newspaper business, much of it as an award-winning writer, blogger, editor and entertainment critic. During this time, he also kickstarted multiple successful businesses focused on ecommerce storefronts, original products and digital content including podcasts, websites, blogs and articles. Kevin received a BA in journalism and creative writing from Creighton University.

Angelique Daniels

Angelique Daniels is the director of marketing strategy and research for University Communications and Marketing at Kent State University and leads marketing research and strategy initiatives for priorities that advance Kent State’s Strategic Roadmap. She has also worked in roles that support first-year and transfer student transition and retention-based programs, as well as advancement and alumni communications at Kent State. She has taught journalism, mass communications, public speaking, and intercultural communication courses as an assistant lecturer. Angelique holds a bachelor’s degree in electronic media, speech and PR from Ashland University and a master’s in communication from The University of Akron.

Grant De Roo

Founder and Principal | ADV Market Research & Consulting
As ADV’s founder and principal consultant, Grant conducts market research for colleges and universities around the country to inform strategic decisions. Before founding ADV, Grant was the Director of Research & Strategy at an education-focused marketing agency and previously worked in admissions at Elon University.

Audra DeLaney-Hall

Audra is committed to transforming higher education institutions through process and purpose. Her industry experience spans niche study away programs to large research universities.

She has led cross-functional projects across strategy, media, content and web initiatives. Her previous experiences in admissions and enrollment at Williams College provide her an insight into various student experiences and allow her to address them with her institutional partners and agency team members. Audra believes that higher education institutions will see their most innovative ideas take hold only if they embrace people-first management styles and organizational practices rooted in strategy and sustained by mission.

Taléa Drummer-Ferrell

Dr. Taléa R. Drummer-Ferrell (Dr. D.), is the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Kent State University. The pillar she leads is Advocacy, Support, and Well-being. In her role, she oversees seven units, the care team, and the University’s initiatives on Mental Health and Well-being. Prior to her current role, she has held positions within diversity, athletics, and involvement. Dr. D. earned her bachelor’s from Miami University (OH) in Family Studies, her master’s from the University of Louisville in College Student Personnel, and her Doctor of Philosophy from Kent State University in Higher Education.

Emily Haase Edgar

Emily is the Associate Director of Creative Services at the University of Wyoming, providing creative direction and leadership to the UW Institutional Marketing team. She works collaboratively with partners across campus to maintain a consistent brand voice across all marketing initiatives. Prior to her current role, Emily held several different creative and marketing positions at UW and is a proud graduate of UW’s Visual Arts department. Emily believes that graphic design and marketing are powerful tools for delivering creative visions.

Marlee Feacher

Kirsten Fedderke

Kirsten Fedderke is a Senior Vice President with Yes& Lipman Hearne, and leads the agency’s enrollment marketing practice. In her 20-year communications career working with nonprofit organizations, Kirsten has focused on identifying her clients’ unique strengths and turning those strengths into real results. She has helped countless clients strengthen their brands, enrollment numbers, and market positions.
Kirsten holds a B.A. in art history and French from Smith College and an MBA with a finance emphasis from Loyola University Chicago.

Sarah Malinowski Ferrary

Sarah Malinowski Ferrary is Assistant Vice President for University Communications at Saint Peter’s University (Jersey City, NJ) where for the past 13 years she has provided vision and leadership for the University’s internal and external communications.
Prior to joining higher education, she worked on the agency side, with experience including corporate communications, crisis communications, consumer marketing, philanthropic, internal communications, employee relations, corporate social responsibility, legal, business-to-business, healthcare, technology and financial relations. She also held stints as a reporter for The Jersey Journal and in communications for the New Jersey Cardinals, the former minor league affiliate for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Nicole Ferry

As Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Sullivan, Nicole helps organizations communicate their POV with pride and raise their ambitions while honoring audiences’ needs and experiences. Nicole applies decades of experience in her work with higher education institutions, helping them evolve branding, support admissions, build fundraising communications, and elevate their digital experiences. Her clients at Sullivan include Duke University, Stanford University, and Virginia Tech, along with other organizations like American Express, Goldman Sachs, and LinkedIn. Prior to joining Sullivan, Nicole held strategy roles in branding and advertising at Siegel+Gale, BBDO, and Grey Advertising. As a founding member of the McIntire Marketing Advisory Committee at her alma mater, the University of Virginia, Nicole provides input to faculty on curriculum, industry insights, and hiring trends.

Elissa Fontenot

Elissa Fontenot is the digital director in TXST’s Division of Marketing and Communications. Elissa has over a decade of experience in digital marketing, including content strategy, digital advertising, and email marketing. She currently shapes the content strategy for a half-dozen of social media accounts at TXST, the institution’s digital advertising efforts, and high-profile web properties. She also leads the digital education related to social media topics for professional staff through monthly work groups.

Jenny Fowler

Jenny Li Fowler is the director of social media strategy at MIT. She is responsible for developing and executing Institute-wide social media initiatives and campaigns. She provides social media consultation and direction for more than 200 departments, labs, and centers and helps advise and navigate communications crises from the department to the Institute level. She manages MIT’s flagship Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts. Prior to coming to MIT, Jenny was the web editor and social media manager at Harvard Kennedy School.

Erin Francis-Cummings

A go-to expert resource in the destination marketing industry, Erin Francis-Cummings has spent the last two decades studying travelers’ from across the globe and translating their evolving, complex and fascinating behaviors and opinions into marketing insights for Destination Analysts’ 200+ clients. Erin has designed research strategy and facilitated consumer research for some of the world’s greatest destination brands, from Bermuda to Fiji, Florida to California. In addition to conducting research from brand auditing, to user experience to ROI analysis, she also oversees the production of Destination Analysts’ The State of the American Traveler—one of the travel industry’s longest-running and most relied on tracking study of American leisure travel sentiment and behaviors—The State of the International Traveler—an annual study of the travel behaviors and perceptions of international travelers in 14 top feeder markets to the United States—and The CVB and the Future of the Meetings Industry—a bi-annual study of meeting planners focused on trends in the meetings & events industry and how DMOs can support them. Erin currently serves on the boards of directors for Destinations International, CalTravel and the U.S. Travel Association, and previously served on the international Board of Directors for the Travel & Tourism Research Association. Prior to leading Destination Analysts, Erin held Advertising and Marketing management roles at Amtrak and the San Francisco Travel Association, serving on teams that produced award-winning work. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UCLA, and currently resides in San Francisco with her family.

Nate Frick

Nate Frick, Enterprise Strategist at Marigold, is a seasoned digital business leader and a zero party data innovator. Today he consults for many of Marigold’s global roster of clients, providing strategic, cross-channel marketing and actionable recommendations to brands such as Bass Pro, Air New Zealand, Tailored Brands and Hill’s Pet/Colgate.

Lamar Goodenough

Lamar oversees Digital Wave’s user research activities, helping the project team observe and understand user behaviors, and uncovering opportunities to improve user experiences. Her focus has been on planning, administration, results reporting, and findings analysis for higher educational and healthcare not-for-profit accounts. Part of Digital Wave since 1999, Lamar has a Nielsen Norman Group Certification in User Experience. She has been a key player on projects for Jefferson University, Community College of Baltimore County, and Northeast College of Health Sciences. Lamar has a Master’s (MA) degree in creative writing from Temple University.

Lauren Griswold

Lauren Griswold, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Boise State University
Lauren Griswold is currently serving as the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer for Boise State University. Lauren is an innovator and storyteller who has worked in higher education at both the community college and university levels. She has expertise in building brand reputation, as well as leading and creating strategy and successfully scaling it across enterprises for local, national and global organizations. Lauren holds a master’s in communications from Arizona State University.

Liz Gross

Liz Gross is the founder and CEO of Campus Sonar, a higher ed consulting firm that partners with campuses to enact changes informed by digital and social intelligence. She is an award-winning speaker, author and strategist with more than 15 years’ experience in higher ed and strategic social listening programs. She received a Ph.D. in Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service in Higher Education at Cardinal Stritch University, a master’s degree in educational policy and leadership from Marquette University and a bachelor’s degree in interpersonal communication from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Will Hajjar

William (Will) Hajjar is an executive with more than 25 years experience driving business strategy through decision science, market intelligence and opinion research. He holds a master’s degree in economics from Louisiana State University (LSU) having studied econometrics with Dr. Carter Hill and marketing analytics with Dr. William Black. He currently serves as the Head of Advanced Analytics & Business Intelligence for Advance Local, part of a century-old media and consulting company based in New York City. Will brings creative and innovative solutions to a range of clients across most major verticals. In addition to his private sector work, Will teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Business Strategy, Consumer Behavior, Data Science and Research Methods at Kean University and Saint Peter’s University. His approach blends academic theory with practical applications to prepare students to think critically through real-world problems.

Christie Harper

Christie Harper is Vice President, Campus Brand Engagement at the University of Arizona. She leads the development and deployment of student-focused communications that keep current and prospective students informed about, inspired by and engaged with the University of Arizona throughout their educational journey. In her prior position as Associate Vice President for Enrollment Marketing and Communication, she was responsible for all undergraduate and online enrollment marketing initiatives university wide.

Previously, she served as Assistant Vice President for University Marketing at California Lutheran University. There, she led all marketing initiatives for undergraduate and graduate enrollment, advancement, athletics and university brand development.

Christie has more than 30 years of experience in branding and marketing, both inside companies and with agencies. Prior to joining Cal Lutheran, she was founder and president of brand consulting firm Brand Endeavor and served in a senior leadership role at Siegel+Gale, a leading global brand consulting firm. While there, she led major brand strategy initiatives for clients such as Lexus, Microsoft, Chevron and Technicolor. Christie earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from UCLA, and an M.A. in Communication Management from The Annenberg School at USC. She is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and events and has served as the co-chair for the American Marketing Association’s Higher Education Symposium.

Alastair Hayes

Alastair Hayes is marketing director at Campus Sonar. Over his international career, Alastair has served at c-suite level for marketing and communications, and worked closely with founders in a variety of education-focused organizations. Championing an open-minded and empathetic approach to leadership, Alastair has helped his teams achieve national marketing awards for digital marketing, and transformed departmental results. In his spare time, you can find him on a tennis or pickleball court, or hiking in his home state of Vermont.

Tom Hayes

Tom Hayes is the Dean of the Williams College of Business at Xavier University. In his forty-seven years, he also served as Chair of the Marketing Department and as the Director of Institutional Advancement (Marketing).

Tom was a founding partner of SimpsonScarborough. He founded the AMA’s Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education. He was on the board of the local chapter for 10 years and served as VP twice on the national board of the AMA in the Services and Marketing Management divisions.

Tom has won CASE’s Crystal Apple award for speaking excellence and has had two books published by CASE. They are Marketing Colleges and Universities from a Services Perspective published in the September 2009 and was the recipient of the Alice Beeman Award for scholarship excellence in its field and University Marketing Mistakes: 50 Pitfalls to Avoid co-authored with Roy Adler was published in March 2008.

Eric Hazen

Eric Hazen is the Director of Digital Marketing at Ferris State University. He leads a dynamic team of content creators and web developers in telling the Ferris State University story through powerful digital experiences. His team oversees the university’s digital presence and the development of distinctive, highly personalized content that focuses on organic acquisition and conversion rate optimization. Eric holds a BA and MFA from Columbia College.

Grant Heston

Grant J. Heston is Vice President for Enterprise Marketing and Communications for Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Health. He oversees marketing, branding, communications, events, social media and special projects for the university and health system.

Binnu Hill

Binnu Palta Hill has spent the last 24 years in the UW System teaching, consulting and designing programming that enhances inclusion through strategic leadership and organizational cultural dexterity. Since 2008, she has led The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Wisconsin School of Business where she works closely with the Dean to develop a DEI strategy to enhance inclusion, and diversity among students, faculty, and staff. A distinguishing factor in her approach is the combination of academic research and lived experience to dissect core issues related to identity differences. Ms. Hill teaches inclusive leadership in the Wisconsin MBA Program and Executive Education. She also serves as the director of DEI programs for the Center for Executive and Professional Development.

In May 2015, Ms. Hill represented WSB at the White House as Wisconsin became one of the first business schools to commit to best practices for increasing opportunities in business for women and preparing a culturally competent 21st century workforce. She has served on a number of advisory boards including the AACSB Diversity Board, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Information Technology Academy. In recognition for her contributions to UW-Madison and the Madison community, she received the UW-Madison Outstanding Woman of Color award, Wisconsin Innovation Award, and the Wisconsin Alumni Association Leadership Award.

Ms. Hill has been a guest speaker at over 150 conferences throughout the United States and Europe, including the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE), Women and Leadership Symposium, and AACSB International Diversity Forum. She has been a consultant for over 40 corporations including Cooper Robertson, Grant Thornton, and M3 Insurance. Her engagements range from one-hour keynotes to recurrent hands-on workshops to strategy development. She has been a featured speaker in National Broadcasting Association’s Leadership Lab series. Her work on ‘Building Inclusive Business Cultures” has also been featured in The Capital Times, Biz Education and NBC15 news.

Cara Hoag

Cara Hoag is a marketing and communications professional with more than a decade of experience in higher education marketing. Currently, she is the Enrollment Management Marketing Director at Washington State University and teaches as an adjunct professor for Gonzaga University’s School of Business. Previously, Cara was Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications at Gonzaga University. Before her time in higher ed, Cara worked in account management roles at several marketing agencies. She is passionate about authentic brand marketing and strategies that focus on what the audience needs at that moment.

Claudia Howard

Claudia Howard is currently Head of Industry, Education at Google, supporting Higher Ed and Ed Tech companies reach their business goals. Previously she was a Sr. Account Executive supporting government partners, working closely with many of the civilian service agencies, most recently leading the COVID-19 Vaccine Public Education Campaign with the Department of Health and Human Services. Before Google, Claudia spent her career in television and entertainment in various marketing positions at The Weather Channel, FOX Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery (formerly Turner). She earned her MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Claudia resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband and two young sons.

Jaime Hunt

Transformation has been a hallmark of Jaime Hunt’s career. In her more than 18 years working in higher education, Jaime has proven herself to be a strategic, entrepreneurial, and innovative leader. Advancing higher education communications and marketing and — as she says — “busting silos” to achieve business objectives are her passions.

Prior to joining the Old Dominion University in 2022, she served as vice president and chief communications and marketing officer at Miami University (Ohio) and vice chancellor for strategic communications and chief marketing officer for Winston-Salem State University. She has also served in public relations, marketing, digital strategy and media relations leadership roles at three other institutions.

Jaime is a prolific thought leader with regular columns in Forbes, VoltEDU, and Inside Higher Ed, and is the host of a popular podcast on the Enrollify network: Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO with Jaime Hunt.

Jeff Hunt

Jeff Hunt specializes in crisis management and preparedness, branding, CEO communications and reputation management. During the course of his 35-year career, he has worked with DuPont, IBM, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Dell, Nike, Whole Foods and many other companies.

Jeff has lived throughout the world and navigated many cultures on behalf of clients. Prior to Legend Labs, Jeff co-founded PulsePoint Group and before that was president of Cohn & Wolfe, a global public relations firm formed following a merger with GCI Group. He has also served as CEO of GCI and Read Poland Associates. He spent 18 years at Burson-Marsteller, ultimately serving as chief operating officer for Europe, with responsibility for 16 offices throughout the continent. He also established the firm’s presence in Korea and Mexico.

Based in Austin and a graduate of The University of Texas, Jeff serves as adjunct professor of Strategies in Public Relations at the university’s Moody College of Communications and is a frequent lecturer at its McCombs School of Business.

Lisa Jasinski

Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Office of the President | UTSA Lisa is a scholar-practitioner of higher education leadership, who oversees the development of UTSA’s ten-year strategic plan having served previously in a similar role at Trinity University. She is a former American Council on Education Fellow and Fulbright Specialist in Finland. Lisa is the author of the forthcoming monograph, Stepping Away: Returning to the Faculty After Senior Academic Leadership (Rutgers University Press).

Ardis Kadiu

Ardis Kadiu is the Founder and CEO of Element451. After graduating from NYU with an MS in Digital Media and an MBA, Ardis helped found Spark451, a higher-ed communications company, and began realizing his vision to transform traditional and outdated student recruitment with the tools of the future. With more than 15 years of higher education experience, he designed what is now known as the Element451 student engagement CRM. In 2018, Element451 broke away from Spark451 to focus solely on the business line of developing intelligent, modern CRM solutions for higher education professionals, combining his extensive technology and higher ed experience.

Carol Keese

As Associate Vice President for Communications at UVA, Carol Keese is responsible for marketing and brand strategy, leading initiatives that advance the reach and reputation of one of the nation’s most iconic public Universities. Carol has previously served as Vice President at Children’s National and Senior Director of Public Affairs at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Carol has presented at AMA, SCSXedu, AAU and in 2017 her team received the AMA Marketing Team of the Year Award.</p><p>As Vice President, Marketing, Public Relations and Digital Strategy – Michigan State University, Swain is responsible for MSU’s branding, marketing, creative, digital and experience strategy, and analytics and insights functions. Swain oversaw development of the university’s Spartans Will campaign, and under her leadership MSU’s communications work has been recognized with numerous awards. Swain has presented at AMA and in 2016 received the AMA Higher Education Marketer of the Year Award.

Ariana Keil

Ariana Keil is Sr Growth Marketing Manager at Canto. Ariana has a background in both B2B sales and marketing, which gives her an appreciation for GTM strategies that holistically target the entire buyer’s journey and a passion for sales and marketing department collaboration. She is passionate about harnessing the power of content to drive revenue.

Tangelia Kelly

Dr. Tangelia Kelly is Director of Marketing in University Communications at Jackson State University (JSU). She is a highly creative, award-winning, and results-driven Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP) with over fifteen years of higher education experience. A proven leader in her field, Kelly has a record of accomplishments in developing and leading marketing strategies, University goals and objectives.

Kelly received her marketing degree from Jackson State in 2004, her Master’s in Business Administration from Belhaven University in 2006, and her Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Supervision with a concentration in Higher Education from Jackson State in 2016.

Dayana Kibilds

Day is strategy director at Ologie, focusing primarily on enrollment marketing strategy for educational organizations. In her 13 years in the higher education sector, she’s led enrollment and digital innovation work at Penn State, Cornell, and Western University (Canada). She regularly speaks about enrollment marketing, email strategy, productivity, and stakeholder management at global conferences, including CASE, HighedWeb, Confab, PSEWEB, and ContentEd. She’s currently co-authoring a book about email to be released in 2024.

As a lifelong immigrant who has lived in 6 different countries, equity and diversity are really important to her. She sees content as a tool for equity, and part of her motivation to work in higher ed is to help marginalized students access the educational institutions they deserve to be a part of.

Kelly King-Green

Kelly King-Green is a creative director with over 22 years of experience in integrated brand marketing, with the last 11 years focused on higher education. She has a strong mix of creative direction and operations experience and currently leads a team that produces strategic, high-impact branded content for Texas State University. She deeply understands the creative process and how to craft powerful stories that engage and motivate audiences.

Isabella Kruger-Seiler

​Isabella Kruger-Seiler (she/they) is a proud DePaul University graduate, having received her B.M. in Performing Arts Management from DePaul’s School of Music (SOM) in 2020. They have been working in higher education for nearly five years, first as a student admission worker in the School of Music before serving as an admission counselor at Southwestern University in Texas.

Aside from her experience in higher education, Isabella has also been involved with theatre and the arts most of her life, working with multiple theatre companies such as the Alley Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre Company, and the Georgetown Palace Theatre while also attending intensive festivals at Interlochen Center for the Arts, Tanglewood, and the Eastern Music Festival. From acting on stage, to stage managing, to playing cello, theatre and the arts are such a strong part of who they are.​

Allison Lanier

Allison’s curiosity for the sales process began as a teenager while working in the retail environment. Years later, she graduated cum laude from the University of South Carolina, Aiken Campus, and quickly realized her excitement for sales had developed into a true passion.

At Up&Up, she uses her passion for people to create positive, effective, and rewarding client onboarding experiences. As the Director of Client Services for Up&Up, Allison works to understand our client’s goals and helps to oversee the strategy to get them there.

Allison spends her free time advocating for the Immune Deficiency Foundation to spread awareness for those living with a Primary Immune Deficiency like her son, Sebastian.

Kate Ledger

Kate Ledger is passionate about driving enrollment marketing, developing and promoting powerful brands, and building and leading strong teams. Currently serving as the Associate Vice President for Marketing and Outreach at ODUGlobal, Kate joined Old Dominion University in 2023 and is excited by the value placed on marketing at ODU. She spent most of her 20-year career at the University of Pittsburgh, progressively increasing the size and scope of her teams. Most recently she served as Acting Vice Chancellor for University Communications and Marketing and was named the 2022 Higher Education Marketer of the Year, an award sponsored by the American Marketing Association Foundation and Yes& Lipman Hearne. She launched the university’s first master brand in 2019 and the first university-wide brand campaign in 2022 as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Marketing while at the same time leading COVID-19 communications for the university.

During her time as Executive Director of Marketing and Engagement in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Kate led the marketing and on campus visit teams, helping to increase the quality of Pitt’s incoming class and exceed enrollment goals each year. Among many creative projects, she helped the team implement Salesforce, automate more than 800 segmented emails and rebrand the campus visit program.

Kate served as the marketing and communications leader in the Katz Graduate School of Business, College of Business Administration, Office of the Provost and the Swanson School of Engineering at Pitt. She also learned valuable lessons in the agency and corporate worlds. Kate earned her B.A. from Penn State University and M.Ed. from Pitt.

Kate continues to push on raising the value of marketing in higher education through volunteer leadership for the American Marketing Association and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

She and her high school sweetheart are raising their two awesome kids and spunky dog in Pittsburgh.

Callie Lewis

Callie Lewis is the Project Manager in TXST’s Division of Marketing and Communications. Callie has over ten years of experience in event management and planning, which she leverages to manage over 200 concurrent projects and traffics all incoming work within the unit. In her time at TXST, Callie has led the team through the first campus-wide brand training conference, two on-campus brand activations, and the launch of a brand templating platform. A proud TXST alum, she graduated with honors with a degree in Mass Communication with a focus in public relations.

Gene Lewis

Gene began his career in digital marketing when the blink tag was still popular. His fascination with the experiments and puzzles of the early web bloomed into an obsession with digital media. It’s a focus that is fundamentally driven by his love of technology, a passion for clarity in communication and the power of engagement. Gene is a founding partner of Digital Pulp and now leads the agency’s creative force—and is celebrated as a thought leader by his peers in the industry. Gene studied English at Vassar College and emphatically insists that there aren’t two spaces after a period. Dedicated to learning his clients’ professional language and adapting to their needs, he balances concerns of marketing, design, branding, technology and content to communicate with precision and transform ideas into experiential realities.

Robert Li

Robert Li is the co-founder and owner of University FM, the higher ed podcast agency. His journey in audio storytelling began as a DJ at the University of Michigan radio station.

He now partners with colleges and universities to create podcast shows that resonate with their community and serve their strategic priorities (e.g. alumni/donor engagement, admissions, research, etc.). These institutions include UC Berkeley, Howard University, and Middlebury College. The through line is elevating the voices within institutions.

He has spoken at CASE, SXSW EDU, PSEWeb, HighEdWeb, and ACSN.

When he’s not “working” you can find him training for his next triathlon 🏆

John Lo (骆杰俊)

John C. Lo (骆杰俊) is Senior Director, Brand and Marketing at the University of British Columbia, one of the world’s top universities for global impact and taking actions to reduce social inequalities and discrimination. John leads a multi-disciplinary team that oversees branding, advertising, design, social media, content marketing, and digital communications. In addition to his role at UBC, John currently serves on the Board Advisory Council for the Financial Resilience Institute, a non-profit organization focused on improving the financial resilience of Canadians, as well as on the Communications and Marketing Commission for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education [CASE].

Elliot Lollis

Self-proclaimed resident cheerleader, Elliot brings her gift of encouragement with her experience to her role. A self-starter and former entrepreneur, she ran her own brand and strategy agency for 5 years, exercising her passion for brand identity design that’s rooted in strategic planning and purpose. She brings this professional experience client side to help create the biggest win for everyone.

Her ultimate goal at Up&Up is to serve clients beyond their expectations, creating a stable environment of trust that results in continued growth. Because of this, you’ll find she’s a serial question-asker and considers it to be one of her strongest attributes. Elliot’s curiosity is rooted in understanding individuals and institutions on a deeper level and protecting the human aspect in all the work we accomplish together.

She’s a go-with-the-flow kind of person that sees the good in everything. To Elliot, it’s her biggest honor to work alongside and serve passionate people who long to better the lives of those around them.

Brian MacDonald

Brian is a creative leader with a long history of award-winning work in print, broadcast, digital and social media channels. Brian brought his consumer-packaged-goods background to many higher education brands, grocery and consumer services. Previously at Ogilvy & Mather, Brian worked on global consumer brands such as Dove’s campaign for Real Beauty, American Express’ Realize the Potential campaign, Hellmann’s, KFC, Magnum Ice Cream and Scotiabank. And at Leo Burnett, Brian worked on a wide array of brands across the local/global spectrum, including P&G’s laundry portfolio, Kellogg’s snack foods and cereals, Wrigley’s gum and mints, and Visa. Brian has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and a Master’s Degree from the Johns Hopkins University.

Julia Marco

Julia Marco is the Director of Marketing and Engagement at Skidmore College. She is a brand and marketing strategist that’s spent the last decade working at the intersections – communications and culture, big ideas and execution details. She’s an expert at weaving together the literal and conceptual, the tactics and the people, to surprise and delight. Like magic, she sees what others miss. Julia earned a bachelor’s from Nazareth College in English and a master’s from Syracuse University in public relations. She has spoken and led workshops for local chambers of commerce as well as regional AMA, SMPS, and PRSA chapters.

Mary Beth Marks

Throughout her career, Mary Beth has worked to improve student recruitment and retention efforts at a variety of institutions. Prior to her current role at the University of the Pacific, she held leadership positions in admissions and recruiting at the University of New Orleans and Sul Ross State University. She has presented at regional and national conferences as well as appeared as a guest on higher education podcasts.
Marks also works as an associate consultant at Ruffalo Noel Levitz and provides consulting services to CampusESP, a parent platform.
She moved to California over a year ago where she enjoys trail running, surfing and skiing along with 300 days of sunshine.

Elias Martinez

Elias Martinez serves as AVP for Marketing at TXST, leading the AMA’s 2022 Higher Education Marketing Team of the Year. While at TXST, his team has been recognized by the CASE Circle of Excellence and the Webby’s Anthem Awards, honoring the best purpose and mission-driven work. Before joining TXST, he served as AVP for Brand Strategy at Colorado State University, where he led brand marketing. The UCDA named his group at CSU “Best In-House Team” in 2016.
Before working in higher education, Elias helped solve business problems for Nike, Google, General Mills, Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Wheaties, Purina, and Nordstrom at Zeus Jones, a digital marketing and branding firm. His work has been featured on Good Morning America, NPR, ESPN, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Fast Company, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Ad Age, Communications Arts, and the front page of Reddit.

Andrew McDaniel

Andrew McDaniel is an award-winning marketing and communications professional with a penchant for storytelling across multiple channels and platforms. Currently serving as Associate Director for Student Affairs Marketing and Communications at UC Davis, he led the launch of UC Davis’ first Sexual Violence Education and Awareness campaign and the UC Davis NOW mobile app.
Andrew has worked in journalism, marketing, public relations and communications, where he authored hundreds of articles, produced 23 nationally-syndicated radio documentaries and has written advertising copy for international companies. He has a BA in Communications from Flagler College and certificates in Journalism and Management from Georgetown University and UC Davis.

Sara Miga

Sara Miga is the Senior Director of External Relations and Strategic Communications at Skidmore College. Her 15-year career has always been mission-driven. From women’s issues and food insecurity, to higher education development, communications, and marketing, Sara is an expert at inspiring others to find, clarify, and unite around a purpose. She’s also the most positive person in the room. Sara earned a bachelor’s from Skidmore College in political science and women’s studies and a master’s from The Ohio State University in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies.

Cassaundra Moore

Cassaundra Moore is the executive director of new media strategy at Washington University in St. Louis. Cassaundra leads WashU’s central social media strategy in an ongoing effort to engage, inform and connect with the university’s core audiences. Through partnerships across the WashU campus community, she has developed and led the creation of meaningful and compelling content that assists in telling the university’s story.

Cassaundra leads the governance of social media best practices, crisis communications and assists with providing guidance for executive leadership who create social media channels Before WashU, she manager multiple roles involving client engagement, including social media, video, client education and events.

Andy Monfried

Since founding Lotame in 2006, Andy has been focused on building the world’s leading data management technology. Andy led Lotame’s successful ad network for several years, targeting thousands of campaigns valued at millions of dollars, all delivered and executed through the Lotame platform. In 2011 he shuttered the ad network to focus the company on its original vision: a full featured, SaaS based DMP. Under Monfried’s leadership, Lotame has grown into 100+ person company with offices in the U.S., E.U. and APAC. Prior to founding Lotame, Andy was an executive with Advertising.com from 1999-2005.

Typhaine Morrison

Typhaine is the Chief Marketing Officer for the Wisconsin School of Business at UW-Madison. She has worked on campaigns for NBC Universals, Nickelodeon, and global media brands.
Typhaine led the global lifestyle and fitness brand Shape Magazine and was one of the youngest Editor in Chief in New York, serving in a multi-faceted role to launch the brand in international markets. During that time, Typhaine partnered with brands like Reebok to elevate brand partnerships and drive consumer value. Awards and presentations: 2023 Inspiring Programs in Business Awards by Insight into Diversity Winner of multiple Advertising Federation Awards at the local and regional districts in the following categories: branded content, integrated campaigns, social media campaigns, out-of-home advertising, and microsites. 2023, 2021, 2019, 2018 Marketing in the Digital Age, MKT 355, Guest Speaker Spring 2023, Fall 2022. Maximize your advertising to demonstrate ROI, Stamats Higher Education Conference, 2017

Christine Dellert Mullon

Christine Dellert Mullon is founder and chief strategist at Sonder Says, a communications and thought leadership group with that helps clients redefine their message, reach the right audiences and inspire change.

Isaac Muñoz

Isaac I. Muñoz is Associate Vice President, Strategy and Analytics at Texas A&M University. Isaac leads Strategy, Insights, and Analytics at Texas A&M University. As a part of the Marketing and Communications team, he collaborates across campus on strategic planning and measurement, brand management and customer intelligence, recruiting and admissions, and advertising and media agencies. Before joining Aggieland, he was the head of Customer Engagement for DIRECTV Go Latin America (then part of AT&T). He received his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin.

Jessica Neumann-Kersten

Neumann-Kersten earned her master’s and Ph.D. at the University of Denver in communication studies, with a research focus on new media. Jess is a first-generation student and earned her bachelor’s degree in media, culture, and communication from New York University. In addition to her role at RWJ Research, Jess is an account director at RW Jones, working with various institutions and organizations on their communications strategies.The RW Jones Agency has presented at a number of marketing and higher education-specific conferences.

Cassandra Nickels

Cassandra Nickels is RIT’s Associate Vice President for Marketing Strategy, where she leads the university’s marketing strategy, branding, and intelligence. She works with college and divisional marketers to achieve strategic goals for their respective areas. Before serving in this role, Cassandra was the Director of Marketing for RIT’s College of Science.

Teresa Valerio Parrot

Principal, TVP Communications

Teresa often says that while her husband is her true love, her alma mater was her first love. Higher education is her home. She is known for honesty juxtaposed with optimism; the two combine to provide communications counsel focused on transparent leadership and relationship building. Teresa helps higher education executives truthfully share excellence and genuinely own mistakes, because she knows honesty is present in all sound proactive and crisis outreach.
Previously, Teresa served as vice president for SimpsonScarborough. She counts almost 10 years of service at the University of Colorado, including an officer-level appointment.

She is co-host of the Trusted Voices Podcast and co-editor of Call to Action for Inside Higher Ed.

Teresa earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Colorado, and a doctorate from Southern Methodist University. She holds accreditation in public relations from PRSA.

Maya Patterson

Maya Patterson is the Marketing Manager for Colleges with the University of Arizona’s central marketing team, working closely with the Arizona Online Marketing portfolio in addition to supporting main campus marketing strategic initiatives. She’s worked as a higher-ed marketer and communicator for 4 years in many university units, including research- and community-focused units and academic colleges.

Kristen Paulmeyer

Kristen Paulmeyer is the Marketing Director at Creighton University. Her team of marketing strategists focuses on the marketing initiatives of the individual schools and colleges across multiple platforms to reach and engage their target audiences. Kristen joined Creighton University in 2022 and has since led their second-annual retention campaign and aims to drive student lifecycle marketing efforts.
Prior to Creighton, Kristen worked in the healthcare sector, with experience in sales and more recently focusing on lead generation and developing new product/service marketing and consumer engagement plans to improve patient experience and retention. Kristen obtained her MBA from University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Charlie Penrose

Charlie Penrose is Net Natives’ creative director. With a background in the creative industries, he established the agency’s creative department eight years ago, and continues to manage its strategic development and portfolio of resources. Charlie oversees the delivery of creative solutions for clients, encompassing strategy, content, design and copywriting. He has led the delivery of high-profile creative campaigns in the U.S., U.K., and globally, working across digital, TV and traditional media.

Anne Peters

Associate Vice President, University Marketing & Special Projects | UTSA Anne has over two decades of experience in higher education marketing and communications with a career that spans a wide variety of institutions, from residential liberal arts colleges to large public research universities. In her current position, she oversees UTSA’s institutional brand, website development, presidential communication collateral and university special events.

Colleen Peterson

Colleen Peterson is an accomplished Enrollment Management professional with 30 years of experience. She currently serves as the Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management at RIT where she oversees student recruitment, admissions, financial aid, enrollment marketing, enrollment systems, and data analytics.

Carrie Phillips

Carrie Phillips, Ed.D, is the Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at UA Little Rock. She is part creative, part analyst, but fully curious to solve higher education challenges. She earned her doctorate from Texas Tech, studying how universities are using marketing to mitigate the enrollment cliff. After finishing her doctorate, she is now carrying on about higher education and leadership on her website andcarrieon.com. She has presented nationally at multiple conferences including HighEdWeb, AMA, CASE and more. Carrie is a member of the American Marketing Association, holding the Professional Certified Marketer credential. She is also chair-elect of CASE District IV.

Angela Polec

Angela Polec, Ed.D. serves as Vice President of Marketing and Communications. She joined the University’s Executive Cabinet upon her arrival to La Salle in April 2019, and previously served as Assistant Vice President of Strategic Communications and Marketing and temporarily as Vice President of Enrollment, Marketing and Communications from February 2021 – August 2022. In her role, Dr. Polec leads the development and management of the University’s brand, and oversees strategic communications, digital strategy, marketing, media relations, enrollment marketing and University events.

Prior to arriving at La Salle, Dr. Polec served as the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) since 2015. In this role, she oversaw branding, enrollment marketing, digital strategy and strategic communications. Dr. Polec played a leadership role on a number of college-wide initiatives. She worked on the college’s Integrated Planning and Advising for Student Success (iPASS) project team, was a core member of the institution’s enrollment management leadership team and served on the college-wide curriculum committee. Dr. Polec also co-chaired the college’s strategic planning committee leading the development of the college’s five-year plan.

Prior to her time at MCCC, Dr. Polec served as the Director of Marketing for Temple University, managing the second phase of the Temple Made brand campaign. In earlier roles at Temple, Dr. Polec oversaw the digital presence for the university’s advancement division including web, email and social media.

Dr. Polec has presented at several national conferences and has co-authored an article and book chapter on the use of predictive analytics in student success initiatives. In 2022, she was recognized as one of The Philadelphia Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. She holds an M.S. and a B.B.A. in marketing from Temple University and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Management at the University of Pennsylvania, with her dissertation focusing on the role of the chief marketing officer in higher education.

Devin Purgason

Devin Purgason, Executive Director of Marketing and Student Care at Forsyth Technical Community College, has dedicated his career to empowering lives through education. With expertise in CRM, digital marketing and professional photography, Devin’s leadership has made a significant impact at Forsyth Tech. Honored with Winston Salem’s Under 40 Leadership Award and selected for the American Association of Community College Future Leader Institute, Devin holds degrees in theology, historical theology and digital media and marketing. His creativity and purpose-driven approach have led to numerous successful initiatives at Forsyth Tech, where he’s also an adjunct English professor.

Rachel Rodemann Putman

Rachel Rodemann Putman is the Director of Communications at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, where she oversees digital and social media strategy, external communications direction, public and media relations, internal messaging, crisis management and executive communications.

After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill, she spent close to a decade as a journalist and joined the world of higher education in 2014, finding her passion at the intersection of story-telling and education.

She manages a team of incredible student workers each year on the UAFS campus who run TikTok, Instagram, website and LinkedIn campaigns. With her student team, she’s claimed a number of social media impact awards including a CASE Grand Gold award in 2022 for a direct-to-student social media outreach campaign titled Mental Health Monday.

Last academic year her team’s efforts gained the small regional public more 5.9 billion impressions across earned media.
Offline, Rachel mentors her students with an open-door policy that lasts well after they’ve graduated. She is an advisor for the IDEAL Women student organization which combats bias against women of color in the professional world, and is active on multiple university committees including the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Campus Climate committees. This fall she was elected to her third term on UAFS Staff Senate and named to the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal Forty under 40 class.

She spends her time at home with her musician husband Cory, their two children, Sara and Kyler, their German Shepherd dog, Atticus, and an ever-growing slate of foster puppies.

John Reid

John Reid is the President of Glacier, a youth advertising agency focused exclusively on higher education. Drawing on twelve years in the industry, John knows how important it is to keep on trend with the Next Generation and how to share his knowledge in a fun, engaging presentation.

Brent Reser

Brent Reser has spent his entire career in higher education social media. He is currently in his fourth year as the social media strategist at Washington State University where he develops the organic and paid strategies for the institution’s flagship accounts. Prior to WSU, Reser spent six years leading the social media program at Coastal Carolina University. He started his career at the University of Montana where he managed the social media presence of the department of athletics.

Jen Rhee

Jen Rhee is the director of Strategic Student Communications for NYU’s division of Global Enrollment Management and Student Success. In her role, she develops communication strategies to support retention and enhance the student experience for more than 27,000 undergraduates across 10 schools and global campuses.

Prior to joining NYU, Jen was the associate dean for Strategic Initiatives and Communications at The New School’s Parsons School of Design. Jen received her BA in English and Studio Art from Wesleyan University and a MA in Media Studies from The New School.

Kentrice Rush

Kentrice S. Rush is the digital media manager at Jackson State University (JSU). During her time at JSU, the HBCU has achieved much success on social media, including its Facebook page ranking third among NCAA Division I universities nationwide. Kentrice’s videography has been shared by Time Magazine and YouTube Originals, and her photography has been used in stories by The Washington Post, CBS Sports, and the TODAY Show.

Kentrice holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing from Jackson State University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in marketing from Clark Atlanta University.

Jenna Rutschman

Jenna Rutschman is the Director of Marketing Strategy focused on colleges at the University of Arizona. In her role she works with the college marketing and communications teams across campus to provide branding and strategic insights as well as resources that help the colleges align with the overall University marketing campaigns and brand. Jenna joined the University in 2017 and was previously the lead marketer at the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences and the College of Science prior to her current role.

Frannie Schneider

Frannie Schneider is the Associate Vice President for Marketing at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. She joined Creighton in 2021, bringing more than 15 years of marketing and content strategy experience in higher education. Her expertise includes positioning teams for a constantly evolving marketing landscape. At Creighton, Frannie leads a marketing team focused on driving growth and increasing the brand engagement and awareness. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Missouri School of Journalism. She has presented at several AMA and CASE conferences.

Erin Keane Scott

Erin Keane Scott is a marketing and branding expert out to use her powers for good. With a decade of experience working in higher education and non-profit settings, she is an agile storyteller and a data-informed strategist. Erin’s work has taken her to the red carpet at the Tony Awards, behind the mic during public radio pledge drives and backstage with high-ranking government officials and celebrated journalists. Erin began her marketing career at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama. Since 2021, she has led the marketing team at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

Matt Serrao

Matt is the associate vice president of marketing at Utah Valley University. Matt is a supporter for cross communication and breaking down silos to better organizations holistically. Matt has over a decade of experience proving results in digital marketing and communications and has experience working with nonprofit organizations, global corporations, startup companies and higher education institutions. In addition to his role at UVU, Matt is a board member for the Heart Home Foundation, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to helping families and children who have congenital heart disease. Matt is from `Aiea, Hawaii and a proud Native Hawaiian. He also loves cookies.

Jessica Shasserre

With more than 20 years of experience in higher education and marketing, Jessica is an expert in developing best practices for effective enrollment and recruitment marketing initiatives. Drawing heavily from her time behind the admissions desk, she now uses that frontline experience to lead a team of talented strategists, consultants, and creatives. She sees every project from multiple perspectives, and works closely with clients to develop strategic, integrated approaches to addressing today’s higher education recruitment challenges. As producer and co-host of MediaCross’ podcast, Higher Ed Matters, Jessica is quick to share her insight on a variety of higher education topics.

Jason Simon

Jason became SimpsonScarborough’s CEO in 2020 and over the past nine years has led the agency’s growth while championing the value of higher education and ensuring the agency’s work has lasting impact.
Before joining SimpsonScarborough, Jason served in marketing communications leadership roles for the University of California and NC State University. He was honored as the American Marketing Association’s Higher Education Marketer of the Year in 2013 and is regularly invited to speak at and lead industry events and training.

Fotis Sotiropoulos

Dr. Fotis Sotiropoulos, Ph.D. is provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. He holds an academic appointment as professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering in the VCU College of Engineering.

Mike Southworth

Mike Southworth is the Director of Marketing for Arizona Online and sits within the Campus Brand Engagement team, part of the university’s central marcom department. His responsibilities include enrollment marketing for Arizona Online and the Near You Network (the university’s distance network). Prior to entering the higher ed space, he worked in private sector marketing and sales roles based in Italy and the U.S.

Jennifer Sparkman

Jennifer Sparkman has spent almost a decade in higher education marketing developing strategies and crafting content to engage prospective students and parents. She serves as the Director of Audience Engagement Strategy for Enrollment Marketing at University of the Pacific, where she oversees strategy for using interactive digital channels and social media to create community and amplify the diverse stories of the Pacific community. Prior to joining Pacific, she led content and social media strategy and helped execute multichannel marketing campaigns at University of California, Merced, and spent most of her career as a journalist before her move to higher education.

John Stafford

John Stafford is Assistant Vice President for Digital Strategy at Stanford, the most senior digital communications role in the university. John is responsible for all aspects of creating a world-class digital communications function: setting the group’s strategy, building analytics and insight programs, counseling on crisis communications, leading multi-channel messaging initiatives, and advising colleagues across the University. He received a Master’s Degree in Communication from Stanford, a B.A. in History from the University of San Francisco, and was a founding advisor to Stanford Medicine X.

Greg Star

Greg Star is a highly accomplished entrepreneur and respected marketer with a passion for innovation. As the co-founder of Carvertise, the largest rideshare advertising company in America, Greg has been instrumental in driving the company’s exponential growth since its inception in 2012.

Elizabeth Stevens-Bishop

Elizabeth Stevens-Bishop is director of content strategy for enrollment marketing at University of the Pacific where she oversees storytelling and communication with current and prospective families.

Elizabeth arrived at Pacific in 2017 after a career in journalism that included managing an online community of moms in Northern California for Gannett called MomsLikeMe.

At Pacific, Elizabeth’s team has built a network of contributors for academic, career, and mental health services, admission, and student life to provide a steady stream of valuable content to families when they need it.

As a parent of a college student, Elizabeth has insight into the concerns families have about their child’s experience as well as the costs and outcomes of a college education.

Elizabeth’s mantra is “remain teachable.”

Stefanie Stewart

Stef Stewart is Head of Industry of Education at Google. The daughter of an immigrant father, Stef experienced firsthand the global impact of higher education on future generations. She is passionate about partnering with Higher Ed Universities and the Ed Tech Industry to make education universally accessible for all, and advancing business outcomes through technology. Previously Stef was a Head of Industry leading Google’s Programmatic Media team for the Google Display Network and DV360 product. Her team was responsible for key product improvements in performance and measurement. Stef also held various roles supporting Home and Consumer partners at Google. Before Google, she spent over a decade at Brand.net, a programmatic display platform, and at Valassis Communications Inc. where she was named Top Consultant of the year (2013) and Top Digital Consultant of the year (2014). Stef earned her MBA from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business and two Bachelor’s degrees in Advertising and in Journalism from Michigan State University.

Stef is born and bred midwesterner currently chasing joy in the suburbs outside of Chicago with her husband and three favorite children.

Bill Swain

Bill Swain is a passionate and multifaceted marketing executive who currently oversees the University’s marketing, creative, recruitment, web, public relations and enterprise communication initiatives. Over the past 30 years, Bill has achieved success in building global brands, crafting innovative communication strategies and establishing award-winning, performance-driven, teams. After earning a B.S. in business administration from the University of Delaware and an MBA from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Mr. Swain held senior-level positions at Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics and AET Films. As someone who has thoroughly unpacked the finesses of B2B and B2C changing markets, Bill believes in empowering future marketing leaders and has served as a mentor for several years.

Heather Swain

Vice President, Marketing, Public Relations and Digital Strategy – Michigan State University Swain is responsible for MSU’s branding, marketing, creative, digital and experience strategy, and analytics and insights functions. She has worked in higher education for 25+ years and in senior leadership positions for more than 20 years. Swain oversaw development of the university’s Spartans Will campaign, and under her leadership MSU’s communications work has been recognized with numerous awards, including Tellys, Emmys and Addys, as well as top recognition from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Swain has presented at AMA and CASE and in 2016 received the AMA Higher Education Marketer of the Year Award.

Kevin Swartout

Swartout leads RWJ Research, bringing deep research and academic expertise after spending more than 15 years teaching and conducting research on university campuses. Kevin received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a concentration in social psychology. He most recently served as a professor in the Department of Psychology at Georgia State University. His research focuses heavily on the influencers and psychology of decision-making. A significant portion of his work has centered on identifying and engaging distinct and diverse subpopulations.Swartout has presented multiple times to the American Psychological Association. Most recently, Dr. Swartout presented at the 2023 NADOHE Annual Conference and will be presenting at the Association for Institutional Research Forum Annual Conference (May 2023).

Katlin Swisher

Katlin Swisher is a senior strategist at Campus Sonar. She uses data storytelling to help campuses build trust with their audiences, support strategic planning and branding, and inform organizational change. During her decade on campus, she led initiatives in admissions, orientation, and marketing communications. A proud Mountaineer, she holds a Ph.D. and master’s degree in higher education and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from West Virginia University. She is an instructor of media and leadership studies and has presented research at AMA’s Higher Ed Symposium, American Educational Research Association, Association for the Study of Higher Education, National Rural Education Association, and College & University Public Relations and Associated Professionals, among others. In her spare time, you can find her hiking in West Virginia’s beautiful state parks and traveling the world as a clarinetist with the WVU Alumni Band.

Sam Thorson

Ready to talk about student recruitment? As a growth strategist, Sam’s top priority is always your bottom line–and how to leverage data and insights to drive strategy and creativity. He’s a silo-smashing collaborator who elevates projects by digging in to understand your school, students and competition. He oversees all strategies, but his true passion is to think beyond the here and now to focus on what’s next–especially when it comes to digital and social media. On any given day, Sam is responsible for account planning, audience research and segmentation, campaign success and monthly reporting/analysis. Sam has been with Epicosity since 2018, having previously worked as a content and CRM strategist. When Sam’s not crushing institutional recruitment goals, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three kiddos on their family farm.

Diana Toole

John Trierweiler

John Trierweiler is RIT’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications, responsible for the university’s marketing and communications, including goal setting, strategic development, and tactical execution for marketing and branding, communications and PR/editorial, as well as digital and web. Prior to joining RIT, John was Chief Marketing Officer for the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Allison Turcio

Allison Turcio, Ed.D., is Assistant Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing at Siena College. She leads college-wide marketing, market research, and enrollment communications efforts. Her work has won numerous awards and has been presented at High Ed Web, American Marketing Association’s Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education and other conferences. Allison was selected for the Albany Business Review 40 Under 40 and Siena College’s Excellence in Administration award in 2020. She holds a doctorate degree at Northeastern University and holds a master’s in Communications and bachelor’s in English.

Randi Ungar

Randi brings 23 years of digital media and marketing experience to Advance 360 Education. Having started her career within the Advance family, she understands the value data has in shaping and executing digital strategies for higher education institutions. As the digital landscape shifts towards a cookie-less world, Randi is passionate about how Advance 360 Education’s first-party data can become a powerful asset and differentiator for many schools to deliver more personalized and results-driven marketing campaigns. From targeting to finding best-fit students to understanding enrollment trends, Randi’s expertise in data-driven marketing, and deep understanding of data segmentation, has helped frame the way Advance 360 Education supports our partners in driving leads, increasing enrollments and shaping overall marketing strategy.

Jennifer Vaughn

Jenn Vaughn’s career spans two coasts over 20+ years via boutique design agencies, tech startups and education non-profits. Currently serving as Senior Brand Manager for Student Affairs Marketing and Communications at UC Davis, she leads brand strategy across all divisional departments, channels and audiences. Jenn has won numerous marketing and higher education awards, including CASE District VII Circle of Excellence’s highest honor, Grand Gold. In addition, she is a frequent speaker on industry-related topics such as Marketing to Generation Z and Design & Accessibility. A first-generation college student, Jenn earned a BA in public communication from American University.

Jose Villalba

Dr. José Villalba, Chief Diversity Officer and vice president of Diversity and Inclusion at Wake Forest University. He is responsible for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Intercultural Center, the Women’s Center, the LGBTQ+ Center and the Diversity Education Unit.

Justin Vogt

With 25 years of marketing and advertising experience, Justin brings a unique blend of account service, business development and operations management to Fuseideas. Having worked across many categories during his career, Justin has grown a special concentration in higher education and consistently delivers a strong commitment to strategic vision, organizational growth, continuous innovation and evolution for his clients such as Georgetown University, University of North Carolina Charlotte, and University of Baltimore to name a few. In 2021, Justin spearheaded the State of the American College Student, a perennial research study focused on providing insights on current and prospective students’ personal motivations for choosing a higher education institution, as well as identifying key emotional and behavioral factors impacting students in a post-pandemic society. Justin grew up in the advertising business in account service and business development in Philadelphia and has spent the last 17 years driving growth and success for agencies and consultancies in Boston. Justin holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Franklin & Marshall College, and currently resides in Medfield, MA with his family.

Tracy Vosburgh

As Vice President of Communications and Marketing, Tracy elevates, aligns, and integrates marketing and communications work across Virginia Tech. She has served as the university’s top communicator since joining the Advancement leadership team in 2015, following her time at Cornell University. During her tenure at Virginia Tech, Tracy has led several initiatives that support key priorities, including refreshing their brand, launching a new web presence and video platform, creating a media relations team, and more. Tracy’s background also includes broadcast management positions at Penn State Public Broadcasting, ABC/Kane Productions, National Geographic Society, and McNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.

Sara Wallace

Sara is Vice President of Strategy at SimpsonScarborough and has spent the past 15 years navigating the ever-shifting media, brand, and marketing strategy landscape at agencies supporting higher education, healthcare, retail, and tourism.
Sara oversees SimpsonScarborough’s strategy division, which uses data-driven approaches to create brand, marketing, and media deliverables that achieve institutions’ short- and long-term goals. In the past, she has served in a variety of roles supporting higher education, including adjunct instructor and guest lecturer. She has also led the strategy, activation, management, and measurement of integrated campaigns with dozens of institutions across the country.

Gabriel Welsch

As vice president for marketing and communications at Duquesne, Gabe oversees strategy and operations for media relations, web communications, marketing, advertising, printing, publications and internal communications. Prior to his appointment at Duquesne, Welsch served in several executive functions at Juniata College overseeing marketing operations and fundraising and alumni relations. While there he led campaigns that raised more than $95 million. He is past president of the CUPRAP: College and University Public Relations and Associated Professionals board of directors and is a regular conference presenter on topics related to fundraising and marketing. He holds two degrees in English from Penn State.

Paul Westcott

Paul Westcott is L2’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. Over Paul’s nine-year tenure at L2, he has overseen the rapid growth company’s footprint in academia, consumer research, corporate government affairs, automotive, media and B2C marketing in addition to the company’s already substantial footprint in the political marketplace. L2 is also the largest provider of constituent contact data to members of Congress with over 350 U.S. Representatives and Senators utilizing L2. Prior to joining L2, Paul worked in the media space for NBC News, Fox News Channel and iHeartMedia. At iHeart, Paul started as a Senior Digital Editor, creating and managing editorial content for a network of over 850 websites. Paul attended Fordham University and holds both a BA and MA in Political Science.

Camille Wilson

Camille Wilson is the Associate Director of Strategic Student Communications. In her role, she is responsible for the content strategy and managing the Student Design Fellows program. She’s spent the last 12 years in Higher Education working to nurture and inspire student leaders by supporting their holistic growth and development. Before coming to NYU, she worked in Residential Life helping first year students make meaningful transitions to college in NYC.

Camille received her Bachelors in Psychology from Temple University and both her Master of Education and Master of Arts in Psychological Counseling from Columbia University.

Rob Zinkan

Rob Zinkan, Ed.D., is Vice President for Marketing Leadership at RHB, a higher education consultancy founded in 1991. He leads the firm’s practice in institutional marketing, guiding colleges and universities toward greater relevance and organizational capability. Rob joined RHB in 2019 after more than two decades in higher education administration with a focus on reputation and resource development and intra-organizational alignment. He spent 17 years at Indiana University in a variety of senior roles from campus-level vice chancellor to system-wide associate vice president. Rob is a recent AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education committee member and CASE commissioner (Commission on Communications and Marketing). He is co-author of the 2021 book <em>What Makes a Strategic Plan ‘Strategic’?</em> and contributes to Inside Higher Ed’s “Call to Action” blog. Rob also teaches graduate courses in both strategic communications and higher education leadership.