Experienced Higher Education Leader and Strategist

Twenty-three years’ experience harnessing the power of cross-channel communications to promote institutional brand, create strategic alignment, and engage constituents. Successfully created and implemented brand-driven multi-platform communications strategies. Proven expertise in digital fundraising and marketing, project management, and delivery of institutional goals.

Expertise Highlights

  • Cross-platform communication strategy
  • Digital strategy, development, and engagement
  • Leadership and teambuilding
  • Project management
  • Collaboration and consensus-building
  • Brand management
  • Budget planning and management
  • Admissions and Advancement experience

Professional Experience

University of Florida
2016-present

Senior Director of Digital Marketing and Engagement (2021 - present)
Director of Digital Communications (2016 - 2021)

University of Florida Advancement

2016 - present
  • Developed Advancement’s first digital communications and marketing strategy for an operation with an annual $3.7 million in online giving and $1 million in online event registration.
  • Developed, in coordination with digital marketing agency, a website to support $3 billion “Go Greater” comprehensive campaign. Selected and managed relationship with agency for project.
  • Developed, in coordination with agency, campaign capstone website to celebrate wins from the $3.5 billion “Go Greater” comprehensive campaign.
  • Redesigned online giving, resulting in a 5.5% year-one increase and a 2.1% year-two increase.
  • Developed and led Advancement’s digital efforts in support of the annual giving day, which provides an annual boost of 3,000 unique undergraduate donors, boosting the alumni participation rate, and contributing to the university’s rise to the US News and World Report Top 5.
  • Transformed website from bare bones website to integrated online giving and digital storytelling platform that demonstrates the impact of private support and facilitates online contributions.
  • Conceptualized and implemented a new online donor communication and stewardship tool.
  • Implemented and continue to enhance project management and request system, reducing missed collaborator deadlines from 30% to less than 1%.
  • Lead and manage a team of full-time professionals and student interns in the completion of over 550 projects annually.
  • Chair the data sharing and application implementation team and serve on the steering committee of Advancement’s data governance.
  • Led the development of Advancement’s data management framework and data sharing and application policy that clarifies how critical data may be accessed, stored, and shared.
  • Manage and program marketing automation efforts that handle 400+ tasks and save 10+ hours of staff time per week. Manage and program the communications project management system.
  • Oversee the design, data loading, and sending of 16.5 million emails annually from over 200 email marketing projects. Developed and maintain email standards to ensure brand consistency.
  • Ensure all broadcast emails, event registration websites, and Advancement Web pages follow university and Advancement brand standards.
  • Administer and manage Salesforce Marketing Cloud, including Social Studio.
  • Developed and implemented email list management schema to improve constituent experience and prepare digital marketing platform for conversion to constituent relationship manager.
  • Developed and implemented an organization-wide external communications calendar, increasing coordination and reducing communication overlap and recipient fatigue.
  • Developing website user journey data capture project to gauge constituent affinity and identify targeted fundraising prospects.
Old Dominion University
2003 - 2016

Director of University Web and Digital Communication and Instructor
Office of University Strategic Communication and Marketing

2009-2016
2003 - 2016

2009 - 2016

  • Developed and implemented cross-platform strategies and provided university-wide leadership, serving as chief Web officer, for website, social media, public relations, and marketing.
  • Deployed, as part of the marketing and communications leadership team and working with a branding and marketing agency, the university’s first unified branding initiative, including rollout of brand architecture, brand book, and new institutional logo and tagline.
  • Transformed the university’s social media channels into reputation-building and engagement platforms, including developing the university’s first social media strategy and adopting new channels such as Instagram and SnapChat early in their use in higher education.
  • Led two university-wide website redesigns including template, information architecture, and internal and external communications plans, for over 20,000 pages.
  • Managed and developed marketing plans for undergraduate recruitment and summer studies enrollment, including digital advertising, Google SEM, billboards, and theater advertising.
  • Collected and analyzed website data and other marketing metrics to measure tactics and tailor strategy.
  • Launched and chaired Website Managers Council to foster sharing of knowledge and increase cross-organizational communication.
  • Increased internal communications through the design and programming of a semi-weekly email newsletter for faculty, staff, university board, and other key stakeholders.
  • Collaborated on the design and development of ODU Mobile, the university’s first mobile application.
  • Created and implemented original content for top-level website pages and social media.
  • Developed, implemented, and maintained editorial calendars for digital content and social media.
  • Led and managed a team of professional Web communication specialists, a social media manager, and digital media specialists.
  • Served as part of emergency communication leadership and collaborated on emergency communication solutions (ICS and NIMS certified).
  • Developed implementation strategy and user training for Web content management system.
  • Developed website and social media standards and style guidelines.
  • Assisted the assistant vice president for marketing and communications with budget development and developed budget management and reporting tool and process.
  • Evaluated service vendors, made selection recommendations, and managed vendor relationships.

Director of Technology
Office of Institutional Advancement

2006-2010

2006 - 2010

  • Designed, implemented and managed websites, new media, and selected print publications for President’s Office, Marketing and Communications, University Events, Community Engagement, Governmental Relations, Military Affairs, Commencement and University Licensing.
  • Selected by university president to restructure and redesign website for university housing office.
  • Created and continued development of relational database application for managing over 5,000 contacts, 120 annual events and their invitations, responses, and mailings.
  • Developed branded presentations used by the president, vice president for institutional advancement and president emeritus that were presented to the Board of Visitors, university guests and visitors, external groups, and business and governmental leaders.
  • Redeveloped commencement policies and procedures to meet the president’s goals for ceremony planning and implementation. Chaired commencement steering committee.
  • Developed and implemented online mechanism for registering and tracking graduates participating in university’s five annual commencement ceremonies with 99% accuracy. Developed post-event assessment to gauge success.
  • Developed and implemented online portal for registering and tracking graduates participating in university’s five annual commencement ceremonies with 99% accuracy. Developed post-event assessment to gauge success and tailor future ceremonies.

Marketing and Communications Assistant and Webmaster
Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC)
Research Center of Old Dominion University

2003-2006

2003 - 2006

  • Collaborated in the development and implementation of new center branding and tagline. Developed key marketing collateral and website to support new branding and tagline.
  • Redesigned and maintained center’s website, introducing new section to engage the center’s member organizations with its initiatives.
  • Developed internal branding, signage, and communication strategy and tactics.
  • Developed website and publications strategies as part of the center’s marketing team.
  • Designed signage and collateral materials for three successful trade shows, resulting in increased business and collaboration between the center and government and industry.
  • Conceptualized, designed and coordinated execution of center’s annual reports and other publications.
The Pennsylvania State University
2000 - 2003

Staff Assistant and Webmaster
Liberal Arts Undergraduate Studies and Advising, Department of Labor Studies and Industrial Relations, Department of African and African American Studies and Women’s Studies Program

2000 - 2003
  • Redesigned units’ websites, each resulting in a minimum of twofold increase in traffic.
  • Conceptualized and implemented dynamic advising reference website for academic advisors in all departments within the College of the Liberal Arts, increasing interdepartmental coordination and reducing incidents of students receiving incorrect guidance.
  • Developed and implemented strategies for increased utilization of Web presence, increasing traffic, constituency communication and fundraising results.
  • Established an electronic repository of advising handouts and other collateral resulting in significant reduction in printing expenses.
  • Edited key unit publications, ensuring compliance with college’s branding.
  • Developed website for and collaborated in the preparation and execution of anniversary fundraising symposium, raising highest donations for department to date.
Kmart Corporation
1995 - 2001

Checkout Supervisor and Service Desk Team Member

1995 - 2001
  • Supervised and trained cashiers, customer service associates and service desk team members.
  • Established training and procedural guide for new service desk equipment.
  • Served as acting manager as required.
  • Four-time associate of the month.

Education

Master of Public Administration
Old Dominion University

Bachelor of Arts, English
The Pennsylvania State University

Conference Presentation

“Website Redesign Bootcamp”
College Communicators Association

2012

2012

Synopsis of Skills

  • Project management
  • Budget management
  • Training design and implementation
  • Agency selection and management
  • Public speaking
Digital and Web
  • User experience design
  • Content management systems, including Adobe Experience Manager and WordPress
  • HTML, PHP, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery
  • Salesforce Social Stuio
  • Sprout Social
  • Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)
  • Google Analytics & Google Tag Manager
  • Email marketing
  • Digital and ontent strategy
  • Information architecture
  • Social media strategy and management
  • Heatmapping tools, including CrazyEgg
Collaboration and Productivity
  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Microsoft Office (all versions)
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Box, Dropbox, and OneDrive
  • Basecamp
  • QuickBase
  • Slack and Microsoft Teams
  • Zapier automation platform
Marketing and Advertising
  • Salesforce Marketing Cloud
  • Cvent
  • Photoshelter
  • Litmus
  • Marketing strategy
  • Campaign planning and management
  • Video production management
  • Advertising buys

Committee Memberships

Current
  • Data Sharing & Application Data Governance Team (chair)
  • Data Governance Steering Committee
  • Advancement & OneUFIT Steering Committee (CRM Implementation)
  • Operational Sustainability
Previous
  • Website Managers Council (chair)
  • University Web Team (chair)
  • Information Technology Advisory Committee
  • Information Architecture Committee (chair)
  • Website Redesign Executive Team (co-chair)
  • Commencement Steering Committee (co-chair)
  • University Calendar Committee (chair)
  • University Scholarship Committee

Professional Memberships

  • Phi Kappa Phi, National Honor Society
  • College Communicators Association of Virginia and the District of Columbia
  • American Marketing Association
  • North American Association of Commencement Officers