THROUGHOUT MY CAREER IN HIGHER EDUCATION, I’ve pioneered new positions, developed creative teams, created innovative campaigns, and built successful operations from the ground up. I’m a proven higher education leader who works daily to “move the needle” in a positive direction for the organizations I serve.
As Executive Director of Strategic Communications and Outreach at Temple College in Temple, Texas. I lead all marketing, recruitment and community outreach strategies.
Since my arrival in January 2022, the marketing and recruitment teams have:
- Launched “Your Community’s College,” a broad and dynamic visibility campaign that fully embraces our ties to our service-area communities
- Realized a 22% increase in fall enrollment from 2021-2024 and a 12.5% increase in spring enrollment from 2022-2024, the first enrollment increases in many years
- Grew our Recruitment & Outreach Team to meet the needs of our service-area communities and school districts
- Launched a new Temple College website
- Developed a campuswide Recruitment Task Force to build synergy and tear down institutional silos
- Rebuilt our marketing team to include robust graphic design, photography, videography and media center functions
- Restructured our media and advertising strategies
- Introduced a new mascot
- Launched Temple College Athletics’ first live-streaming and play-by-play services
- Increased our community outreach activities, including a focus on creating a college-going culture among elementary and middle school students, including the launch of an Adopt-A-School pilot program
- Expanded our on-campus experience to include increased numbers of individual and group tours, a new Leopard Preview Day, revamped Open Houses, and more!
Prior to my time at Temple College, I served as Assistant Director for Faculty Development in Baylor University’s Office of Media and Public Relations. There, I led our team’s efforts to raise the profile of Baylor faculty, their research, and expertise. This included building and maintaining a list of top-tier faculty experts; training faculty to work with reporters and provide expert commentary; pitching Baylor’s success stories to national, statewide, and local outlets; and creating media opportunities via strategic campaigns ( hot topics, op-eds, pitches). I led Baylor’s Marketing & Communications Content Strategy Implementation Team.
EDUCATION
- M.A. in English (Spring 2008), Missouri State University
- B.A. in Communications/Journalism (Spring 1999), Truman State University
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Temple College
- Executive Director of Strategic Communications and Outreach (2022-Present)
Baylor University
- Assistant Director for Faculty Development, Baylor University’s Office of Media and Public Relations (2016-2022)
- Media Communications Specialist, Baylor University’s Office of Media and Public Relations (2014-2016)
- Academic Marketing Information Specialist, Baylor University (2011-2014)
- Adjunct Instructor, Dept. of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media, Baylor University (2014-Present)
Missouri State University
- Coordinator, Graduate Admissions and Recruitment, Missouri State University (2008-2011)
- Public Relations Specialist, Missouri State University (2004-2008)
- Per Course Faculty, Dept. of Media, Journalism and Film, Missouri State University (2008-2011)
JOURNALISM
- Reporter, Springfield News-Leader (2001-2004)
- Reporter/Design Editor, Suburban Journals (1999-2001)
- Copy Editor/Designer, The Ottumwa Courier (1999)
UNIVERSITY TEACHING
Classes I’ve taught include:
- Law and Ethics of Journalism (Baylor University)
- Reporting and Writing for Media (Baylor University)
- Writing for Media Markets (Baylor University)
- Technical Writing (Baylor University)
- Broadcast Writing (Missouri State University)
- Issues in Media Ethics (Missouri State University)
- Introduction to Journalism (Missouri State University)
INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS
- ” Are Your Professors Ready for Their Close-Up?” – CASE CURRENTS Magazine (January/February 2018)
PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
- 2023 NCMPR National Conference (Orlando, FL) “Your Community’s College: How a New Marketing Vision is Driving a Culture Change & Boosting Enrollment” – Presenter (March 2023)
- ExpertFile Webinar“Preparing Your Experts for the Media Spotlight” – Presenter (March 2018)
- 2018 CASE District IV (Fort Worth, TX)Knowledge is Power: Using Experts in Your Media Communications and Branding Campaigns” – Presenter
- 2016 CASE District VI (Kansas City, MO)“Building Your Media Communications Toolkit: Seven Reasons Why Hot Topics Are So Cool”
- “Grassroots Fundraising: How An 11-Year-Old Boy Raised $30,000 In Nine Months And Changed Lives”
- Central Texas Public Relations Society of America“Knowledge is Power: Adding Experts to Your Campaigns” – Speaker (2017)
- “10 Tips for Grassroots Fundraising: How an 11-year-old boy raised $30,000 in nine months to build a classroom in Gulu, Uganda” – Speaker (2015)
- “The Great Debate: What is the Value of Continuing Education?” – Panel Discussion (2014)
SKILLS
- Higher education leadership
- Leading creative teams
- Developing collaborative and creative atmospheres
- Higher education marketing
- Higher education student recruitment strategies
- Community engagement
- Journalism
- Editing
- Media relations
- Public relations
- Marketing and communication strategies
- Media and advertising campaigns
- Project management
- Content marketing
- Social media
- Writing for marketing, print, and broadcast journalism
- Publication design
- Internal/external communication
- Event planning
- Public speaking
HONORS/AWARDS
- Judge’s Award – Best Print Piece, Waco ADDY 2011
- Gold Award for Excellence in Writing, CASE District VI 2006
- Silver and Bronze Awards for Excellence in Multimedia – Radio, CASE District VI 2008
- Graduate of CASE 2006 Summer Institute – Communications and Marketing (Nashville, TN)
CONFERENCES/SEMINARS ATTENDED
- 2024 TACCM Conference (Austin, TX)
- 2023 CIVSA Conference (St. Louis, MO)
- 2023 NCMPR National Conference (Orlando, FL) – Speaker/Presenter
- 2018 CASE District IV (Fort Worth, TX) – Speaker/Presenter
- 2016 CASE District VI (Kansas City, MO) – Speaker/Presenter
- 2016 Central Texas Public Relations Society of America Professional Development Seminar (Waco, TX)
- 2015 Council of Independent Colleges’ College Media Conference (Washington, D.C.)
- 2015 Global Leadership Summit – Promotional Strategist (Temple, TX)
- 2015 Central Texas Public Relations Society of America Professional Development Seminar (Waco, TX)
- 2014 Business Access Media Conference (New York, NY)
- 2014 Global Leadership Summit – Promotional Strategist (Temple, TX)
- 2014 Central Texas Public Relations Society of America Professional Development Seminar (Waco, TX)
- 2013 Global Leadership Summit – Promotional Strategist (Baylor University, Waco, TX)
- 2013 Central Texas Public Relations Society of America Professional Development Seminar (Waco, TX)
- 2012 Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education – American Marketing Association (New Orleans, LA)
- 2012 Central Texas Public Relations Society of America Professional Development Seminar (Waco, TX)
- 2012 Global Leadership Summit – Promotional Strategist (Baylor University, Waco, TX)
- 2011 Global Leadership Summit – Promotional Strategist (Springfield, MO and Baylor University, Waco, TX sites)
- 2010 Global Leadership Summit
- 2010 National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals Annual Conference (San Francisco, CA)
- 2009 Graduate and Professional School Enrollment Management Corp. Conference (Las Vegas, NV)
- 2008 CASE District VI Conference (Denver, CO)
- 2007 CASE District VI Conference (Kansas City, MO)
- CASE 2006 Summer Institute – Communications and Marketing (Nashville, TN)
- 2006 Southwest Missouri Public Relations Society of America Professional Development Seminar (Springfield, MO)
- 2006 CASE District VI Conference (St. Louis, MO)
- 2005 Southwest Missouri Public Relations Society of America Professional Development Seminar (Springfield, MO)
- 2005 CASE District VI Conference (Kansas City, MO)
- 2003 National Writers Workshop (St. Louis, MO)
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/LEADERSHIP
- Texas Association of Community College Marketers – TACCM (2024-Present)
- National Council for Marketing and Public Relations – NCMPR (2022-Present)
- Public Relations Society of America – PRSA (2004-2022)2022 President-Elect (Central Texas Chapter)
- 2015 Past President (Central Texas Chapter)
- 2014 President (Central Texas Chapter)
- 2013 President-Elect (Central Texas Chapter)
- 2012 Secretary (Central Texas Chapter)
- 2007 Board Secretary (Southwest Missouri Chapter)
- 2006 Chair, Professional Development Seminar Committee (Southwest Missouri Chapter)
- Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, District IV – CASE (2011-Present)
- National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals – NAGAP (2008-2011)
- Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, District VI – CASE (2004-2008)
