Background
I'm a higher education marketing leader with 25 years of experience at the University of Michigan, where I also earned degrees in Art & Design (BFA, Penny Stamps School) and English (BA, LSA). I came to Michigan as a first-generation transfer student from Henry Ford Community College—an experience that fundamentally shaped my understanding of what transformational education looks like and who it's for.
Today, I lead an 11-person integrated marketing organization for the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, U-M's largest school and college. My work spans brand strategy, digital transformation, creative team leadership, and strategic communications serving 30,000 students, faculty, and staff plus 200,000+ alumni.
Over two and a half decades, I've built award-winning teams, led institutional rebrands, enabled transformational gifts through strategic positioning, and driven digital transformation at enterprise scale. My work has earned national recognition including CASE Circle of Excellence awards and designation as UCDA's Best In-House Design Team.
What I Believe
The best marketing in higher education isn't about selling—it's about authentic storytelling that honors institutional mission while driving measurable outcomes.
I believe brands should advance access and equity, not just reputation. That creative teams do their best work when they're trusted, not micromanaged. That great brand strategy emerges from the intersection of research and intuition, where data informs but doesn't dictate.
I believe marketing leaders in higher education have a responsibility to be thoughtful about representation, to center the voices of those who've been historically marginalized, and to use our platforms to tell stories that expand—rather than reinforce—narrow definitions of who belongs in academic spaces.
And I believe the complexity of university marketing—translating research breakthroughs, teaching excellence, and student transformation into narratives that resonate with legislators, donors, prospective students, and the public—is some of the most meaningful creative work you can do.
This isn't abstract philosophy. It shapes the work: leading a brand refresh grounded in equity-centered design principles and DEI partnership. Repositioning a scholarship program in ways that enabled a $50M investment in first-generation students. Building team cultures where psychological safety and creative courage produce nationally recognized work. Training communicators across campus on inclusive imagery and authentic representation.
My first-generation experience isn't just part of my story—it's why I do this work, and it informs how I lead.