“Higher education advancement/marketing is more a calling than a career. Trust me, I know how that sounds, but I believe it. You have to first understand the organization’s mission/history and then agree with it in order to be successful and happy. Before I joined (my current employer), I read everything I could about their history. It tells a lot about what they hope to become and how they wish to be perceived.”

“Ultimately, you are an advocate for what they promise to people—most importantly those wishing to improve their lives or the lives of others. But, it does come with some challenges. Taking the high road at all costs is how I operate. It was the advice I was given when I first started in higher education marketing. This sometimes means going slower than you want or learning to be patient when it seems like you are losing momentum.”

2009 was amazing, challenging, nostalgic, spiritual, and so on. Professionally, I am so pleased with my decision to join the Public Affairs office at Washington University in St. Louis. Almost every day, I think of how much I am learning and growing in my career. There are such strong role-models and mentors in our division, and I am grateful to gather experiences working with them. I cannot thank the people with whom I work enough for their dedication and commitment to making our new office, Digital Communications Marketing (DCM), world-class. And finally, it is a delight to explore St. Louis and marvel at the hospitality of its community. Am I gushing? You bet.

The New WUSTL Web Team

Quote from our strategic plan: “The Office of Digital Communications Marketing (DCM) within the Office of Public Affairs oversees Washington University’s top-level web presence and guides strategy for all digital-based communications across the institution, representing the University to the outside world via the Internet, specifically on the World Wide Web, via e-mail and through emerging social media and technologies. It also facilitates internal digital communication by consulting on and/or assisting with administrative sites and those representing the University’s various schools, departments, offices, divisions and units.”

Recent Work

I started officially in Janaury 2009 as the new executive director of Digital Communications Marketing. I immediately began to learn more about our team’s skills, challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities. I met with colleagues from across the campuses, leaders of colleges and schools and administrators. For me, it was a tremendous privilege to meet and learn from the people guiding Washington University. At the same time, I learned first-hand the many strengths and experiences of my cohorts in Public Affairs—such talent and professional experience from which to begin. As of May 2009, we began to put our skills together and created our first projects.

Small Sample of DCM Projects

• Washington University: http://wustl.edu
• Newsroom: http://news.wustl.edu
• Freshman Reading Program: http://frp.wustl.edu
• McDonnell International Scholars Academy: http://mcdonnell.wustl.edu
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wustl
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/wustl
• Danforth University Center : http://duc.wustl.edu/
• Emergency Information: http://emergency.wustl.edu
• First Year Center: http://firstyear.wustl.edu
• Diversity: http://diversity.wustl.edu
• Facts: http://facts.wustl.edu

More to come

We’re really heating up and starting many new, custom projects. I will post them as they develop. Expect more in 2010. And, I promise to post more often. One post in 2009? guess that says it all regarding how focused I have been.

Herbert S. Hadley, Seventh Chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, during address at the laying of the cornerstone for Newton R. Wilson Memorial Hall, May 19, 1924.

Sidebar: if you need to know anything (anything) about Illinois Highway 55, just ask. I’ve seen some interesting sights.

My immediate family is spread out across the midwest and east coast. We are a very tech savvy group—each using Twitter for many years, Flickr fans, and iPhone handlers. We use web services to keep in touch, share information, and update each other on our travels. This has gotten more and more mobile in the past few years. Thank you, iPhone.

My family is wired.

For the past year (or so) we’ve started using Brightkite to keep each other informed of our locations. We move around a lot. A lot. I will not explain how Brightkite works, go see for yourself. Lately, on my weekend trips back to South Bend, I checked-in with Brightkite on my iPhone during the drive. It keeps people posted on my whereabouts, progress, and arrival times. It lets others know when I can speak on the phone. That is, when I am on the long stretches of beautiful, Illinois prairie. No joke—it’s beautiful country.

Sidebar #2: If you ever stop for gas or food in Lexington, Illinois, be nice to the gas station clerk. He’s friendly. And, be sure to wave to the state trooper who parks there all the time. Those guys work hard.

Brightkite has been invaluable to me and my family. I feel like we are keeping in touch—little by little—via this amazing service. And, it makes the world seem smaller and accessible. I know that may sound cliche, but it is true. And, I am learning so much about my travel patterns.

This all made sense to me recently when I looked at the “map view” of my travels during the past five months. It is amazing to see all of the check-ins from the road between STL and SBN. Each of these orange markers represents a time when I sent a message to my family/friends from Brightkite. Each time, telling them where I was and how I was progressing during the trip in real time.

To me, it is so much easier (and safer) while driving to “slide to unlock” my iPhone, hit the Brightkite app, let it find me, and then check-in to update my family than it is to try and do the same with Twitter or any Twitter apps. This is not a value judgment, just a fact. And, I love Twitter.

I do not usually gush like this, but I want to officially state my impressions of Brightkite. I wish them much success and thank them personally for making the world smaller and closer for me and my family.