Winter 2019 Conference Speakers
Alan McKay, Ph.D.
KEYNOTE: THE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Alan McKay, Ph.D., is the founding dean of Shenandoah University’s Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy (BJDSOP), where he served for 21 years until his retirement in 2016. While with BJDSOP, he worked with a talented group to create an innovative school of pharmacy that emphasized an integrated teaching model, online, web-based instruction and the extensive use of information technology and has been in the vanguard in pharmacogenomics instruction. The school continues to define the cutting edge in pharmacy and healthcare, preparing graduates for the changes that are now sweeping the healthcare marketplace.
Widely viewed by his colleagues as a visionary gifted with the ability to consider and weigh new endeavors with a clear view of their difficulties, he accepted challenge of becoming the Director of the Shenandoah University Design Innovation Center in August 2016. In this role, he was charged by the president and board of trustees with conceptualizing new educational initiatives and creating business plans in intermodal transportation, unmanned automated systems, virtual reality, integrated health care delivery model utilizing remote patient monitoring and a university-based retirement community. In August 2018 his expertise allowed him to step into a new role, as the Executive Dean of the Harry F. Byrd School of Business with responsibilities for strategic planning and partnerships.
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, McKay is a former Navy Corpsman. He earned a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy from Mercer University in 1975 and earned a master’s degree and doctorate in health care administration from the University of Mississippi in 1979 and 1980, respectively. He has served on the faculty of Mercer University, the University of Maryland, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He and his wife, Terry, reside in Winchester, Virginia and are the proud parents of four remarkable children and eight exceptional grandchildren.
Mark Owczarski
AMAZON IS COMING! AMAZON IS COMING! THE STORY OF VIRGINIA TECH AND GEORGE MASON
Mark Owczarski is currently assistant vice president for university relations at Virginia Tech. In this role, he provides overall support for the senior associate vice president of university relations, specifically in the areas of university spokesperson, college and unit-based communications, and crisis communications.
During his 15 years at Virginia Tech, he has led university efforts to move communications products to digital platforms. Virginia Tech News (vtnews.vt.edu) is the university’s daily news services that leverages the web, email, social media, and multimedia platforms. In addition, his work in media relations has strengthened the university’s reputation as a leading research university. Widespread national and international media coverage of Virginia Tech’s work in high-speed computing, robotics, drones and autonomous vehicles, and clean drinking water and the Flint water crisis has contributed to this, as well as the recent announcement of the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia.
Prior to coming to Virginia Tech in 2003, Owczarski served as director of communications programs at Syracuse University from 1998 to 2003 and oversaw the university’s national media relations program and several specific strategic communications projects. From 1994 to 1998, he was director of college relations at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., and held media relations and publications positions at the State University of New York at Stony Brook from 1989 to 1994.
A native New Englander, Owczarski received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Syracuse University. Owczarski and his wife, Dawn, have two children.
Michael Sandler
AMAZON IS COMING! AMAZON IS COMING! THE STORY OF VIRGINIA TECH AND GEORGE MASON
Michael Sandler is the Director of Strategic Communications for George Mason University. He oversees external and internal communication for the university and leads a team that handles news, media relations, internal communications and crisis communications. Prior to joining Mason in 2014, Sandler spent nearly two decades as a reporter and editor in Washington, D.C. and Florida, covering government, politics and policy. He most recently served as the deputy economy editor in the Associated Press’s Washington bureau. He’s also been a reporter or editor at Congressional Quarterly, The Hill, the Tampa Bay Times (formerly St. Petersburg Times) and The Washington Post.
Autumn A. Arnett
MEDIA PANEL
Autumn A. Arnett is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and editor, whose work centers around issues of equity and access in education. She presently serves as senior editor for education at U.S. News & World Report, and is the author of Let’s Stop Calling It an Achievement Gap: How public education in the United States maintains disparate experiences for students of color,which will be released by Information Age Publishing in Winter 2018.
A former editor of Education Dive, HBCU Digest and Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, Autumn’s work has also appeared in The Atlantic and Complex Magazine. She has moderated and participated in numerous panels around issues of access, opportunities and outcomes for African-American students.
In 2014, Autumn founded Out of Bounds Magazine, a publication dedicated to exploring the political, social and economic issues in amateur, collegiate and professional athletics. In her free time, Autumn also serves as a copy editor for the Journal of African American Males in Education and a contributor to the National Association of Black Journalists’ NABJ Journal. She volunteers extensively with K-12 students and serves as a mentor to several college-aged students. Autumn is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University.
Jamal Watson
MEDIA PANEL
Jamal Watson is the executive editor of Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. A former senior staff writer, Watson has written for the publication since 2005. A native of Philadelphia, Watson earned his bachelor’s degree in English and theology from Georgetown University, a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and master’s and doctoral degrees in Afro-American Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His writings have appeared in numerous publications including The Baltimore Sun and USA Today. He is the author of the forthcoming biography on the Reverend Al Sharpton.
Tim Weatherhead
MEDIA PANEL
Tim Weatherhead is associate editor of economic and financial op-eds for The Hill. Previously, he served as a reporter on financial regulation for The Hill Extra and as an economic data journalist for Market News International. He holds a master’s degree in applied economics from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University.
Phillip Gravely
OUR BEST AMBASSADORS: REINVENTING FACULTY/STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
Phillip Gravely is assistant vice president for communications and digital engagement at the University of Richmond. He leads the development and execution of the university’s integrated content strategy and audience-engagement efforts across print and digital platforms.
Phillip is an adjunct instructor in the university’s School of Professional & Continuing Studies, teaching classes on content, marketing, web, and digital strategy. He also is a frequent presenter at industry conferences and has conducted on-site training sessions for higher ed institutions, non-profits, corporations, and government agencies.
A Richmond Spider himself, Phillip’s hobbies include music, cooking, fishing, coaching soccer, and generally making sure his two teenage children understand the meaning of “tuition remission.”
Cheryl Spain
OUR BEST AMBASSADORS: REINVENTING FACULTY/STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
Cheryl Spain is a communications professional with more than 20 years of experience across a range of corporate and nonprofit organizations. As internal communications editor at the University of Richmond, she manages the editorial strategy and production of Spider Insider, the University’s faculty and staff magazine; maintains day-to-day content oversight of the faculty/staff and student webpages; and provides strategic communications consultation to campus partners.
Prior to her career at the University of Richmond, Cheryl held communications positions at Capital One, Circuit City, and S&K Menswear.
Cheryl serves on the board of the Virginia Professional Communicators.
Melissa Farmer Richards
STRATEGIC ON A SHOESTRING
Melissa Farmer Richards serves as vice president for communications and enrollment management at Sweet Briar College. Previously, she served as vice president for communications and acting executive officer for admissions and financial aid at St. Lawrence University, and assistant vice president for marketing and publications at Virginia Tech. She has 25 years of global experience in communications, public relations, integrated marketing strategy, brand management, special events, and strategic alliances.
Melissa earned a Master of Public Administration at Virginia Tech and a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Virginia. She was one of the founding members of TEDxVirginiaTech and served as faculty advisor for TEDxStLawrenceU. She is one of the founding board members of the Blacksburg Children’s Museum. She currently sits on the board of directors for the Girl Scouts Virginia Skyline Council.
Shelly Heinrich
THE CROWN: CONTENT IS KING AND RULES ALL MARKETING LANDS
Shelly Heinrich is the Interim Associate Dean and Director of Marketing for the Full-time and Evening MBA programs at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, developing the strategy to build awareness, recruit, yield, and retain the incoming classes. She develops the integrated marketing strategy for the team and manages the internal marketing team and external marketing firm in its execution. Heinrich brings experience in the higher education, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. Her expertise include marketing, analytics, brand management, recruitment, and business development. Heinrich received an M.Ed. from the University of Texas at Austin and a BBA from Texas Christian University. She is now an Executive MBA candidate in the McDonough School of Business.
Julie Zito
THE CROWN: CONTENT IS KING AND RULES ALL MARKETING LANDS
Julie Zito joined American University in 2014 as the Assistant Vice President for Marketing. Her responsibilities include institutional advertising and branding, enrollment advertising, AU’s web and social media presence and university video. With more than two decades of experience as a strategic and creative marketing professional, Julie is fortunate to work with an award-winning team. Prior to joining AU, Julie was the Creative Marketing Director at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at UMD. Before transitioning to higher education, Julie spent more than 15 years in entertainment marketing, where she led the development of consumer campaigns for Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and the Science Channel. She is a graduate of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.
Chris Mechanic
ANALYTICS AND GOOGLE TAG MANAGER
Chris Mechanic is co-founder / CEO at WebMechanix, a leading performance marketing firm which he co-founded in a basement in 2009… And proceeded to bootstrap into the one of the largest & most revered pure-play digital firms in the mid-atlantic.
He’s an expert in the fields of SEO/SEM, search marketing, analytics, copywriting, UX, conversion rate optimization, email marketing, marketing automation, growth / funnel “hacking”, CRM & attribution.
His firm WebMechanix has won many awards, been a mainstay on the Inc. list & he was personally named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist recently.
Chris has recruited, trained and/or hired over 150 budding marketers & he’s very passionate about growing & nurturing digital marketing talent, particularly in the Baltimore / DC / NOVa area.
He graduated w/ honors from the Smith School of Business at UMD College Park & currently live with my very beautiful & loving girlfriend in downtown Columbia, MD.
Chris Blose
BUILD BUZZ WITH A MAGAZINE MARKETING MAKEOVER
With more than 18 years of experience in journalism and content marketing, Chris Blose is all about the story. Whether crafting a single story or a brand’s or organization’s strategic narrative, he works to tell the most complete, compelling story to the largest, yet most precise, audience possible.
He and his teams have created award-winning content and programs for leading associations, major medical centers, top universities and Fortune 500 companies. When not working on content strategy, he makes music and climbs mountains.