Winter 2023 Conference Speakers
Keynote: Matt Weber
Matt Weber is the Chief Creative Officer and Senior Advisor to the president at the University of Virginia, specializing in digital communications and strategy, and has a dual appointment as Lecturer at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. Prior to joining the University of Virginia, Weber spent a decade at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) where he was the Director of Digital Communications Strategy and had a faculty appointment as Preceptor in Education. As a member of the faculty, Weber created and led the “VOICE Program” at HGSE, a yearlong series of workshops, events, and skill building seminars designed to help students explore, develop, and solidify the communications skills critical for professional success in the context of education today. His teaching and research interests are in public narrative, digital storytelling, and online presence/culture for individuals and organizations, having advised numerous new college presidents and university leaders on creative strategies for digital engagement. Weber has published two books with Loyola Press, hosted a national cable TV show, called “The Lens,” and received an Emmy in 2018 for Best Editorialist/Commentator in the Boston/New England chapter. He is a national speaker on digital strategy in education and the intersection of faith and culture, having had his writing featured in The New York Times, SXSWedu, Salesforce World Tour, and CBS News. Weber has an Ed.M. in Technology, Innovation, and Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, in addition to an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from Boston College’s Lynch School of Education. He has a B.A. from Providence College’s liberal arts honors program, having majored in American Studies with a concentration in film. He currently lives in Charlottesville, VA, with his wife and two non-digital children.
Logan Bogert
Logan Bogert has worked as the Communications Coordinator for Bridgewater College since May 2021 where she aides in the College’s public and media relations. Bogert holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University, where in her senior year she was awarded the T. Edward Temple and Polly D. Temple Writing Award by VCU faculty as “the most promising writer in print journalism.” After graduating, Bogert worked in print journalism producing thousands of bylines in outlets across Virginia and beyond including The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and U.S. News & World Report. She is a current board member of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Virginia Professional chapter.
Ginny Cramer
Ginny Cramer is the associate director of communications at James Madison University. Working with stakeholders across the university, her focus is on generating positive media coverage for JMU and highlighting the expertise within. Cramer has deep experience in non-profit and advocacy communications. Prior to her time at JMU she oversaw media relations efforts for various conservation campaigns of the Sierra Club. She earned her B.A. from Randolph-Macon College.
Amy Crockett
Amy Crockett is a content producer in University Marketing and Branding at James Madison University and editor of Madison magazine. She previously served as a communications specialist for JMU’s Center for International Stabilization and Recovery and has participated in various Alternative Spring Breaks as a learning partner. A 2010 JMU graduate, she majored in media arts and design with a minor in anthropology. Crockett was also a copy editor at The Breeze, JMU’s student newspaper. She loves to travel and is passionate about social and environmental justice.
Danielle Desjardin
Danielle joined William & Mary to support university-wide internal communications and to specialize in executive communications. Much of Danielle’s focus is on both the internal and external communication needs for the offices of the provost, chief operating officer and the vice president for Student Affairs. Previously, Danielle ran operations and programming at a small politics and policy magazine in Washington, D.C, and before that co-founded a local print magazine in Western Massachusetts. She received her B.A. in politics from Mount Holyoke College.
Emily Dixon
Emily Dixon has been working at Georgetown's McDonough School of Business since 2019, first on the Master's in Management Admissions team and now on the Marketing and Communications team where she serves as the Associate Director for Digital Marketing and Analytics. Her focus is on optimizing website performance to help achieve the school's ultimate goal of recruiting top talent students and being a repository for engaging thought leadership content. She is also currently pursuing her MBA at Georgetown with a concentration in Consumer Analytics and Insight.
Marcus Gore
Marcus Gore is a designer at American University’s communications and marketing division. With 10+ years of experience in comics/graphic novels, local government, corporate hospitality, nonprofit organizations, and higher education, he has acquired an assortment of skills in print and digital design. Gore has worked on both local and international campaigns in a variety of languages, with a primary focus on accessibility. He has a BFA in communication design from Pratt Institute and is finishing an MS in marketing from the Kogod School of Business. He’s a volunteer and member of the DC chapter of the American Advertising Federation and an active member of AIGA, the professional association for design.
Eric Gorton
Eric Gorton has worked in media relations at JMU since 2005, primarily connecting news reporters to faculty experts in the STEM and health areas of the university. He has worked with reporters from the New York Times, The Washington Post, several national magazines, TV stations and radio stations to arrange interviews with JMU faculty. Eric began his PR career in 2000, when he went to work with the Virginia Department of Transportation. Following his graduation from JMU in December 1986, Eric worked as a reporter and editor at the Daily News-Record for 12 years.
Nicole Hansen
Nicole Hansen is an Emmy award-winning former TV anchor and reporter who currently serves as digital content specialist in University Communications at the University of Richmond. She writes and produces multimedia stories for the school’s weekly email publication, UR Now, and supports media relations efforts for the university. She has a master’s degree in strategic marketing and communication from Fordham University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Elon University.
Jim Heffernan
Jim Heffernan is an award-winning writer, editor and designer with more than two decades of experience in journalism, communications, marketing and public relations. He currently serves as Associate Director of Content Marketing at James Madison University and Executive Editor of Madison magazine. After graduating from JMU in 1996 with a degree in mass communications, Jim worked as a reporter and editor for various newspapers and magazines before returning to his alma mater in the fall of 2011 to join the Public Affairs team. The Roanoke, Virginia, native also earned a master’s degree in public administration from JMU with a concentration in nonprofit management. Jim enjoys baseball, jazz, biographies, good food and strong coffee.
Madaleine Laird
Madaleine Laird is an editor/writer in American University’s communications and marketing division. In addition to her role as editor of AU’s in-house editorial style guide, she copy edits American magazine and interviews faculty and alumni authors about their reading habits and recent publications for the Biblio File columns that appear in each issue. A US Air Force veteran who served on active duty as an Arabic cryptologic linguist during the Persian Gulf War, Laird holds a BA in creative writing from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a certificate in editing from the University of Chicago. She is a member of ACES, the American Copy Editors Society.
Jessica Luck
Jessica Luck is Bridgewater College’s Editor and Director of Media Relations. In her role, she oversees publications such as the alumni magazine and works in public and media relations. Prior to joining Bridgewater College in 2018, she held positions as editor at C-VILLE Weekly in Charlottesville, Va., and deputy executive editor at the Observer Media Group in Sarasota, Fla.
She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She has won awards for editing and reporting from the Florida Press Association, Virginia Press Association, Local Media Association and Editor & Publisher magazine.
Cassidy Mechalske
Cassidy Mechalske (she/her) graduated from James Madison University with a Master of Education in College Student Personnel Administration. She has been working at JMU for a little over three years in areas including residence life, student accountability and restorative practices, and crisis response/suicide prevention. She is currently the Assistant Director of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE) and has loved working towards improving campus inclusion and creating a better sense of belonging for all students, faculty, and staff at JMU.
Abbie Parkhurst
Abbie Parkhurst is Bridgewater College's Vice President for Marketing and Communications. Parkhurst graduated summa cum laude with an English degree from Washington and Jefferson College and received a master of science in broadcast journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Following graduate school, Parkhurst worked as a television reporter in Central New York.
Prior to joining Bridgewater College in 2011, Parkhurst held positions in marketing, communications and public relations at Syracuse University and St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, New York.
Parkhurst oversees crisis and issues management communications, public and media relations, marketing, digital media, branding and design for the College. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Rochelle Reed
Rochelle Reed is a former Disney cast member turned non-profit marketer turned higher ed communications and social media professional. Since 2021 she's been JMU's social media manager or "boss lady," as she's known to the JMU TikTok community. As a certified community manager, Rochelle also oversees the JMU community's private and public communities. Before returning to her alma mater, Rochelle worked at Lehigh University, serving on the digital marketing and admissions team.
Trey Secrist
Trey Secrist serves as assistant director of multimedia strategy at James Madison University. His role focuses on developing content strategies that achieve the goals of his University Communications team, including advancing the university’s priorities and building digital communities. This includes marketing, social media, videography, photography, web, emergency communications as well as public and media relations. He graduated from JMU in 2015 with a Media Arts and Design degree and has served in several creative roles at his alma mater since.”
Cortney Will
Cortney Will is associate director of leadership communications & strategy at William & Mary and leads the university’s new internal communications council. In 2020, Cortney was the primary lead for the university’s COVID-19 pandemic communications, serving on the COVID-19 Response Team as well as being assigned to the Public Health Advisory Team. Other roles at William & Mary have included executive and special projects communication manager, where she coordinated communications for the 50th anniversary of African American students in residence at W&M and the 100th anniversary of co-education at W&M, and writer for W&M News.