Winter 2024 Conference Speakers
Jeremy Martin
Vice President for Strategy & Innovation
William & Mary
Jeremy P. Martin Ph.D. '12, M.B.A. '17 was named vice president for strategy & innovation at William & Mary in December 2022. In this role, he oversees W&M's undergraduate admission, marketing and communications offices while driving the university's enterprise development strategy and management. Martin first came to W&M in 2008 as a doctoral student and has since held a number of roles including chief of staff, interim athletics director and co-chair of the university’s strategic planning process. His aspirational descriptor is “forthright,” and his outlook on writing is taken from the from the 1992 film A River Runs Through It: “Again, half as long.”
Kevin Andrews
Electronic IT Accessibility Coordinator, Georgetown University
As a certified Web Accessibility Specialist, Kevin is deeply committed to going beyond mere compliance. With a strong background in WCAG, Section 508, and various aspects of accessibility, he is incredibly driven and motivated. Believing wholeheartedly in the transformative impact of accessibility, Kevin employs a dynamic and collaborative approach to ensure that websites and mobile applications not only meet but genuinely embody inclusivity. His expertise spans accessibility auditing, cross-functional team collaboration, and effective communication. Leading Georgetown University's IT accessibility program, Kevin successfully implements policies, navigating federal compliance intricacies. He oversees all accessibility testing for 500+ websites and around 60 systems and applications in use or under consideration and manages accessibility in IT procurements.
Cynthia Price
Associate Vice President of Communications and Media Relations, University of Richmond
Storytelling, raising profiles, and strategic thinking are hallmarks of Cynthia Price’s career. An expert in media relations and strategic communications, she has helped universities, international non-profits, law enforcement agencies, and other organizations tell their stories and garner favorable press.
Cynthia is associate vice president of communications and media relations for the University of Richmond, where she leads internal and external communications within University Communications. The teams advance the academic reach and reputation of the institution and share major university news through earned media efforts, integrated employee communications, and a weekly digital newsletter to all institutional audiences.
Cynthia is passionate about serving others and giving back. She currently serves as vice president of the College Communicators Association of Virginia and D.C., chair of the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences Advisory Board at Radford University, and presidential advisor for the National Federation of Press Women.
Phillip Gravely
Associate Vice President for Marketing and Digital Engagement, University of Richmond
Phillip Gravely is associate vice president for marketing and digital engagement at the University of Richmond. He leads the university’s marketing, advertising, and web/digital strategy, as well as the editorial team that produces the University of Richmond Magazine and Richmond Law magazine.
A writer and storyteller at heart, Phillip partners with colleagues campuswide in the development and execution of the university’s integrated content strategy and audience-engagement efforts across platforms. He is a frequent presenter at industry conferences and has conducted on-site training and consulting for higher ed institutions, non-profits, corporations, and government agencies.
A Richmond Spider himself, Phillip’s hobbies include music, cooking, fishing, building stuff, and dad jokes. He co-runs two annual charity music festivals, one benefiting military families and the other supporting some family friends in the fight against a rare childhood bone marrow disease. He and his wife, Amy, have two college-age kids — one JMU Duke and one Elon Phoenix.
Emily Phillips
Assistant Director, Social Media Strategy, William & Mary
Emily oversees the flagship social media channels for William & Mary and provides guidance to the university's network of social media managers. Prior to her six years in higher education, she worked in PR and Social Media for a national theme park company and has discovered that the two worlds are more alike than you might think.
Emma Candelier
Director of Communications,
University of Virginia, School of Data Science
Emma Candelier is Director of Communication at the University of Virginia’s School of Data Science, previously serving as Assistant Dean of Graduate Marketing & Recruiting at UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce. She leads a team responsible for establishing brand recognition for a new school while amplifying its mission of responsible data science for the common good. Emma is a classically trained cellist and previously worked in public relations for the Philadelphia and Minnesota orchestras.
Kirsten Samuels
Marketing Manager,
University of Virginia, School of Data Science
Kirsten Samuels is Marketing Manager at the University of Virginia’s School of Data Science and oversees digital marketing strategy and content creation to support enrollment management and program development. She works closely with Wiley and the admissions team to streamline expectations and the applicant's journey from lead to student. Relatively new to higher education, Kirsten has 20+ years of experience in retail and e-commerce as a brand strategist and content creator. She earned her B.A. in History from the University of Virginia and has enjoyed returning to the UVA community.
Degi Betcher
Assistant Director of Admissions,
University of Virginia, School of Data Science
Degi Betcher is Assistant Director of Admissions at the University of Virginia’s School of Data Science. She leads the MS in Data Science Online Program Admissions as a part of a small admissions team, she is involved in many aspects of the admissions process and strategies to build diverse classes of future data scientists. Prior to joining the School of Data Science, she worked as an International Student Advisor at Old Dominion University, assisting international students, scholars and faculty. Degi received her MA in International Studies and MPA from Old Dominion University.
Chris Kormis
President, Kormis Strategic Consulting, LLC
Chris Kormis has been working in higher education for more than 30 years. As president of Kormis Strategic Consulting, LLC, Chris now works with university presidents and deans to assess their marketing and communications efforts as well as to provide strategic and tactical guidance to raise the visibility of their institutions as well as to navigate through times of change, including mergers and acquisitions, and issues. She also serves as a fractional CMCO. Chris formerly served as Associate Dean, Chief Marketing Officer, and Senior Advisor to the Dean at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business and as the Assistant Vice President for University Relations at The George Washington University. She earned a B.A. from Duquesne University and an M.A. from George Mason University.
Kate Andrews
Deputy Editor, Virginia Business Magazine
Kate Andrews is deputy editor of Virginia Business magazine, a monthly print publication and news website that covers state politics, higher education and economic activity across the commonwealth. A Richmond native, Kate has written for The New York Times, Slate, Daily Beast and many other publications as a freelance writer, and previously was an editor at Richmond magazine and a reporter at The Daily Progress in Charlottesville. She volunteers as a music DJ at community nonprofit radio station WRIR 97.3 FM and has served on its governing board since 2020.
Amy Ostroth
Assistant Vice President for Communications
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)
Amy Ostroth is the assistant vice president for communications at the Virginia campus of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM). During her two-decade career in educational communications, she has managed all aspects of institutional communications, including marketing, social media, media relations, videography, photography, website, emergency communications and more. Prior to VCOM, she served as senior director of communications at Sweet Briar College in Virginia and director of development communications at Cushing Academy in Massachusetts. She also spent more than a decade at Virginia Tech in a variety of communications roles. A Blacksburg native, Amy earned her M.A. in English at Virginia Tech and a B.A. in English from the University of Mary Washington.
Sarah Lunsford
Graphic Designer
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)
Sarah Lunsford, a native of Danville, Virginia, graduated from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in May 2022 with a B.F.A in graphic design. Shortly after, she joined Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) - Virginia Campus as the communications and graphic designer. In her role at VCOM-Virginia, she works as the primary photographer, social media manager and graphic designer. Prior to VCOM, she worked as a designer for the Liberty University Online Academy and provided freelance design work for companies such as VCU's Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) and Functional Movement Systems, a fitness program based in Chatham, Virginia.
Denise Watson
Education Editor, The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press
Denise Watson is the entertainment and education editor for The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press and is responsible for a team that handles arts, culture, food and education for the state’s largest media outlet. As an award-winning writer, she spent more than 30 years telling the stories of the famous and infamous, writing series based on local history and international espionage, and reporting from dwindling factory towns and beloved rural diners. She’s a master gardener intern, book hoarder, mentor, and, as an editor and writing coach, loves helping others tell compelling stories. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the National Association of Black Journalists Leadership Academy and the Public Relations Society of America.
Susan Gill
Director of Project Management in Communications and Marketing, Virginia Tech
Susan Gill serves Virginia Tech Advancement as the Director of Project Management in Communications and Marketing. Susan previously was the web project manager and analytics coordinator in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and with Virginia Cooperative Extension. She started her career as a daily newspaper page designer and as a direct-mail marketing graphic designer. She and her family live in Blacksburg, where she spends time trying to finish long-suffering knitting projects.
Lisa Rowan
Education Reporter, Cardinal News
Lisa Rowan covers education for Cardinal News, a nonprofit, nonpartisan website covering Southwest and Southside Virginia. Prior to joining Cardinal News, Lisa spent nearly 10 years as an editor and reporter for personal finance publications, most recently Forbes Advisor, a subsidiary of Forbes Media. She got her start in journalism in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and has also worked for outlets based in Washington, D.C., and St. Petersburg, Florida. Lisa lives in Roanoke and recently took up curling.
Susan Greenberg
Senior Editor, Inside Higher Ed
Susan H. Greenberg is a senior editor at Inside Higher Ed, where she focuses on admissions and enrollment, business and leadership, and student life. She has also worked as a college professor, teaching writing at Middlebury College in Vermont. She started her journalism career at Newsweek magazine, where she spent 20 years as a writer and editor covering foreign affairs. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Atlantic. She lives in Washington, D.C.
Micol Hutchison
Director of Transfer, Virginia Community College
Micol Hutchison, Ph.D., is Director of Transfer at VCCS, working with Virginia’s public and private two- and four-year colleges to ensure that community college students have the opportunity to identify and pursue their academic and professional passions, and follow a financially feasible path to a bachelor’s degree. Previously, Dr. Hutchison served as VCCS and VCU Director of Pathways to Arts and Humanities, and prior to that was Director of Program Development and Student Success, Associate Director of the Interdisciplinary Studies program, and faculty member at VCU. Pursuing her passions, her dedication to higher education and teaching, and an unconventional path, she has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Mathematics and Russian, and received her doctorate in Education, focusing on first-generation college students.
John Hood
Reporter/Multimedia Journalist, WTKR News 3
John Hood is a Reporter/Multimedia Journalist at WTKR News 3 in Hampton Roads. Prior to working back in his home market, he was on air with NBC12 in Richmond, Virginia. His first market was in Harrisonburg with WHSV where he won three AP awards. John is now a general assignment reporter focused on stories in Virginia Beach.
Tim Miller
Vice President for Student Affairs, James Madison University
Dr. Tim Miller has served as the vice president for Student Affairs at James Madison University since June 1, 2018. He is a Double Duke, having earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and criminal justice in 1996 and his master’s degree in college student personnel administration in 2002 from JMU. Miller’s career has included work at the University of South Carolina and George Washington University. He loves to spend time with his wife, Jamie, and their rescue, called Duke Dog, who both live full-time in Northern Virginia while Tim serves the JMU community. When not on campus, Tim enjoys working out, playing music, adding to his growing LEGO room and serving the community in several volunteer roles.
Angela Ritchie
Associate Director of Communications and Marketing, James Madison University
Angela Ritchie is the associate director of communications and marketing for Student Affairs at James Madison University. A JMU alumna, Ritchie began her career in hotel management before returning to JMU in 2001 and working for Aramark marketing. In 2017 she moved to the University Health Center as assistant director of marketing. Finally, she helped create the new student affairs communications and marketing department in 2021, where she ensures all areas of student affairs have effective marketing and communications. In her free time, Ritchie has been relearning piano. She loves to spend time with her family, and now, even her daughters are Dukes!
Justin McGregor
Vice President for Marketing, Communication, and Information Services, Hampden-Sydney College
Justin is a twenty-two-year veteran of higher education, working at the intersection of technology and communications. He is a recent transplant to Virginia, having moved here in October, and is the newly named VP for Marketing, Communication, and Information Services at Hampden-Sydney College. When not doing nerdy things with Martech or AI, he spends his time with equally nerdy hobbies such as gaming for charity, being a lousy banjo player and only slightly better pianist, and playing D&D with his wife and kids.