Category: PUBLIC-RELATIONS

         ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT & PUBLIC RELATIONS         Executive Profile     I've worked in higher education administration for 7 years, predominately in advancement and public relations at both the university and community college level. In addition, I've taught or authored over 20 unique college courses primarily in the business discipline  Currently, I have the privilege of serving Mississippi Delta Community College as the Associate Vice President for College Advancement and Public Relations. In this role, I serve as the Chief Advancement & Chief Communications Officer reporting to the College President. A member of the college's senior administrative team since 2010, I also serve on the President's Cabinet.   As the Executive Director of the MDCC Alumni & Foundation, Inc., I have overall responsibility for advancement at the college including alumni affairs, annual giving, major gifts, records, planned giving, donor relations, and events. I also have responsibility for public relations including college marketing, communications and news.        Professional Experience      Company Name    City  ,   State    Associate Vice President for College Advancement & Public Relations    07/2009   to   Current      Responsible for college wide public relations, marketing, and advertising  Executive Director of the MDCC Alumni & Foundation, Inc.         Company Name    City  ,   State    Director of Development   07/2007   to   07/2009      Major gifts fundraiser and responsible for the multi-million dollar comprehensive campaign; Coordinate fundraising efforts among Academic Deans, University Vice Presidents, Board Members, and Prospective Donors  Significantly increased overall fundraising success while cultivating the largest gift in the university's history ($3.1M)         Company Name    City  ,   State    Adjunct Instructor   08/2006   to   05/2007      Courses taught: Principles of Management (Undergraduate Level; 220 students per class); International Business (Graduate Level Team Teacher)         Company Name    City  ,   State    Instructor, Assistant Basketball Coach, Webmaster   08/2004   to   05/2006      Courses taught – Economics; Personal Finance; Advanced Computer; Web Design; Business Law for College Credit   Other duties: Assistant Coach (Basketball); Webmaster and creator of school website; Student Council Advisor; School Newspaper Advisor (Certified MPSA Teacher)         Education      MBA  :  Management and Marketing   2005     Delta State University  ,   City  ,   State  ,   United States     3.89 GPA          BBA  :  Management and Marketing   2004     Delta State University  ,   City  ,   State  ,   United States     Graduated with honors: Summa Cum Laude;   Received  The First Diploma  having the highest grade point average of the undergraduate class   3.98 GPA Overall; 4.00 GPA Major           Doctor of Education Degree  :  Higher Education Administration    Delta State University  ,   City  ,   State  ,   United States     Coursework and comprehensive exams completed: December 2012         Core Accomplishments      Mississippi Delta Community College Alumni & Foundation, Inc.  Increased annual contributions by 500% since becoming Executive Director  Total annual giving averaged $72,000 for the five year period prior to my employment. In the 2013 fiscal year, annual contributions exceeded $350,000.  As of June 2014, total pledges receivable anticipated through 2024 exceeded $420,000. Prior to 2010, pledges receivable had not exceeded $100,000  Instituted the following new programs through private donations: The Staff Appreciation Fund, The Robert W. Steinriede Faculty Development Fund, The Emergency Student Support Fund, The School Support Fund and the Athletic Improvement Fund  Increased the alumni directory from 1,500 known constituents to over 15,000  Delta State University Alumni & Foundation, Inc.   Cultivated and secured the largest single gift in the history of Delta State University with a $3.1 million bequest matriculating in 2014  Secured funding for two professorships each totaling $250,000   Initiated and coordinated the first 2 phases of the University's $40 million campaign  Developed and implemented The Corporate Scholarship Program resulting in an immediate enrollment increase of 20 students the first year         Skills      Personal  Effective written and verbal communication skills  Effective managerial and administrative skills  Ability to adapt and respond to various situations  Ability to maintain high level of confidentiality  Ability to work with diverse staff, faculty, students, and donors  Institutional Advancement   Experience in working with a non-profit Board of Directors and volunteers  Working knowledge of budget development, fiscal administration, and foundation fiduciary responsibilities including accounting, contracts, budgeting and cost control principles including Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and automated financial reporting systems  Knowledge of federal and state financial regulations  Ability to analyze financial data and prepare financial reports, statements and projections  Working knowledge and skill involved in the bookkeeping processes associated with receiving, acknowledging, and recording contributions  Working knowledge of development practices including annual campaigns, major gifts campaigns, endowments, investment  policies, scholarship programs, donor recognition, and community relations  Ability to maintain relationships with significant and influential individuals  Ability to solicit gifts  Public Relations  Proven ability to lead and manage a comprehensive strategic communications, media relations, and marketing program to advance an organization's mission and goals  Experience in planning, writing, editing, and production of newsletters, press releases, annual reports, marketing literature, and other print publications and directories  Experience in planning, promoting, and facilitating events  Experience in creating and maintaining institutional websites and social media platforms  Experience in developing and disseminating information in relation to a crisis or emergency event   Technology Literacy  Banner (Ellucian, Inc.) database including the advancement module for prospect management  The Raiser's Edge Fundraising Software (Blackbaud)  QuickBooks for Nonprofits  FindWealth 8 (Wealthengine)  Adobe Creative Cloud programs and applications including Photoshop, Illustrator, Muse and Premire Pro  All standard Microsoft Office Programs (including word, excel, access and others)  Styleguard editing software  Joomla! 3 for web development          Certifications     Local Project Agency (LPA) Project Development Management Training – MS Dept. of Transportation (2013)   Graduate of the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy (2012)   FEMA Certified in ICS-100, Introduction to the Incident Command System (2009)   FEMA Certified in ICS-200, ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incident (2009)   FEMA Certified in IS-00700.a, National Incident Management System (2009)   FEMA Certified IS-00800.b, National Response Framework (2009)  Completed specialized training in planned giving through the Council for Advancement & Support of Education (2007)        Community Service     Curriculum Committee Adviser, Delta State University College of Education (2012-Present)  Volunteer Firefighter, Bolivar County Volunteer Fire Department (2001-Present); County Fire Chief 2010; Assistant Chief & Training Officer 2008-2010; Captain 2007-2008; Firefighter 2001-2007   Board Member, Cleveland/Bolivar County Crime Stoppers (2007-Present)  Board Member, Delta Center for Community and Economic Development (2007-2010)       Affiliations      Delta Human Resource Management Association     Council for Advancement & Support of Education  (District III); Roles: Mentor, Annual Conference Volunteer & Session Moderator     Association of Fundraising Professionals  (Mississippi Chapter)  College Public Relations Association of Mississippi; Role: Elected in May 2014 to a three-year board appointment as association vice-chair (2014-2015), chair (2015-2016), past-chair & adviser (2016-2017)       Publications     Abraham, D.R., Gibson, M.C., Novicevic, M.M., & Robinson; R.K. (2009).  Becoming an outstanding management historian in the USA: Biographical research of Wren's and Bedeian's pathways.   Journal of Management History , 15(1), 9-19.   Novicevic, M., Williams, L., Abraham, D., Gibson, M., Smothers, J., Crawford, A. (2011). Principles of outstanding leadership: Dale Carnegie's folk epistemology.  The Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship , 16(3).