As the University of Maine’s director of public affairs, John shifted the department’s orientation from that of a traditional public information and publications office to one focused on strategically integrated communications, marketing, and external relations functions to advance the university’s strategic plan.
Within four years, public opinion polls showed double-digit increases in the university’s reputation and in public support for increases in funding and university-based research. Guided by integrated advocacy, UMaine achieved increases in enrollment, greater donor giving and state support, and voter approval of multiple bond referenda for capital improvements and research funding.
John joined Maine’s state university system in 2002, where he led the development and implementation of successful student recruitment and legislative advocacy initiatives. Out-of-state applications increased by 17 and 14 percent among the first two high school cohorts targeted by the recruitment initiative, while the advocacy network recruited more than 6,000 self-enrolled members.
Joining the University of Arkansas in 2010 as its senior university relations officer, John and his team led strategic communications and marketing initiatives that contributed to increased student enrollment, donor support, and a six-place improvement in the US News national rankings over a three-year period.
As Principal of St. Joseph Catholic School in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Marcia led the school through the Arkansas Non-Public Schools Accrediting Association’s seven-year re-accreditation process. She and her leadership team used the experience they gained through that process to develop their application for the U.S. Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon Schools program. Their efforts paid off: in 2014 St. Joseph was selected as one of 50 private schools in the U.S. to be named a National Blue Ribbon School.
Marcia melded her understanding of media, marketing, and politics to form, in 1994, ELECTORAL COLLEGE Sportswear & Accessories, a small business that produces and sells, under the trademarked brand name ELECTORAL COLLEGE, a line of affinity-wear that mimicked the products and designs of real colleges. Her tagline: “America’s Original Party School!” In 2000 Marcia appeared with Katie Couric on NBC’s “Today” show for a feature story on her business. Since then Marcia has been interviewed by scores of print and broadcast reporters for stories about her concept and business, which continues to market online.
Through proactive media outreach and exceptional relationships with national reporters, Clinton has placed research and clinical care stories in every major U.S. news outlet. At Vanderbilt, Clinton built the national news operation, attracted reporters from the New York Times, CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC and other outlets to campus. Over a four year period, Vanderbilt’s national earned-media placements grew from an average of 200 per year to more than 800 annually. In 2004 he created and led Vanderbilt’s first medical journalism fellowship, introducing national reporters to the university’s experts in autism, creating a lasting reputation for the university as a leader—and media resource—in autism research.
At UNC he created social media accounts that quickly grew to become the top 20 among all U.S. hospitals and led the strategy for social media outreach to news media. He partnered with the development team to highlight the UNC burn center during several high-profile industrial accidents. The concentrated and targeted media efforts led to increased donations and greater visibility for the center.
At UAB, Clinton reorganized media efforts, shifting the focus from reactive media relations to proactive media outreach, maximizing social media to target specific audiences. He revamped the social media strategy and Twitter followers grew from 1,200 to more than 11,000 with an exponential increase in engagement.
For the UAB School of Medicine, Clinton led web design strategy for more than 100 websites, including total reconstruction of strategic sites that integrated video and written content aimed at engaging donors, patients and prospective faculty and students.
At Providence College, Joe has led the college’s brand development initiatives, managing the purposeful integration of established brand strategy, including creative expressions, into college communications. His PC team has won numerous brand communications and design awards from CASE and other organizations for outstanding strategy development and identity development for messaging related to student recruitment, private fundraising, and alumni engagement. Effective, consistent communications have been central to the college’s momentum in these key areas, including a record number of admission applications and measurable advancement-related success.
At UMaine, Joe played a key role in the evolution of the university’s communications paradigm from a focus on news communications to a coordinated strategic messaging effort involving emerging and traditional communications channels. These efforts helped foster meaningful public and private support for that land-grant university, ensuring its ability to serve constituents statewide.