UCDA Design Summit

Liz Gross, Ph.D. is a data-driven researcher and scholar who specializes in creating entrepreneurial social media strategies in higher education. Her professional super power is to embolden colleges and universities and help them launch modern market research strategies using social listening. Teaching is Liz’s passion and she brings that to colleges and universities as the founding director of Campus Sonar, a specialized social listening agency that matches high-value social media intelligence and engagement opportunities to organizational strategic initiatives.
 
Liz is also an award-winning speaker, author and strategist who was recently named a 2018 Mover and Shaker by Social Shake-Up Show. She has delivered top-rated talks at SXSW, SXSW EDU, the American Marketing Association Symposium, the Carnegie Conference and others.
 
Liz has more than 15 years’ experience spanning the private and public sector including Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and University of Wisconsin-Waukesha. She received a Ph.D. in Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service in Higher Education at Cardinal Stritch University, a master’s degree in educational policy and leadership from Marquette University, and a bachelor’s degree in interpersonal communication from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Holly Morris serves as the Director of School Incubation for the Washington State Charter Schools Association, leading K-12 school founders through the rigorous, creative process of designing schools for the future.

In Holly’s prior role as the Director of Postsecondary Model Development and Adoption for EDUCAUSE, her work focused on innovation in higher education, including the development of programs to build skills in user-centered design. To this work, she brings ten years of experience in leadership development coaching with both individual leaders and networks of education professionals.

Prior to joining EDUCAUSE, Holly worked in the Center for Leadership and Professional Development at the University of Washington School of Law. She holds a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, a M.Ed. (policy) from the University of Washington, and a B.A. (political science) from Northwestern University.

Shel Perkins is a graphic designer, management consultant, and educator with more than 20 years of experience in managing the operations of leading design firms in the US and the UK.

Shel, president of Shel Perkins & Associates, provides management consulting services to a range of creative firms in both traditional and new media. He has written the Professional Practice column for STEP magazine, the Design Business newsletter for AIGA, and the Design Firm Management column for Graphics.com. The revised and expanded third edition of his best-selling book, Talent is Not Enough: Business Secrets for Designers, is available from New Riders. Shel teaches graduate-level courses in professional practices at the California College of Arts and Crafts and the University of California, and he has served on the national boards of AIGA and the Association of Professional Design Firms. 

Todd Sanders is the director of digital communications and social media at the University of Florida where he plays on the internet to discover new ways to make old things sound less boring to young people.

Todd has worked in higher ed since 2002 in various roles providing campus-wide strategic leadership and coordination of social and digital initiatives. He’s a huge fan of the Green Bay Packers, Nueske’s applewood-smoked bacon and his awesome family. In 2011 he won a Mercedes-Benz on Twitter.

As a Mailpiece Design Analyst (MDA) at the United States Postal Service, Jermaine Person consults with and assists mailers across the country. Jermaine helps mailers understand the standards and requirements in the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), addressing their mailpiece design concerns, and evaluates mail pieces for compatibility with USPS mail processing equipment.

Jermaine began his postal career in 2006 as a Sales Services and Distribution Associate and in 2008 he detailed as a Business Service Network representative. He was promoted to Mailpiece Design Analyst in 2010.

Emanuel “Manny” Murphy is the Senior Marketing Executive for the Gulf Atlantic District, at the United States Postal Service. Manny works with large clients within the Gulf Atlantic District to conceptualize, promote, and reinforce the use and effectiveness of mailing campaigns. Integrating direct mail with other marketing channels, to create an Omni-Channel presence. He uses a common sense approach to help his customers achieve maximum returns on their investments. Manny has an extensive background in B2B sales. Working in the Jacksonville area for 6 years has blossomed many relationships within his community. He is looking forward to growing his portfolio, and helping as many people along the way as he can.

Fernando Benitez is an accomplished 22 year veteran of the United States Postal Service. Currently, Fernando serves as the Gulf Atlantic District sales lead for mailing and shipping solutions. His role is to work with businesses and industries to integrate direct mail advertising into their overall marketing strategy. Fernando is based in Jacksonville, Florida. His leadership experience in various departments within the organization, make him a valuable resource to assist customers.