In 2013, Dr. Perry Drake, the Department Chair and Associate Teaching Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the University of Missouri - St. Louis established the Council to keep the curriculum, student experiences, and research initiatives aligned with the latest industry trends, technologies, and employer needs.
What is the Advisory Council?
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Provide guidance and thought leadership on matters related to educational quality, curriculum, business needs, academia-industry collaboration, etc.
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Provide counsel on strategy and issues affecting the future of the Marketing and Entrepreneurship Department
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Strengthen bonds among the department, alumni, friends, and industry
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Give advice to students regarding career selection and career development activities
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Support scholarship opportunities for marketing students
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Support the Marketing Club (student organization) and their initiatives
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Support all industry conference and summits through participation and sponsorship
Who Serves?
The Council is composed of accomplished professionals and industry leaders with backgrounds in the field of digital marketing, branding, advertising, entrepreneurship, sales, and customer relationship management. Major companies represented on the Council include: Equifax, Mastercard, Purina and Walmart as well as many privately owned companies and agencies.
How do Council Members Contribute to the Marketing and Entrepreneurship Department?
The Council meets 4 times per academic year and provides support and consultant for the following initiatives as needed by UMSL:
Curriculum relevance: Ensure courses reflect current marketing practices — from AI and data analytics to martech, branding, and digital strategy.
Industry insight: Provide faculty and students with first-hand perspectives from professionals working in agencies, corporations, startups, and nonprofit sectors.
Networking & partnerships: Create meaningful connections between the university and the regional business community — often leading to internships, guest lectures, live projects, and recruitment opportunities.
Strategic guidance: Offer input on departmental goals, program positioning, and long-term strategy to strengthen the university’s reputation and market alignment.
Student success & mentoring: Advise on skill development, portfolio building, and job readiness — sometimes mentoring students directly or helping place them in internships.
Event and conference support: Partner on UMSL sponsored conferences, exclusive events and speaker panels.
Advocacy & fundraising: Help promote the program in the community and sometimes support scholarships, sponsorships, or strategic initiatives.
Board Member Benefits
Exclusive access to the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (MDMC): Council members receive priority consideration for speaking opportunities and complimentary admission to one of the region’s premier marketing and technology events.
Insight exchange and visibility: Most council meetings are hosted at member organizations, giving each host 30 minutes to showcase their current projects, share insights, and highlight emerging trends within the local marketing community.
Professional networking and collaboration: Members build strong relationships with peers, faculty, and students, fostering new partnerships and cross-industry connections across the St. Louis region.
Influence on education and talent development: Council members play a direct role in shaping the marketing curriculum, mentoring students, and ensuring UMSL graduates are prepared for today’s fast-evolving industry.
How do I join?
The Council is composed of alumni and non-alumni of the University of Missouri–St. Louis. In fact, less than 25% of our board are UMSL alumni. The primary requirement is that you are a leader in the field of marketing/communications and are passionate about education.
Contact:
Perry Drake, drakep@umsl.edu or (314) 516-6490
Lisa Grimm, grimmlisa2@gmail.com or (314) 732-9663
How do Board Members Demonstrate Thought Leadership?
Our board members and faculty are thought leaders within the St. Louis region, nationally, and internationally. We are proud of our members, faculty and the various organizations they represent.
Marketing Board Leadership
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Shu Schiller Dean, College of Business |
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Perry Drake Department Chair Associate Teaching Professor & Executive Director of the Marketing and Sales Leadership Institute LinkedIn Profile |
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Lisa Grimm
Advisory Board Chair Martech Solutions and Enterprise Program Expert
LinkedIn Profile |
Marketing Board Business Executives
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Steve Bauer Stragetic Communications Consultant LinkedIn Profile |
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John Bracamontes President, Acumen Studio LinkedIn Profile |
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Sylvester Chisom
CEO & Founder, Global CTE Learning Adjunct Professor, UMSL College of Business Administration LinkedIn Profile |
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Mindy Choo
Makan Consulting, Founder & Digital Marketing Strategist
Executive Director, Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (MDMC)
Adjunct Professor, UMSL College of Business Administration
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Sam Craig
Assistant Brand Manager, Nestle Purina
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Katherine Fiamingo
Senior Director, Brand Marketing, Nestle Purina
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Pamela Franklin Recruiter, Spectrum LinkedIn Profile |
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Janeice Giesler Executive Director, Marketing Operations and Technology, Reinsurance Group of America LinkedIn Profile |
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Patricia Lee Galli Senior Director, Global External Communications at Copeland LinkedIn Profile |
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Keisha Mabry Haymore
Managing Director, Per Scholas Adjunct Professor, UMSL College of Business Administration |
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Kathryn Hobbs
Category Manager, Walmart |
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Kate Humphrey Global Content Director, Enterprise Holdings LinkedIn Profile |
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Matt Kamp Vice President of Partnerships, DealMachine for Real Estate LinkedIn Profile |
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Tyler Kelley Co-Founder & Chief Strategist, SLAM! Agency LinkedIn Profile |
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Ben Kniffen Co-Founder & Chief Visionary Officer, LinkedSelling LinkedIn Profile |
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Brett Lohmeyer Senior Director, Digital Marketing Analytics, Equifax LinkedIn Profile |
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Justin Lopinot Director of Employee Communications and Community Impact, Spire LinkedIn Profile |
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Brianna Smith Miller Director of Digital Marketing Director and Demand Generation, Protenus Adjunct Professor, UMSL College of Business Administration LinkedIn Profile |
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Wes Morgan Principal & Founder and St. Louis Chapter of the American Marketing Association, Morgan Studio East LinkedIn Profile |
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April Mullen Director and Brand Content, Greenlight Guru LinkedIn Profile |
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Thomas O'Connell Production Director, Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (MDMC) LinkedIn Profile |
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Jackie "JP" Phillips Founder, Unheard Media, TV, and Radio, LinkedIn Profile |
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Jeffrey Promnitz
CEO, Zeffert & Associates, Inc. |
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Vernon Ross Principal Digital Media Strategist, Vernon Ross Consulting, LinkedIn Profile |
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Mona Sabau Marketing and Communications Manager, Pulitzer Arts Foundation LinkedIn Profile |
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Mark Sanders Account Director - Strategic Partnerships, Decide.co LinkedIn Profile |
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Will Saulsberry Field Marketing Manager, Spectrum Reach LinkedIn Profile |
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Nick Sylvia Director, Global Social Media, Mastercard LinkedIn Profile |
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Amy Warren Partner, Director and Paid Search, Wavemarker LinkedIn Profile |
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Dustin York
Associate Professor and Consultant Maryville University
LinkedIn Profile |
Marketing Board Faculty
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Gerald Gao Professor of Marketing LinkedIn Profile |
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Min Ju Associate Professor of Marketing UMSL Profile |
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Ho Kim Associate Professor of Marketing LinkedIn Profile |
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Scott Morris Assistant Teaching Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center LinkedIn Profile |
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Frank Fu Associate Professor of Marketing LinkedIn Profile |
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Tessa Garcia-Collart Assistant Professor of Marketing LinkedIn Profile |
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Daniel Grossman Assistant Professor of Marketing UMSL Profile |
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Lei (Jeremy) Xu
Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, UMSL College of Business Administration
LinkedIn Profile |
Development Team
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Jim Schallom Senior Director of Development, College of Business Administration LinkedIn Profile |
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Jill Hunt Senior Associate Director of Development, College of Business Administration |
Marketing Board Staff
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Eboni Valentine Marketing & Communications Coordinator, College of Business Administration LinkedIn Profile |
