To help deal with the quickly changing world of marketing and communication, the University of Missouri – St. Louis realized the need for an advisory board made up of thought leaders in this field. In 2013, faculty member Dr. Perry Drake established the board to set the direction for programming and research.
What is the Advisory Board?
- Provide guidance and thought leadership on matters related to educational quality, curriculum, business needs, academia-industry collaboration, etc.
- Provide counsel on strategy and issues affecting the future of the Marketing and Entrepreneurship Department
- Strengthen bonds among the department, alumni, friends, and industry
- Give advice to students regarding career selection and career development activities
- Support scholarship opportunities for marketing students
- Support the Marketing Club (student organization) and their initiatives
- Support all industry conference and summits through participation and sponsorship
Who Serves?
The Board is composed of accomplished professionals and industry leaders with backgrounds in the field of marketing, social media communications, branding, advertising, entrepreneurship, sales, and customer relationship management. Companies represented on the board include: Purina, FleishmanHillard, Caleres, Bayer, Maritz, and more.
How do They Contribute to the Marketing and Entrepreneurship Department?
Board members serve on a committee of their choice. Committees include the following:
Student Mentoring and Engagement Committee – Assist and help direct the annual speed networking event, semi-annual internship fair, and the mentoring program. Various committee members may assist in one or all of these activities depending on availability.
Curriculum Committee – Help direct the future courses and content within the marketing and Entrepreneurship department at the graduate level, undergraduate level, and non-credit/continuing education programs. This committee will also assist faculty in obtaining guest speakers as needed.
Industry Conference and Event Committee – This committee will assist in the creation of specialized, marketing-related panel sessions, summits, and conferences, including MDMC. It is imperative that UMSL Marketing has a presence externally as a thought leader through such programming.
Board Engagement and Advising Committee – This committee will help steer the direction of the board and its mission, including creation of the statement of understanding for all board members, onboarding new members, and supporting development needs on occasion.
Scholarship and Fundraising Committee – This committee will help advise and oversee any crowdfunding opportunities, fundraising initiatives, and alumni engagement efforts available within the UMSL marketing alumni network and friends of the university.
Industry Research Committee – This committee will help plan and direct unique industry research aimed as showcasing UMSL Marketing as a thought leader. Funding for research will be provided by MDMC proceeds, individual contributions, and corporate outreach.
How do I join?
Our board is comprised 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. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Katy Robertson, our development director for more information. She may be reached at Katy.Robertson@umsl.edu or (314) 516-5447.
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
 |
Shu Schiller Dean, College of Business |
 |
Perry Drake Department Chair Associate Teaching Professor & Executive Director of the Marketing and Sales Leadership Institute LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Lisa Grimm
Advisory Board Chair |
Marketing Board Business Executives
 |
Steve Bauer FleishmanHillard, Senior Vice President & Partner LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Marc Bowers St. Louis Makes, Executive Director LinkedIn Profile |
 |
John Bracamontes President, Acumen Studio LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Mindy Choo
Makan Consulting, Founder & Digital Marketing Strategist
Executive Director, Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (MDMC)
Adjunct Professor, UMSL College of Business Administration
|
 |
Sam Craig
Assistant Brand Manager, Nestle Purina
|
 |
Pamela Franklin Recruiter, Spectrum LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Janeice Giesler Founder and CEO, Martech LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Patricia Lee Galli Senior Director, Digital Communications, Centene LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Keisha Mabry Haymore Founder, Heydays Creative & Collaborative Workspace Adjunct Professor, UMSL College of Business Administration |
 |
Kathryn Hobbs
Category Manager, Walmart |
 |
Kate Humphrey Global Content Director, Enterprise Holdings LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Matt Kamp Vice President of Partnerships, DealMachine for Real Estate LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Tyler Kelley Co-Founder & Chief Strategist, SLAM! Agency LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Ben Kniffen Co-Founder & Chief Visionary Officer, LinkedSelling LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Brett Lohmeyer Senior Director, Digital Marketing Analytics, Equifax LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Justin Lopinot Director of Employee Communications and Community Impact, Spire LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Brianna Smith Miller Director of Digital Marketing Director and Demand Generation, Protenus Adjunct Professor, UMSL College of Business Administration LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Wes Morgan Principal & Founder and St. Louis Chapter of the American Marketing Association, Morgan Studio East LinkedIn Profile |
 |
April Mullen Director of Brand and Content Marketing, SparkPost LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Thomas O'Connell Production Director, Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (MDMC) LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Jackie "JP" Phillips Founder, Unheard Media, TV, and Radio, LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Jeffrey Promnitz
CEO, Zeffert & Associates, Inc. |
 |
Vernon Ross Principal Digital Media Strategist, Vernon Ross Consulting, LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Mona Sabau Manager of Marketing & Communications at Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Mark Sanders Account Director, Strategic Partnerships LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Will Saulsberry Field Marketing Manager, Spectrum Reach LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Nick Sylvia Director, Global Social Media, Mastercard LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Amy Warren Partner, Director and Paid Search, Wavemarker LinkedIn Profile |
Marketing Board Faculty
 |
Sylvester Chisom
CEO & Founder, Global CTE Learning Adjunct Professor, UMSL College of Business Administration LinkedIn Profile |
 |
|
 |
Gerald Gao Professor of Marketing LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Min Ju Associate Professor of Marketing UMSL Profile |
 |
Ho Kim Associate Professor of Marketing LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Scott Morris Assistant Teaching Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Frank Fu Associate Professor of Marketing LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Tessa Garcia-Collart Assistant Professor of Marketing LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Daniel Grossman Assistant Professor of Marketing UMSL Profile |
 |
Lei (Jeremy) Xu
Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, UMSL College of Business Administration
LinkedIn Profile |
Development Team
 |
Jim Schallom Senior Director of Development, College of Business Administration LinkedIn Profile |
 |
Jill Hunt Senior Associate Director of Development, College of Business Administration |
Marketing Board Staff
 |
Eboni Valentine Marketing & Communications Coordinator, College of Business Administration LinkedIn Profile |
