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.

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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

Michael Elliott Michael Elliott
Interim Dean & Associate Professor, College of Business
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Perry Drake Perry Drake
Department Chair
Assistant Teaching Professor & Executive Director of the Marketing and Sales Leadership Institute
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Lisa Grimm Lisa Grimm
Advisory Board Chair
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Marketing Board Business Executives

Jonathan Allen Jonathan Allen
EQ, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
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Steve Bauer Steve Bauer
FleishmanHillard, Senior Vice President & Partner
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Dan Cornwell Dan Cornwell
Caleres, Director of eCommerce & Digital Experience
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Sarah Dalton Sarah Dalton
Nolan & Associates, Marketing Director
Adjunct Professor, UMSL College of Business Administration
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Thomas Fitzgibbons Thomas Fitzgibbons
Account Manager, Amplify Goods
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Pamela Franklin Pamela Franklin
Charter Communications, Recruiter
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Kate Humphrey Kate Humphrey
Bayer, Global Corporate Web & Social Strategy Lead
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Matt Kamp Matt Kamp
Vice President of Partnerships, DealMachine for Real Estate
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Tyler Kelley Tyler Kelley
SLAM! Agency, Co-Founder & Chieft Strategist
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Justin Lopinot Justin Lopinot
Spire, Director of Corporate Communications
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Robert Mastis Robert Mastis
Digital Intersection, Principal & Founder
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Vernon Ross Vernon Ross
Vernon Ross Consulting, Principal Digital Media Strategist
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Will Saulsberry Will Saulsberry
Field Marketing Manager, Spectrum Reach
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Rick Spiekermann Rick Spiekermann
Purina, Director of Digital/Social Marketing & Partnerships
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Wes Morgan Wes Morgan
Morgan Studio East, Principal & Founder
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April Mullen April Mullen
Selligent Marketing Cloud, Director of Consumer-First Marketing Adoption
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Thomas O'Connell Thomas O'Connell
Schiller's, Technician
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Mark Sanders Mark Sanders
Drive Social Media, Business Development
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Spenser Schmitt Spenser Schmitt
SealGuard, Director of Business Development
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Brianna Smith Brianna Smith
TeraRecon, Digital Marketing Director
Adjunct Professor, UMSL College of Business Administration
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Oertli Jennifer Oertli
Organizational Change Management Consultant, Centric Consulting
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Mike Allton Mike Allton
Brand Evangelist, Agorapulse
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christina-costello.jpg Christina Costello
Marketing Director, Anheuser-Busch InBev
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fay-flemming-headshot.jpg Fay Fleming
Managing Director, Business Performance Company
Adjunct Professor, UMSL College of Business Administration
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Kathryn Hobbs Kathryn Hobbs
Content Marketing Specialist, Emerson
Adjunct Professor, UMSL College of Business Administration
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Jeffrey Promnitz Jeffrey Promnitz
CEO, Zeffert & Associates, Inc.
Adjunct Professor, UMSL Collage of Business Administration
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Marketing Board Faculty 

Joan Phillips Joan M. Phillips
Professor of Marketing
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Gerald Gao Gerald Gao
Professor of Marketing
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Min Ju Min Ju
Associate Professor of Marketing
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Ho Kim Ho Kim
Associate Professor of Marketing
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Janet Y. Murray Janet Y. Murray
E. Desmond Lee Professor for Developing Women Leaders and Entrepreneurs in International Business & Professor of Marketing
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Frank Fu Frank Fu
Associate Professor of Marketing
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Tessa Garcia-College Tessa Garcia-Collart
Assistant Professor of Marketing
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dan-lauer.jpg Dan Lauer
Founding Executive Director of UMSL Accelerate
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michael-kehoe.jpg Michael Kehoe
Director of UMSL Accelerate
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dan-grossman-2018_4..jpg Daniel Grossman
Assistant Professor of Marketing
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Development Team

Image of Jim Schallom Jim Schallom
Senior Director of Development, College of Business Administration
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