Mark G. Danes
Alfred,NY
Summary
Strategic leader with expertise in marketing and communications, skilled in strategic planning, team building, data-driven decision-making and generating performance metrics. Experienced in fostering inclusive excellence and enhancing community partnerships. Notable for transforming challenges into growth opportunities, and improving operational efficiency.
Overview
2025
2025
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Vice President for Marketing and Communications
Alfred University
Alfred, NY
11.2022 - 12.2024
- Served on President’s Cabinet of six members.
- Served on the Executive Council (shared governance).
- Built marketing and communications team from 4 to 16 within eight months.
- Created and managed $4.5 million budget.
- Supported government relations engagements and the acquisition of grant awards.
- Served on Saxon Hill Working Group of five managing construction of $30 million sports complex.
- Served on University deferred maintenance task team.
- Developed plan to capture student, faculty and alumni video testimonials to feed the Admissions communications platform (Slate) and to use in communications with all constituents.
- In partnership with the President and Vice President for Advancement, designed and launched $200 million capital campaign, “Realizing Our Promise.”
- Integrated student recruitment and marketing teams to boost applications and enrollment yield.
- Led the website redesign project (2,800+ pages); led the RFP process to select an agency partner.
- Wrote president and leadership speeches, public communications and event messaging.
- Led all media relations activities; served as institutional spokesperson.
- Directed crisis communications planning and responses.
- Crafted student and faculty spotlight stories for Admissions, Advancement and Marketing.
- Directed institutional digital advertising and social media strategies promoting the institutional brand.
- Provided media training for University leaders including members of the Board of Trustees.
- Continuing to serve as officer of the town of Alfred’s economic development task force.
Public Affairs Officer and University Historian
Des Moines University
Des Moines, IA
07.2022 - 10.2022
- Managed annual public relations calendar and public engagements nationwide for the leadership team.
- Led all media relations activities; served as institutional spokesperson.
- Crafted student and faculty spotlight stories for Admissions and Marketing.
- Served as lead author for the DMU history book, 2014-2024.
- Provided media training for University leaders including Board of Trustees.
- Served as adjunct faculty member in Doctor of Physical Therapy program (clinic development/management).
Chief Strategic Communications Officer
Des Moines University
Des Moines, IA
10.2016 - 07.2022
- Served as chief marketing officer reporting to the President.
- Built staff from 5 to 11 professionals and provided professional development pathways.
- Integrated activities and priorities with 13 Executive Leadership Team members for consistent campus leadership.
- Led strategic planning, marketing, communications, editorial, design and digital marketing teams.
- Coordinated activities with campus constituents and aligned messages and actions with University priorities.
- Developed and oversaw budget process.
- Directed the annual strategic marketing plan to propel the institution with a strong competitive position.
- Co-chaired the Strategic Enrollment Management Planning Committee.
- Coordinated with Deans, Admissions, Development, Alumni Relations and Financial Aid to identify and add new competitive recruitment and scholarship award strategies.
- Partnered with Admissions to direct national and regional institutional advertising campaigns.
- Partnered with regional organizations to ensure messaging is consistent and aimed at building sustainable partnerships and supporting donor stewardship.
- Directed creation and adoption of institutional brand standards and identity hierarchy; created competitive brand positioning: “Creating Opportunities.”
- Hired and managed agency partners (Ruffalo Noel Levitz, Paskill, Stamats).
- Served as adjunct faculty member in Doctor of Physical Therapy program (clinic development/management).
Digital News Center Editor
University of North Dakota
07.2015 - 10.2016
- Returned to University & Public Affairs to create and lead a new international news distribution platform.
- Directed news, publications and media relations team of eight.
- Coordinated news feeds from all campus Colleges and major programs (22 sources).
- Launched a new format and news management procedures to feed UND’s website and online news channels.
- Integrated campus social media feeds, using aggregator TINT, and aligned with news feeds.
- Provided president, provost and vice presidents daily news briefings and status reports.
- Led 24/7 news and social media monitoring during several concurrent crisis issues (nickname selection, program prioritization, budget model redesign, campus violence, faculty indiscretions, etc.).
- Provided media training and message development sessions for president and campus spokespeople.
- Served as adjunct professor in the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Business & Public Administration (Communications, Marketing and Brand Management). Certified Blackboard online instructor.
Administrator for Marketing, Communications & Special Projects
University of North Dakota
11.2014 - 07.2015
- Special presidential engagement: As part of a University restructuring, led the team to redesign the administration and enrollment management of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS).
- Evaluated the SGS operating budget and instituted operational improvements that help advance UND’s Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) initiatives to recruit more high quality and diverse students.
- Assessed admissions and recruitment use of Hobsons; oversaw deployment of Radius to maximize the platform as a full student lifecycle management tool.
- Provided ongoing stakeholder communications about the redesign process, application volume performance and student satisfaction with graduate administration methods.
Associate Vice President, Marketing & Communications
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND
01.2014 - 11.2014
- Served as chief marketing officer.
- Led strategic planning, marketing, communications, editorial and Web teams comprising more than 25 professionals.
- Directed the UND TV Center (staff of 8) responsible for producing the weekly student live broadcast “Studio One,” and producing promotional and instructional high-definition videos for all campus units.
- Co-chaired the Recruitment, Marketing and Campus Communications committee of UND’s SEM initiative.
- Coordinated with Admissions, the Alumni Association & Foundation and Financial Aid to identify and add new communications tactics and deploy new scholarships.
- Supported marketing and communications for the medical and law schools.
- Co-chaired UND Design Group setting institutional identity standards and guidelines.
- Partnered with the Alumni Association & Foundation to ensure messaging was consistent and aimed at building sustainable partnerships and supporting donor stewardship.
- Unit restructured in November due to state budget cuts.
Director of Marketing
The Citadel
Charleston, SC
01.2009 - 01.2014
- Hired as inaugural Director.
- Built first professional marketing team of 11 within nine months.
- Directed all graduate and undergraduate admissions marketing programs (US and international).
- Developed and led first institutional brand and communications strategy.
- Counseled administration and Board of Visitors on brand management, legislative and accreditation communications (landmark crisis management: Skip Reville vs. The Citadel) and institutional policy communications.
- Led the restructuring of the Citadel Graduate College enrollment management process.
- Expanded undergraduate application pipeline by 28% in three years; increased applications by women and international students by 20%.
- Facilitated regional corporate outreach to forge new partnerships supporting curriculum and fundraising priorities; attracted new investments by corporate partners Google, Boeing, SCANA, General Dynamics, SPAWAR, others.
- Expanded budgets from $30,000 in 2009 to more than $600,000 annually; increased brand promotion internationally with cost-efficient online marketing strategies.
- Selected and hired agency partners, videographers and special events managers.
Director of Development & Marketing
Broadwater Academy
Exmore, VA
01.2002 - 01.2004
- Ran Capital Campaign to exceed goal of $3.2 million; acquired $600,000 gift to build the Foster Technology Center.
- Created new outreach events to engage alumni and generate new giving levels; boosted annual giving by more than 35%.
- Coached crew; taught business marketing modules.
Director of Marketing, Branding and Hospitality Training
Bay Creek Resort & Club
Cape Charles, VA
- Developed and implemented marketing strategies for resort services and events.
- Collaborated with sales teams to enhance promotional campaigns and guest engagement.
- Conducted market research to identify trends and customer preferences in hospitality.
- Oversaw budget allocation for marketing projects, ensuring efficient resource usage.
- Analyzed campaign performance data to refine future marketing efforts and strategies.
- Developed and implemented a comprehensive marketing strategy to increase brand awareness.
- Updated web pages and social media profiles with engaging and current content.
- Presented monthly results of all marketing efforts at executive team meetings.
Director of Public Relations
BCF
Virginia Beach, VA
- Led group practice of 14 for mid-Atlantic marketing firm.
- Clients included Amelia Island, Virginia Beach CVB, Hampton Roads Shipping Association, Clearpoint Financial.
Senior Vice President
Magnet Communications (Acquired by Havas)
New York
- Established corporate and financial communications practice; led media training programs.
- Clients: IBM, Kodak, Thomson Learning, Walden University, United Technologies, DuPont, Caterpillar, Solectron.
Senior Vice President
Edelman Public Relations
New York
- Expanded consulting revenues from $2.5 million to more than $7 million in three years.
- Clients included Bermuda, Monterrey (MX), VEBA, Cleveland Clinic, Republic Industries (Wayne Huizenga), Aetna, TRW.
Director of Public Affairs
New York University Medical Center
New York
- Led all institutional communications and public relations strategies, budget development and performance accountability reporting. Served as spokesperson.
- Served as liaison with state agencies and city government; led crisis communications (airline accidents, epidemiology, public health communications)
Director, Corporate Affairs
McGraw Hill Companies
New York
- Appointed by CEO, Terry McGraw, lead new change management program for $300 million division (as trained by The Forum Corporation in organizational transformation).
- Ran corporate media relations for 8 Market Focus Groups.
Senior Account Director
McDermott-Kilsby & Co.
New York
- Public relations clients included Kansallis-Osake-Pankki (former Finnish commercial bank), Cahners Publishing, Citibank, Owens-Corning.
- (closed)
Senior Media Executive
Burson
New York
- Media relations and crisis communications clients included Coca-Cola, Genentech, Merrill Lynch, U.S. Army, American Express, Johnson & Johnson, U.S. Postal Service.
Midwest Regional Sales Manager
United Media Enterprises
- Marketed news features to newspapers in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia.
- (Sold by Scripps-Howard News Service)
Education
Ed.D. Candidate - Higher Education Leadership
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND08-2027
M.S. - Project Management
The Citadel
Charleston, SCB.A. - Humanities and Theater Arts
State University of New York-Purchase College
Purchase, NYSkills
- Project management
- Budget oversight
- Crisis communication
- Strategic planning
- Media relations
- Advertising planning/buying
- Stakeholder engagement
- Cross-functional team leadership
- Client relationship building
- Performance metrics analysis
- Market research
- Training and mentoring
- Performance data analysis
- Risk management
- Recruiting and hiring
- Public speaking
Certification
- Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Certified Private Pilot
- American Marketing Association (AMA)
- National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP)
- National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE)
- Greater Des Moines Partnership (Economic Development/Chamber of Commerce)
- Eastern Shore of Virginia Tourism Commissioner
- Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
- Rotary International
SERVICE
- Alfred University
- Member, President’s Cabinet
- Member, Executive Council
- Saxon Hill Sports Complex Construction Working Group
- Capital Campaign Design Lead
- Strategic Recruitment Task Force
- Alpine Ski Team Coach
- Des Moines University
- Co-chair, Strategic Enrollment Planning Council, 2017-Present
- Member, COVID-19 Emergency Response Team
- Member, Executive Leadership Team
- Member, Strategic Enrollment Planning Steering Council
- Member, New Campus Design Committee
- University of North Dakota
- Member, Staff Senate
- Co-Chaired, Staff Development Committee (Staff Senate)
- Co-chaired, Strategic Enrollment Management Recruitment Marketing Task Force
- Member, Campus Policy Advisory Council
- Chair, UND Design Group
- Member, Communication Program Scholarship Review Committee
- Co-Chair, Recruitment, Marketing & Campus Communications Committee
- Member, Campus Program Prioritization Task Force
- Staff Senator, former Chair Public Relations and Staff Development Committees
- The Citadel
- Member, School of Education Advisory Council
- Member, School of Business Advisory Council
- Founder & Co-Chair, Storm The Citadel Trebuchet Competition (co-op with Google)
- Chair, Dare To Lead Campaign Task Force
- Member, School of Engineering Advisory Council
- Founder & Chair, Marketing Advisory Council
- Member, LEAD Plan 2018 Development and Communications Committee
- Chair, Change Task Force for The Citadel Graduate College
TEACHING
- Alfred University, College of Business: Crisis Communications, Brand Stewardship
- Des Moines University, Doctor of Physical Therapy program: Clinic development and management
- University of North Dakota, College of Business & Public Administration: Marketing 201
- University of North Dakota, School of Communications: Issues and Crisis Communications
- University of North Dakota, School of Communications: Public Relations Writing
- The Citadel, MBA: International Business Development
Timeline
Vice President for Marketing and Communications
Alfred University
11.2022 - 12.2024
Public Affairs Officer and University Historian
Des Moines University
07.2022 - 10.2022
Chief Strategic Communications Officer
Des Moines University
10.2016 - 07.2022
Digital News Center Editor
University of North Dakota
07.2015 - 10.2016
Administrator for Marketing, Communications & Special Projects
University of North Dakota
11.2014 - 07.2015
Associate Vice President, Marketing & Communications
University of North Dakota
01.2014 - 11.2014
Director of Marketing
The Citadel
01.2009 - 01.2014
Director of Development & Marketing
Broadwater Academy
01.2002 - 01.2004
Director of Marketing, Branding and Hospitality Training
Bay Creek Resort & Club
Director of Public Relations
BCF
Senior Vice President
Magnet Communications (Acquired by Havas)
Senior Vice President
Edelman Public Relations
Director of Public Affairs
New York University Medical Center
Director, Corporate Affairs
McGraw Hill Companies
Senior Account Director
McDermott-Kilsby & Co.
Senior Media Executive
Burson
Midwest Regional Sales Manager
United Media Enterprises
Ed.D. Candidate - Higher Education Leadership
University of North Dakota
M.S. - Project Management
The Citadel
B.A. - Humanities and Theater Arts
State University of New York-Purchase College