Nicolle Dale
Golden,CO
Summary
Higher education leader with extensive experience developing and leading career services, employer and industry partnerships, experiential learning, alumni engagement, and student success initiatives. Proven success building programs and partnerships from the ground up, strengthening employer networks and talent pipelines, and collaborating across academic and administrative teams to connect education with evolving industry needs. Known for building strong relationships, leading complex initiatives, and using data and industry insight to improve programs, expand opportunities, and drive measurable outcomes.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Career + Alumni Services
Rocky Mountain College Of Art & Design
Lakewood, Colorado
08.2015 - Current
- Lead strategy, operations, and team performance for Career + Alumni Services, overseeing employer and industry engagement, experiential learning, career development, alumni engagement, and outcomes initiatives serving 2,000+ students and 4,000+ alumni.
- Built and manage a network of 1,500+ employer and industry partners, developing relationships that expand internship and employment pipelines, mentorship opportunities, industry engagement, and other career-connected opportunities across 11 academic programs.
- Conduct approximately 70 strategic employer meetings annually to understand hiring needs, talent priorities, and opportunities for collaboration, converting approximately 30% into internships, employment opportunities, or other partnerships while maintaining 70% year-over-year partner retention.
- Lead institution-wide internship and experiential learning operations across 11 degree programs, overseeing 200+ internship approvals annually and partnering with academic leadership, employers, and internal teams to align student experiences with program requirements and industry expectations.
- Presented employer and internship findings to academic leadership, helping drive the integration of career development programming into curriculum across 11 degree programs and strengthening alignment between academic preparation and industry expectations.
- Developed a course-based industry partnership model that connects employers with academic courses on real-world projects, providing organizations with student-developed project outcomes while giving students industry-informed experience and portfolio-ready work.
- Lead career outcomes, engagement, and performance reporting, using employer feedback, student participation, program data, and industry insight to evaluate effectiveness, identify opportunities, and inform strategic decision-making; contributed to an 84% career outcome rate and approximately 10% year-over-year improvement.
- Develop and lead 30+ career programs, workshops, employer engagements, and events annually, increasing participation by 25% through targeted programming and outreach while coordinating stakeholders, communications, schedules, and execution.
- Lead and coach staff while managing departmental operations, budgets, technology, projects, and competing priorities; collaborate across academic and administrative teams to advance institutional goals and strengthen the student and alumni experience.
Outreach Representative
Rocky Mountain College Of Art & Design
Lakewood, CO
08.2012 - 08.2015
- Managed a Colorado territory encompassing 300+ high schools and community colleges, building relationships with education leaders and community partners and developing outreach and partnership strategies that strengthened institutional engagement across the state.
- Cultivated relationships across 300+ high schools and community colleges throughout Colorado, independently managing regional priorities, partner communications, travel, presentations, and ongoing institutional engagement.
- Used CRM data, market insights, partner feedback, and performance trends to identify opportunities, prioritize regional outreach, and develop strategies aligned with institutional goals.
- Represented the institution through conferences, community events, college fairs, presentations, and partner meetings, building relationships with education stakeholders and adapting engagement strategies to the priorities of diverse institutions and communities.
- Identified an opportunity to strengthen Colorado community college pathways and developed RMCAD’s first General Studies Articulation Agreement initiative, establishing partnerships with 13 community colleges and expanding cross-institutional pathways for prospective transfer students.
Outreach Representative
Full Sail University
Winter Park , FL
06.2009 - 08.2012
- Managed a statewide Colorado territory engaging high schools, community colleges, educators, administrators, students, and community partners, independently developing outreach strategies and managing relationships across 300+ institutions.
- Built and maintained relationships with education leaders and community partners across Colorado, identifying opportunities to strengthen engagement and expand institutional reach within established and emerging markets.
- Delivered high-volume presentations and facilitated conversations with students, educators, administrators, and families, translating complex program and career information into relevant, audience-specific guidance.
- Represented the institution at career events, college fairs, classroom presentations, conferences, and partner meetings, serving as a primary regional representative and strengthening relationships across diverse Colorado communities.
- Gathered insights through partner conversations, field observations, CRM data, and performance trends to identify regional needs and opportunities, prioritize engagement strategies, and communicate actionable recommendations to leadership.
- Independently managed a high-volume territory encompassing partner relationships, travel, events, communications, scheduling, and performance goals while consistently meeting or exceeding organizational expectations.
Field Account Manager /JPMorgan Chase Retail
StratMar Retail Services
Port Chester, New York
10.2006 - 09.2009
- Managed a seven-state territory supporting 200+ retail locations for JPMorgan Chase co-branded programs, building relationships across client, district, and store leadership while driving regional strategy and execution. Achieved 105% of application goals and 108% of credit sales targets, ranked #2 regionally, maintained 95% client satisfaction, and earned a Pinnacle Award nomination.
- Managed strategic relationships across a complex, multi-state territory, partnering with district managers, store leadership, client stakeholders, and field teams to identify needs, address performance challenges, and align regional execution with organizational priorities.
- Supported the regional launch and expansion of the TJX Rewards program, coordinating implementation across multiple markets, including new store openings, stakeholder communications, associate education, promotional initiatives, and field execution.
- Selected as a Regional Trainer, coaching retail leaders, client teams, and field representatives across multiple markets on customer engagement, consultative selling, program strategy, and consistent execution.
- Partnered with client and regional leadership through executive store visits, conferences, field meetings, and performance reviews, gathering market intelligence and frontline feedback and translating insights into actionable recommendations to strengthen program performance.
- Used Salesforce CRM, performance data, and pre- and post-initiative analysis to identify regional trends, prioritize resources and field activity, evaluate results, and adjust strategies based on performance and market needs.
- Led field execution of national acquisition and engagement initiatives, adapting implementation to individual markets while maintaining financial-services compliance, client expectations, and brand standards across the territory.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Apparel and Merchandising
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO05-2001
Skills
Higher Education & Workforce: Higher Education Leadership, Career Services Strategy, Workforce Development, Experiential & Work-Based Learning, Career Pathways, and Student & Alumni Success
Employer & Industry Partnerships: Employer Engagement, Industry Partnerships, Strategic Relationship Development, Talent & Hiring Pipelines, Partnership Development, and Employer Outreach & Prospecting
Programs & Partnerships: Program Development, Program Management, Cross-Institutional Partnerships, Stakeholder Engagement, and Academic & Industry Collaboration
Leadership & Engagement: Team Leadership, Stakeholder Management, Executive Communication, Presentations & Facilitation, and Relationship Management
Strategy & Outcomes: Strategic Planning, Career Outcomes, KPI Tracking & Performance Reporting, Data-Informed Decision Making, Employer & Industry Insights, and Continuous Improvement
Technology: CRM & Employer Engagement Systems, Salesforce CRM, Symplicity CSM, Anthology CRM, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft 365
Career Highlights
- Employer & Industry Partnership Leadership: Built and manage a network of 1,500+ employer and industry partners, cultivating relationships that expand internship and employment pipelines, strengthen industry engagement, and create new opportunities for students and academic programs.
- Experiential Learning & Career Pathways: Lead institution-wide internship and career-connected learning initiatives across 11 degree programs, overseeing 200+ internship approvals annually and partnering with academic leaders and employers to connect student experiences with industry expectations and career pathways.
- Data-Informed Higher Education Leadership: Lead strategic programs and cross-functional initiatives using employer feedback, career outcomes, engagement data, and industry insight to identify opportunities, improve programs, and inform institutional decision-making, contributing to an 84% career outcome rate and approximately 10% year-over-year improvement.
- Cross-Institutional Partnership Development: Developed partnerships with 13 Colorado community colleges through a new articulation initiative, building relationships across institutions to expand transfer pathways and advance shared student-success goals. Brings additional experience engaging 300+ high schools and community colleges across Colorado and managing complex, multi-market partnerships in the private sector.
- Program & Organizational Development: Built a comprehensive Career + Alumni Services function from the ground up, establishing programs, processes, technology, employer engagement strategies, experiential learning infrastructure, and outcomes reporting to support students and alumni across the institution.
Accomplishments
- 2008 Pinnacle Award Nominee- JP Morgan Chase
2021 RMCAD All-Star Team Collaboration Award
2023 RMCAD Arty Award Beyond the Classroom Recipient
Association Memberships and Advisory Boards
- National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) — Member, 10+ Years
Mountain Pacific Association of Colleges and Employers (MPACE) — Member; Mountain East Region Committee; MPACE @ NACE Subcommittee
40 West Arts District, Lakewood, CO — Advisory Board Member, 2017–2023
RMCAD Career + Alumni Services Advisory Committee — Director
RMCAD Visiting Artist, Scholar + Designer Program — Advisory Committee Member
RMCAD Diversity, Equity + Inclusion Committee — Committee Member
Bollman Technical Education Center, Thornton, CO — CTE Advisory Board Member, 2009–2015
Warren Technical Education Center, Lakewood, CO — CTE Advisory Board Member, 2009–2015
Thomas Jefferson High School, Denver, CO — CTE Advisory Board Member, 2009–2015
SkillsUSA — Advertising Design Technical Committee Member, 2012–2015
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Colorado Affiliate — Member, 2012–2017
Timeline
Director of Career + Alumni Services
Rocky Mountain College Of Art & Design
08.2015 - Current
Outreach Representative
Rocky Mountain College Of Art & Design
08.2012 - 08.2015
Outreach Representative
Full Sail University
06.2009 - 08.2012
Field Account Manager /JPMorgan Chase Retail
StratMar Retail Services
10.2006 - 09.2009
Bachelor of Science - Apparel and Merchandising
Colorado State University