Carrie Phillips, Ed.D., APR is the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at UA Little Rock. She is part creative, part analyst, and fully curious when it comes to solving higher education’s biggest challenges. With more than 15 years of experience, she has led efforts that have driven measurable results—from reversing a 13-year enrollment decline to launching a $250 million capital campaign and increasing national visibility through faculty storytelling. Her leadership centers on building brand and departmental culture, and her teams have earned national and global recognition.

A national thought-leader and speaker, she has worked with CASE, AMA, and Digital Collegium, and PRSA in support of higher education. She earned her doctorate from Texas Tech University, studying how universities can use marketing to mitigate the enrollment cliff, and continues to explore the intersection of leadership and higher ed at andcarrieon.com 

Dr. Matthew Gann serves as associate vice chancellor and head of marketing and brand strategy at the University of Denver, where he leads brand positioning and integrated marketing. With more than 20 years spanning higher education, healthcare, and agency work, he previously served as systemwide chief marketing officer for the Tennessee Board of Regents and has consulted for organizations across the legal, healthcare, nonprofit, and retirement sectors.

A dedicated mentor and civic leader, Gann has guided more than 40 students toward college access, coached university capstone teams, and held leadership roles with Youth Villages, PRSA, the Tennessee College Public Relations Association, and Open Nashville.
He holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Trevecca Nazarene University, a B.S. from Tennessee Tech, and credentials including Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) and Tennessee Certified Economic Developer. His work has been recognized with the Otis Floyd Jr. Award for Excellence in Higher Education Administration and the Charles Holmes Award.

Alice Maxwell serves as the Florida State University Senior Director of Marketing and Communications in the Division of Student Affairs. She is skilled in leading an award-winning creative team, managing multiple mission-focused marketing projects, developing and executing integrated marketing and communications campaigns, helping constituents adapt through change management, keeping colleagues informed and inspired through internal communications and growing awareness through public relations. Prior to arriving at Florida State in 2021, Alice worked as a director in community college strategic communications, integrated marketing and change management. She has also worked in communications at private university, Drury University, where she earned a master's degree in Integrated Marketing Communications.  

Devin Purgason serves as Associate Vice President for Student Experience, Marketing and Outreach at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he leads an integrated department spanning marketing, communications, recruitment, student care, and onboarding. Named the 2024 AMA Emerging Higher Ed Marketer of the Year, he is known for connecting brand strategy to student outcomes and championing innovation in community college marketing. Purgason is an active thought leader and conference speaker, and serves on planning committees for both the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education and the CASE Annual Conference for Marketing and Branding.