Tag Archives: President Shari McMahan

Hatched: Two Years at EWU

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My second anniversary blog post is dedicated to Shelley Stickelmeyer. She served as our marketing project manager for more than a decade and was instrumental to not just the success of University Relations but to EWU in general. On a personal level, she helped me so much with my onboarding and was invaluable every single day I had the pleasure of working with her. Shelley retired in December 2025.

I have a whiteboard in my office behind my desk. Often it will have a shoot schedule, marketing metrics, or birthday message written on it. However, this past week a simple sentence in red dry erase marker was scrawled across it: I love my job.

That message, along with the cheer card positioned right next to it (PROUD TO BE AN EAG), described my thoughts perfectly as my second work anniversary at Eastern Washington University drew near.

When I left the office for the weekend, I didn’t erase the message. I wanted to make sure it still stayed on the whiteboard through Saturday, Aug. 1. Even though I wouldn’t be in the office for my actual work anniversary, the sentiment needed to remain even if the door was shut and the lights turned off.

That’s just the symbolic, corny person that I am.

Quite simply, I love my job.

A Year Defined By A Proposal

When isn’t a new employee “new” anymore? I think a good rule of thumb is after that first year. After my initial 365 days as an Eag trying to prove and endear myself to the EWU community, I went big at the beginning of Year 2. Backed by my boss, I wrote a proposal to President Shari McMahan for marketing funding to accelerate our brand evolution efforts as the region’s polytechnic.

Perhaps you aren’t “new” anywhere when Swoop jumps into your arms (photo courtesy of Luke Kenneally)

I swung for the fences and President McMahan responded with the resources needed to truly market our brand. With the budget intact and a talented team ready to do the work necessary to achieve results, we bulldozed forward to put EWU on the streets, inside living rooms, and blowing up screens like never before.

From a comprehensive billboard strategy to a sustained commercial blitz to well-placed print ads to a massive digital rollout, our awareness numbers from our Spring 2026 brand perception study smashed those from Spring 2025. However, I will remember my second year at EWU for more than just the strategic and successful brand campaign we launched.

During my second year at EWU, we were everywhere…including on billboards.

Meaningful Work

Although building the institutional brand should and will always be the top priority of any university marketing department, most don’t stop there—and that is certainly the case for my EWU team. During this second year, we were busy each day serving the Eastern community. We managed numerous marketing campaigns for academic programs, partnered with our admissions team to deliver them the applications they needed, marketed the third party recognition heaped upon EWU, and provided our Alumni Office the marketing support required to reach thousands and thousands of Eagle grads.

We also showed up each day to provide the marketing services needed by our campus. From design jobs to logo approval to video packages to photo albums to web work to sponsorship requests, our weekly production meeting to go over new and current projects was never dull.

Among all the work my team completed over the past 52 weeks, I do have a few favorite projects that will always pleasantly bring me back to my second year…

The River Park Square takeover we did put us in front of downtown Spokane during one of the busiest times of the year. Ryan Gaard, our graphic design supervisor, created something that was red, bold, and 100% EASTERN.

Our marketing team worked hard to take over the south and north entrances at River Park Square. This photo shows the south side from across the street.

I don’t know how we did it with the short timeframe we had, but we pulled off a Super Bowl commercial. When the dust settled on Championship Sunday, we had an alumnus playing on each Super Bowl team (Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots). Needless to say, we had to do something special. Working on an insane deadline, our ad incorporated both players and drove home Eagle Pride!

The 2026 Super Bowl commercial that I enjoyed the most was the one we did! This is the opening screen for the spot we created in a very short period of time.

And finally, I would be remiss not to include our award-winning holiday video. I convened our first planning meeting in September not knowing how we would top our 2024 holiday video. We did.

After a pretty intense process to identify a theme for our holiday video, President Shari McMahan chose an idea pitched by Amy Bradberry called “The Future Is Bright.” It would win a gold award in the Educational Advertising Awards.

Hatched

Believe it or not, a job isn’t always about the work. Sometimes you have to explain the work. Although execution is the most important part of the job, being able to explain, analyze, and defend it is also key.

I spoke in front of a lot of different groups during my second year at EWU. This photo shows me speaking at the  FY27 EWU Alumni Board Association Meeting.

The word I have used to describe my second year at EWU is hatched. I truly feel like I had the opportunity to hatch from my Eagle egg and fly. And when I type “fly,” I mean standing up in front of the Eastern community and describing how my team’s work is making a positive impact in the state and beyond.

I presented to students from Jessica Boyer’s Intro to PR class in November 2025.

I found myself in conference rooms and attentive Zoom calls a lot this past year. Some of the presentations I delivered were to Faculty Senate, EWU Associate Vice Presidents, and the EWU Alumni Association (twice!). And even though those groups are important and prestigious, I think some of my more memorable talks from my second year were to much different audiences. Having the chance to address an EWU public relations class and then seizing the opportunity to recognize the work of my team in an all-University Advancement meeting brought me the most joy.

I enjoyed speaking to all groups this past year but the chances I had to engage directly with students made me happy.

The Team

Speaking of my team, I have reached the most important part of my second year reflection. It isn’t by accident that the word joy appeared in the sentence I wrote above about sharing the successes of my team. The seven people who comprise our marketing unit radiate joy. They are fun, caring, and intelligent.

I have a talented team at Eastern Washington University.

They are also very talented. Like, seriously talented. And throw hardworking in there, too. As mentioned, I reached for the moon with the proposal I sent the president. Her acceptance dramatically changed the potential of our marketing efforts…but I had bit off a lot. It was my team’s job to chew. And chew they did. The extensive brand work they undertook (ad development, website building, content creation, etc.) was on top of everything else we did the previous year. They approached this mammoth undertaking with positivity and a ready-to-work mindset. They crushed it.

Carrying Christmas trees was just scratching the surface of all my team did this year 😉. Digital Supervisor Ginny Baxter lends me a hand while Amy Bradberry (communications team) walks behind to pick up any ornaments that might fall off (photo courtesy of EWU/Luke Kenneally).

But we couldn’t have done it without the two other teams working alongside us in University Relations. Our communications unit and alumni unit provided us additional talent, support, and encouragement to promote Eastern Washington University the way it deserves. When we all weren’t working our tails off together in our Hargreaves Hall offices, we were bonding outside of it. This past year we labored to make apple cider, hit the lanes for a bowling competition, and celebrated the holidays with an ornament exchange.

I really enjoy my University Relations team at Eastern Washington University. This was our infamous bowling outing.

On top of our fulltime professional team, I can’t forget about our student-workers and the value they bring to University Relations. We were able to sustain funding for the three student-workers I hired my first year PLUS add two more students this past year. Throughout the Spring 2026 quarter our Hargreaves Hall main suite was bustling with students as they occupied all open workstations. The energy they brought was contagious and appreciated by all.

A handful of our EWU University Relations student-workers. In addition to the five students I hired, we also had an Alumni Relations student-worker and a graduate assistant communications write (photo courtesy of Linn Parish).

I know I am biased, but University Relations is the place to be at EWU.

Our designers deserve a lot more than free ice cream but it is a start. I enjoyed a sweet treat with Ryan Gaard and Emily Ausere during a quick break from work. Ryan and Emily worked so incredibly hard this past year.

Wins

At first, one might think that “winning” in marketing is subjective. However, we do have literal wins from this past year. They come in the form of gold and silver honors from the largest higher ed awards competition. We received recognition for everything from our holiday video to radio ads to a social media video to a newspaper advertisement series. You know, stuff that pretty much runs the gauntlet of marketing.

A few of the Educational Advertising Awards my team won this past year.

Data is also another way to notch victories. Our efforts to promote our polytechnic identity paid off when our 2026 brand perception survey numbers topped those of 2025. The academic program marketing campaigns we spearheaded also generated results in the form of leads and enrollments. In a particularly proud moment, a new academic program will be able to start this fall thanks to the targeted campaign we launched to promote it. My team’s goal to work with Admissions to increase undergraduate applications was also realized.

My team conducts a photo shoot to promote our brand new Law Enforcement Leadership & Practice degree. Luke Kenneally takes photos while senior graphic designer Emily Ausere art directs. She would later take the images Luke shot and use them to make engaging digital ads. Thanks to our assistance, the program received enough enrollees and  will launch this fall.

But honestly, the biggest win of all—at least in my book—is that I am working a job with people who care. They care about Eastern’s mission but they also care about life beyond campus. I have an incredible boss, Eric Limburg, who I still feel indebted to two years later for hiring me. I work under the leadership of Dr. Shari McMahan, by far my most favorite university president I have ever served. My fellow directors in University Relations, Kelsey Hatch-Brecek (alumni) and Linn Parish (communications), form a bond of encouragement that is rooted in support of one another. And then of course I have the seven best professionals taking our marketing team to new heights. I would say all of that is a pretty decisive win.

I work for an employer that recognizes life extends beyond campus. I appreciate the opportunity to include my family in many EWU-sponsored events. This is Sid and me at the 2026 EWU Alumni Awards.

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Please don’t take the “wins” above to mean that I am undefeated or that there is nothing to work on. Going into my third year there are plenty of challenges awaiting. We need to take our brand positioning from the awareness stage to the understanding stage. We need to promote more academic programs. We need to convert more applications into enrollments. We need to get more Eagle gear into stores, find additional ways for EWU to get involved in the community, and do a better job of telling the state that our institution offers the absolute best value in Washington.

Sloan and I carry the EWU title sponsor banner at the 2026 Jr. Lilac Parade. The encouragement from leadership to allow us make time for family and even include loved ones in Eastern activities is one of the many reasons why I love working here. (Photo credit: Amy Bradberry)

But for today that can wait.

On this second anniversary of my employment with EWU I am just going to be thankful. Thankful for a job that pays my bills, challenges me, allows me to march in parades with my daughter, encourages me to travel with my family to Seattle, instills pride whenever I wear Eagle Red, and empowers me to be the best version of myself. Forgive me for saying it, but I have truly hatched. Bring on Year 3.

Go Eags! Don’t Blink.

Rosa’s Thursday Rundown

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I hope the beginning of my latest Thursday Rundown finds you well. If you are new to Don’t Blink, each Thursday I write briefly (debatable) about five random topics. If this format sounds acceptable to you, please continue reading for your enjoyment and pleasure…

First Communion TBT – The night before Sloan’s First Communion, I went through my old photo album and showed my daughter some photos from my own First Communion. I also showed her the program from my First Communion mass. Instead of telling me I look “funky” as she seems to do every single day, she reacted to the photos by saying verbatim, “You were low-key kinda cute.”

This was me moments before we got in the car to attend my First Communion mass.

Fruity Pebbles Candy – I am always on the lookout for new and interesting treats so when I saw Fruity Pebbles Candy at Dollar Tree this past weekend, I couldn’t resist. The verdict? They tasted exactly like Fruity Pebbles (seriously)! However, the taste of nostalgia and fruitiness quickly dissipated and I was done with them after eating the contents of a quarter of the box. My kids couldn’t even eat much more than me.

This candy definitely tasted like Fruity Pebbles.

Bowling Fun – Each quarter, our University Relations team takes a break from the office to spend some quality time together doing something fun off-site. This past Friday we found ourselves at Rosa’s for pizza and bowling. Even though I have gone on record stating that I am not a huge fan of bowling, I had a great time with my colleagues. Perhaps part of it was that I actually bowled well. I don’t know how I managed it, but I posted scores in the 130s and 140s as I won all three games we played (to be fair, just three other University Relations staffers bowled with me 😂). Even though not everyone bowled, everyone had a great time. I am lucky to work with such awesome people!

I really enjoy my University Relations team at Eastern Washington University. This was some of us last week at Rosa’s Pizza in Cheney.

Bringing Hacky Back – There was a major article in the New York Times this week (along with other publications) about the comeback of hacky sack. Gen Z has become obsessed with the hobby and all of a sudden stores across the country that used to sell two hacky sacks a month are selling 30 in a day. Many of these media reports site that hacky sack was a fad and “The Thing” to do in the 1990s. I find that funny because I was a die-hard “hacky sacker” in the early 2000s when I was in middle school…no wonder why I wasn’t a cool kid 😂. But yes, I LOVED hacky sack for a certain period in my life and to this day I still maintain some of the coordination needed to play it. I even wrote about my obsession with the hobby in a blog post from three years ago. I am thrilled to see hacky sack make a comeback with a new generation.

That’s me, wearing my Gap t-shirt and jean shorts, playing some hack sack probably 25 years ago.

Carry That Banner – As part of my role as EWU’s marketing director, I oversee sponsorships. For the second year in a row, we were the title sponsor for the Jr. Lilac Parade. Because of our designation as the top sponsor, Eastern Washington University led off the parade. With President McMahan riding in the car as the grand marshal and the cheer squad/Swoop energizing the crowd, someone needed to carry the banner. I gladly stepped up to help but it was a two-person job so I enlisted some assistance 😉. What a joy it was to bring Sloan with me so she could get a small taste of what her daddy does. At the same time, she got to go behind the scenes of a parade and chat more with her new BFF…President McMahan.

Sloan and I carry the EWU title sponsor banner at the 2026 Jr. Lilac Parade. (Photo credit: Amy Bradberry)

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That will wrap things up for tonight. However, I am not done for the week. I will publish a blog post about an embarrassing moment tomorrow morning…so stay tuned. Don’t Blink.

My Pleasure Thursday Rundown

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We have reached mid-April and we finally received some of the showers that make this month famous. Thankfully Mother Nature waited until after a sunny spring break to bring the rain. Let’s jump into tonight’s Thursday Rundown…

Day Off – Speaking of spring break, I had the opportunity to take last Friday off to be with my kids. I took them to Dave & Buster’s for a couple hours and then we followed it up with lunch at the Spokane Valley Mall food court. As I have written before, I always try to take my children out to lunch on spring break.

A few images from our outing to Spokane’s Dave & Buster’s location and to the Spokane Valley Mall for lunch.

Fun Saturday – My day off on Friday was followed by another adventurous day. On Saturday I had the treat of taking Sid and the kids to ONE Stadium for a USL Soccer match as the Spokane Velocity defeated the Richmond Kickers, 3-1. It was EWU Night and my family had the opportunity to sit in one of the suites with some of my other co-workers and President Shari McMahan. For someone like Beau who is a soccer fanatic, the experience was something that he especially enjoyed.

A photo of Beau absolutely loving life at the Spokane Velocity soccer match we attended this past weekend.

Great Horror Film – I watched the best scary movie I have seen in a couple years this past week. Called “Weapons,” it tells the eerie story about 17 elementary students from the same classroom who end up going missing on the same night at 2:17 a.m. The plot of the movie is completely original, the concepts are creepy, the images are jarring, and the scares are real. The film receives an A+ from me for its creativity. If you are looking for a terrific horror movie that might even resonate with non-scary film fans (it did win Academy Awards after all), I recommend “Weapons.”

“Weapons” was a great film.

My Pleasure – On this date eight years ago, I wrote about “the problem” with the phrase no problem. I also discussed why I will say my pleasure for the rest of my life. But in short, when someone says “no problem,” it insinuates that there is/was a problem. When someone expresses their gratitude to you, it doesn’t make sense to respond by saying something that doesn’t convey any sort of warmth or sentiment. At best, “no problem” means nothing. How is it acknowledging what someone said to you?

This was my Instagram post from my Life’s Little Instructions calendar back in 2018 that influenced me to write a blog post about “no problem” and “my pleasure.”

Popes – Today would have been Pope Bendict XVI’s 99th birthday. Shortly after his death, I wrote this blog post about our former pope’s status as a master theologian on complex issues but also his simplicity at heart. When Pope Francis passed away, I wrote about his humility and exemplification of what it means to be a servant leader. When it comes to Pope Leo, I hope I don’t have to write about his legacy for a very long time 😉. But what I can say about him right now is that I feel extremely blessed to have him as my pope and I hope he continues to advocate for peace at every chance he gets.

Pope Benedict XVI was as sharp as they come (photo cred: New York Times).

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That’s all I have for tonight. Thanks for your readership and I hope you have a nice weekend. Don’t Blink.

2025 EWU Holiday Video: Teamwork

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To watch the 2025 #EWU Holiday Video, tap here.

The thing about creating something that is memorable and well-received is the pressure to replicate it. After our 2024 holiday video was released, it didn’t take long before the EWU community was asking, “How do you plan to top that?”

It was a question that packed plenty of stress. How could we surpass a highly-viewed video that was lauded for its creativity, student-involvement, and on-brand messaging?

My answer for rivaling last year’s video was simple: Let my team shine.

Thinking about how we would top the 2024 holiday video had me grabbing my head like the student in the middle (source: 2024 EWU holiday video thumbnail)

An Idea Is Born

In 2024, we had a direction. Our holiday video needed to reflect our newly-launched brand positioning (“The Region’s Polytechnic”). In 2025, the directive was more wide open. Because of this freedom, I decided to hold a pitch session.

The 2025 holiday video odyssey started in September. I summoned a small team to our meeting room. We went around the table and we each pitched two ideas. We listened as each person presented and then asked questions. The meeting went well-beyond its allotted hour but by the time we left the room, we had eight possible directions for the video.

Our 2025 EWU holiday video crew consisted of Amy Bradberry (social media manager), Luke Kenneally (multimedia specialist), Ginny Baxter (digital marketing supervisor), Swoop (mascot…but not a crew member), and me.

The Future Is Bright

Eric Limburg, our associate vice president of University Relations, took our ideas to EWU President Shari McMahan. She chose her two favorites and told our team to develop them more. Our crew returned to the meeting room and fleshed out each idea with a full script. Eric then took the built-out concepts to President McMahan for a final decision.

You can probably imagine that the four of us waited with great anticipation for President McMahan’s choice. When Eric relayed her decision to us, we were excited and ready to get to work. Our president selected a concept titled “The Future is Bright.” Originally pitched by our social media manager, Amy Bradberry, the script detailed a quest by Swoop to create an ornament using inspiration and collaboration from all four EWU academic colleges.

After a pretty intense process to identify a theme for our holiday video, President Shari McMahan chose an idea pitched by Amy Bradberry called “The Future Is Bright.”

Refinement

Reflecting on the evolution of the idea is fascinating. Over the course of different script workshops, we refined the story and made some significant changes. For example, the ornament changed to a tree topper, the opening scene changed locations from the Eagle Store to the Arevalo Student Mall, and the assembly morphed from the foundry to the robotics lab—just to name a few.

We also added enhancements that we originally didn’t specify in the script. Fun extras like a map overlay to show Swoop’s campus movements, the incorporation of CGI, and even some Easter eggs were added in the hope of keeping viewers engaged.

But even with those changes, the overall theme pitched by Amy stayed true to its original intent of Swoop uniting the colleges to create some seriously BRIGHT holiday cheer. With the script bolstered and the theme intact, it was time to throw caution to the wind and actually film this son of a nutcracker…

The filming of the holiday video would have our crew doing a lot of running around. Ginny Baxter and I carry the all-important tree with Amy Bradberry walking behind to pick up any ornaments that might fall off (photo courtesy of EWU/Luke Kenneally).

Lights! Camera! Action!

Filming took place over two days in mid-November. After checking the weather each day starting two weeks out, our fears of rain went unfounded. We had calm conditions for both days, a relief for our entire production team—including Josue Schneegans and Tony Thompson from Dryland Media. We brought on Josue and Tony midway through script development for their creative assistance with bringing our idea to life.

As a producer, you can only hope the work you put forth prior to shoot day pays off once the filming begins. Although we had a chaotic moment or two, filming for the most part went very smoothly. However, that isn’t as much to my credit as it is to EWU and the professionalism of Josue—but more on that in just a bit.

We filmed at seven different locations over the course of the two days. The first day wrapped after 8 p.m. but it was well worth it. We needed the darkness to film the final scene when Swoop revealed the illuminated tree topper to President McMahan and the 20+ students who volunteered to make cameos. In exchange for the positive vibes brought by the students, we reciprocated by serving them plenty of hot coco and cookies to maintain their high energy levels.  What a great way to end the day!

Josue Schneegans gives direction to President McMahan during the filming of the final scene that we shot on Wednesday, Nov. 12. It may have been late but this part of the shoot was a lot of fun as the students brought a lot of energy. (photo courtesy of EWU/Luke Kenneally).

The Talent

As evidenced by my description of the final scene, we had many people appear in front of the camera. However, the participation just didn’t extend to that one scene but rather the entire video. We were fortunate to have many students volunteer their time by representing their academic college in the scenes where Swoop picked up tree topper items.

President McMahan once again delivered a strong performance. She was a good sport and devoted an entire Wednesday evening to hanging out with our crew. Even with multiple takes and the chilly temperatures she was nothing but supportive and helpful. As always, she was in her complete element surrounded by the students.

But the true MVP of the video was Swoop. It is a big request to ask an intercollegiate mascot to be available for two hours—we asked Swoop to be available for TWO DAYS. That is a lot of time to be in the suit, especially for something as demanding as a video shoot. But no matter what we asked Swoop to do or how many times we asked him to do it, he always gave 100%. Swoop was professional and coachable from the beginning to the end.

I have so much gratitude and respect for the role Swoop played for us (photo courtesy of EWU/Luke Kenneally).

Post-Production/Launch

The collaboration continued after the filming ended. With each draft we inched closer and closer to where we needed to be. Nothing was more exciting than when the CGI was added that revealed the tree topper in its full glory. At that point, I simply couldn’t wait until the release date.

That day came yesterday. After more than two months of planning and collaborating, my team executed our distribution strategy and launched the 2025 EWU Holiday Video. As the positive feedback rolled in, I visited Amy, Luke, and Ginny in their offices to congratulate them and thank them for their commitment to the project.

Senior graphic designer Emily Ausere designed the YouTube thumbnail. If that isn’t clickbait I don’t know what is…

Gratitude

Speaking of thanks, any higher ed marketing director will tell you that gratitude is abundant with any successful holiday video. As I mentioned earlier, everyone at EWU was so accommodating. From faculty members providing students/classroom space to Dining Services catering meals to Facilities graciously halting their leaf blowers during outdoor scenes, my team was given every opportunity to succeed. Special thanks to the President’s Office for their support and to our Risk Management team for allowing us to do things I wasn’t sure they would.

Much appreciation also to Dryland Media. We have worked with those guys before and they always keep us sane with their talent and humor. On the first day we found ourselves in a couple tight spots and Josue, who directed the video, was so professional and quick on his feet. They did all they could to help us achieve our vision.

And last, but certainly not least, BIG thanks to our own department—University Relations. This year, I offered shifts during each scene of the video for our marketing and communications staffers to hang out on set and assist. We had nearly full participation as everyone contributed in unique ways. Special thanks to Eric Limburg for his support and guidance throughout the project and to Emily Ausere, our senior graphic designer, who is an honorary member of our crew. Emily created the YouTube/social media thumbnails, designed external pieces that promoted the video, drew the picture that Swoop references on-screen, and assisted during the actual shoot.

Ginny Baxter, Emily Ausere, and student intern Aaron Weer working behind the scenes of the 2025 EWU holiday video. It was a lot of fun to have so many of our University Relations staffers assist on the shoot days. In this photo, Emily is actually drawing the picture that Swoop holds up throughout the video (photo courtesy of EWU/Luke Kenneally).

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After all those notes of gratitude, I hope to not appall you with one more “thank you” but here it goes: Ginny Baxter, Amy Bradberry, and Luke Kenneally…what a pleasure it was! Thanks for the creativity and positivity you brought to this entire process. As I noted earlier, watching an idea come to fruition that evolved greatly but still maintained its initial integrity was the most rewarding of all.

The future truly is bright…because I don’t have to worry about another holiday video for at least 9.5 more months. Don’t Blink.

One Year An Eag

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When I reported for my first day of work at Eastern Washington University, something was waiting for me inside my office. Upon walking through the door on August 1, 2024, I immediately noticed the half case of Dr. Pepper on my desk. The soda was a “welcome” gift from my boss, Eric Limburg, who knew my preference for the soft drink from our days at WSU.

Just moments before I drove to Cheney for my first day of work at EWU, Sid took this photo of me. You better believe I am wearing the same polo today.

Throughout my first year as an Eagle, I used that Dr. Pepper as my creative fuel. If I needed to truly focus on a major priority or assignment, I would crack open a can and get to work. Whether it was the 23 flavors working magic on my brain, a jolt from the caffeine, or simply a placebo effect, that Dr. Pepper ushered me through my initial 365 days as EWU’s marketing director.

I had a warm welcome awaiting me when I strolled into my office on Aug. 1, 2024. The 12-pack of Dr. Pepper helped me make it through the first year.

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Meaningful Work

As I reflect on the past 12 months, the work my team tackled is a source of pride. From the moment I walked on campus, our brand evolution was the focus. Thanks to my rockstar squad, we were already in great position to become the region’s polytechnic. But that didn’t stop my colleagues from collaboratively allowing me to contribute (or “try” to contribute 😂) as we made the sprint to launch day on September 24.

We launched EWU’s evolved brand positioning in September 2024. I am proud of the fact that we are able to differentiate ourselves from other universities and that “the region’s polytechnic” has turned skeptics into believers.

That exhilarating moment was just the beginning. Another major endeavor—the public phase of a comprehensive fundraising campaign—was our next priority. As our brand and fundraising marketing took hold, we embraced the task of producing the EWU holiday video. By this time, our team was knee-deep assisting with enrollment, event, and program-specific marketing efforts. As these technical marketing activations reached key EWU audiences, more public-facing PR strategies were transpiring as our sponsorship committee negotiated and executed 29 different community partnerships.

A celebratory photo of our crew after holiday video filming wrapped on November 6 (L-R: Luke Kenneally, Sean Nelms, Me, Ginny Baxter).

Even though I am a digital-first guy, the magic of implementing traditional advertising wasn’t lost on me. Thanks to my talented team creating eye-catching assets, we strategically represented EWU through billboards, newspaper placements, and television spots. Our team also marketed the return of EWU’s commencement ceremonies to Cheney, totally refreshed our multimedia library, brought student-workers back to the office, and shifted the spotlight on the Eagle community with profile features.

The marketing team I oversee is talented and it has been a joy working with them. This was a photoshoot we did for a front page ad in the Spokesman-Review. Luke Kenneally, our multimedia specialist, worked his magic to get some awesome shots of EWU grad student Isabelle Tague.

In The Flesh

Making the work we accomplished even more rewarding was that we completed it in-person. This was a change from my time at WSU where I worked mostly remote. Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciated the privilege of working from home, but my first year at Eastern Washington University made me remember how awesome it is to work on a college campus and engage face-to-face with my team and students.

Working from home was great but I now work in-person. My office is located in the Hargreaves Building on the Eastern Washington University campus.

But the return to in-person wasn’t confined just to campus. I found myself representing EWU beyond Cheney. My role overseeing sponsorships allowed me to march in the Junior Lilac Parade and help prepare our booth at Hoopfest. Our partnership with USL Spokane resulted in an event we co-hosted called Students in the Stadium. On a random Tuesday in April, we welcomed Spokane high school students to ONE Stadium to learn from both USL Spokane professionals and our own EWU staff about careers in athletics.

I walked shoulder-to-shoulder (or wing-to-wing?) with Swoop for most of the Jr. Lilac Parade. Getting out in the community this first year was a lot of fun.

Other highlights included decorating downtown Cheney sidewalks in chalk art, watching an EWU football game from the Endzone Club Suites, conducting a photoshoot at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, attending the Red Tie Gala, and cheering on some accomplished Eagle grads at the EWU Alumni Awards. However, my favorite moment from my first year came during the Eagle Summit at Northern Quest when I had the honor of addressing our Alumni Board, EWU deans/vice presidents, and President McMahan about the progress achieved with our new brand positioning. Thankfully, the speech went off without a hitch and at that moment I had never felt more like an Eag.

A selfie with members of my team and a student after we completed our Turnbull National Refute shoot.

My EWU People

What more could I ask for with rewarding work and vibrant forums to accomplish it in? Well, let me tell you: an awesome team!

For EWU’s New Year party, all of us in University Advancement dressed in 1960s attire. I work with some great people!

Lucky for me, I hit the jackpot. Upon day one, I was immediately accepted by those within EWU University Relations. My boss empowered me, the other two directors pledged their support, and those within the marketing unit gave me their all. Despite my past history with the bitter rival University of Montana, my team saw beyond that (well, except for maybe Kelsey 😉) and did everything they could to help me succeed. It didn’t take long for rapport to develop and a year later I just don’t have talented colleagues, I have some great friends.

Our University Relations holiday party was so much fun. I consider several of the people in this photo as friends.

But my acceptance and support wasn’t just siloed within marketing and communications. I quickly realized that I had strong allies in enrollment services, athletics, and the President’s Office—three areas that sometimes clash with central MarCom units at other institutions. Speaking of the President’s Office, EWU has a superb leader in Dr. Shari McMahan. This is my first higher ed stop where the president actually knows me on a first-name basis. I truly appreciate that President McMahan not only champions what I do as a professional but recognizes me as an individual. And I also appreciate all the other units and departments that have made these first 365 days at Eastern so enjoyable.

President McMahan is refreshingly not like your typical university president. I appreciate the kindness she treats me with and her “whatever it takes” attitude. I took this behind-the-scenes photo during our holiday video shoot. President McMahan was nothing but patient and accommodating when we filmed her parts.

Growth

At the end of the day, I am thankful to work at EWU and serve in the role that I do. Moving into a director spot has allowed me to lead more people, develop a positive culture within my unit, make decisions, and embrace more responsibility. Quite simply, it has helped me grow as a professional.

Sid and me at the EWU Alumni Awards at the end of April 2025. Thankful for a supportive wife who has encouraged me to grow professionally.

None of this would be possible without the trust of my boss, Eric Limburg. He provided me an incredible opportunity and has done everything feasible to help me make the most of it. Sometimes people roll their eyes when an administrator hires someone they worked with at a past institution, so I am indebted to Eric for going out on a limb for me. It is an honor to work for him and see the tremendous amount of respect that he has garnered during his short time at EWU (he started just four months before me).

I am grateful to have Eric Limburg and thankful that he took a chance on me. This photo was taken of us with our wives at the 2024 Red Tie Gala.

I feel the best leaders thrive under a little pressure. Now that I have served as marketing director for a year, the time has arrived to shine brighter. We have big goals at EWU and I am “not new” anymore. With the backing of Eric, the talent of my team, and the potential of this university, I am ready for even more growth during Year #2.

Hanging out with Austin Powers….I mean my boss, Eric Limburg, during the EWU New Year party.

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I look forward to cracking open that last Dr. Pepper later this morning. Consider it the “work” equivalent of eating a frozen slice of your wedding cake on that first anniversary. In the same way the cake brings back memories of that blissful day, I bet today’s Dr. Pepper will bring back memories of when I walked into Hargreaves Hall and the entire University Relations team was waiting for me with donuts.

This Dr. Pepper is waiting for me this morning. Cheers!!

No doubt it will also bring back memories of the times I grabbed a can for a creative boost. As I faced work challenges, the carbonated goodness seemed to suggest that I could find solutions. Yep, that last can of Dr. Pepper expired a long time ago but I know it will taste great today. THANKS SO MUCH to my University Relations team and GO EAGS! Don’t Blink.