Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO — with Jaime Hunt

Jaime Hunt sits down with higher education journalist and bestselling author Jeff Selingo to unpack insights from his newest book, Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You. Drawing from two years of research—including surveys of more than 3,000 parents—Selingo explains how families are redefining what makes a “good college.”

The conversation explores the evolving role of prestige, the growing importance of outcomes and ROI, and what enrollment marketers must understand about parents, counselors, and the modern college search process. For higher ed professionals, this episode is a powerful lens into the shifting expectations shaping enrollment marketing today.

Guest Name: Jeff Selingo, The New York Times bestselling author of Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You and Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffselingo/

Guest Bio: Jeff Selingo has written about colleges and universities for more than 25 years and is a New York Times bestselling author of four books. His latest, Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You (September 2025), draws on more than two years of research and a survey of some 3,000 parents to give families permission to think more broadly about what signals a “good” college and then the tools to discover their dream school. He is also the author of Who Gets In & Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, named one of the New York Times’s 100 Notable Books of the Year in 2020.

A regular contributor to The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, Jeff is a special advisor to the president and professor of practice at Arizona State University. He writes the biweekly newsletter Next and co-hosts the podcast Future U. He lives near Washington, D.C., with his family.

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Connect With Our Host:
Jaime Hunt
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimehunt/
https://twitter.com/JaimeHuntIMC
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaime Hunt sits down with Jason Smith, Founder and Managing Director of OHO, to unpack how AI in higher education is fundamentally changing the way students search for colleges. As AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini increasingly shape the student journey, institutions must rethink their approach to SEO for higher education and digital visibility.

Jason introduces OHO’s new AI Visibility Scorecard and shares eye-opening insights into where AI models pull information from—and why that matters for enrollment marketers. This conversation challenges higher ed leaders to move beyond traditional search strategies and prepare for an AI-driven future of student recruitment.

Guest Name: Jason Smith, Founder and Managing Director of OHO

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsmith1/

Guest Bio: Jason is the Founder and Managing Director of OHO, a leading digital agency dedicated to higher education. For over 20 years, he has led a team of strategists, designers, UX researchers, marketers, and developers who help colleges and universities solve complex digital challenges—from launching major websites to driving enrollment through digital marketing. 

A former designer and creative director, Jason brings a deep appreciation for how storytelling, design, and technology can work together to reach the right audiences and move institutions forward. He’s worked with 37 of the top 100 U.S. colleges and universities, guiding leaders through projects that clarify their goals, connect with users, and elevate their digital presence. 

Endlessly curious and always inventing, Jason is currently digging deep into how to increase AI visibility for colleges and universities so that they can reach prospective students.

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Connect With Our Host:
Jaime Hunt
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimehunt/
https://twitter.com/JaimeHuntIMC
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaime Hunt sits down with Jennifer Umberger, VP and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Kettering University. They unpack what it really takes to break out of higher ed’s “sea of sameness” and build an enrollment marketing engine that actually moves the needle. Jennifer shares how Kettering’s distinct co-op model became the center of a sharper brand story—and how tight alignment between marketing and enrollment helped drive major growth. If you’re looking for a marketing strategy for student recruitment that’s built for today’s expectations (ROI, outcomes, and relevance), this one’s a must-listen.
Guest Name: Jennifer Umberger, Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Kettering University
Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferumberger/
Guest Bio: Jennifer Umberger joined Kettering University in February 2023. As the University’s Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Jennifer leads Kettering University’s brand strategy, focused on awareness, enrollment marketing, and thought leadership to increase visibility and support for Kettering’s mission, vision, and Pillars of Success. She oversees the University’s web and digital strategy, social media, creative production, advertising, enrollment marketing, public relations, media relations, and the University Magazine. She is a member of the President’s Cabinet.
Jennifer has more than two decades of marketing and communications experience, most recently at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (formerly Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield Universities), where she served as Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. In that role, she oversaw executive communications, enrollment marketing, university marketing and brand management, strategic communications, media relations, and athletic communications and marketing. She was also the strategic communications lead in partnership with Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education.
Jennifer earned a Bachelor’s degree in History with a concentration in Mass Communication and an emphasis in Public Relations from Albion College, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Augsburg University.
She is a member of the American Marketing Association and serves as Vice President of the board of directors for CUPRAP, a professional community dedicated to advancing higher education marketing and communications. Jennifer also serves nationally on the Committee on Leadership for Alpha Xi Delta, a women’s fraternity of which she is a member.

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Connect With Our Host:
Jaime Hunt
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimehunt/
https://twitter.com/JaimeHuntIMC
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaime Hunt is joined by Clara Schwager, Director of Institutional and Advancement Marketing at Johnson & Wales University, for a much-needed conversation on the evolution of alumni magazines. Clara shares the behind-the-scenes story of a major redesign of JWU’s alumni magazine—one that transforms the publication from a static print piece into a dynamic, multi-channel storytelling engine. If you're still treating your alumni magazine like a mailbox-only moment, this is your wake-up call.
Guest Name: Clara Schwager, Director of Institutional and Advancement Marketing at Johnson & Wales University
Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clara-schwager/
Guest Bio: Clara Schwager is the Director of Institutional & Advancement Marketing at Johnson & Wales University and a strategic higher education marketing and communications leader committed to the transformative impact of education on individuals and communities. She specializes in crafting narratives that advance institutional priorities, strengthen brand reputation, and inspire connection.
With 15 years of experience across higher education, agency, nonprofit, and corporate environments, Clara brings deep expertise in developing and executing strategic marketing campaigns. A creative and playful thinker, she excels at leading cross-functional teams, bridging organizational silos, and building marketing and communications initiatives that expand institutional reach and impact.
When she's not hunched over the keyboard, she's trying her best at Olympic and Power weightlifting.

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Connect With Our Host:
Jaime Hunt
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimehunt/
https://twitter.com/JaimeHuntIMC
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaime Hunt welcomes Adam Stoltz, Director of Enrollment Marketing at the University of Idaho, for a candid conversation on one of higher ed’s toughest challenges: marketing academic programs in a decentralized, siloed environment. From tackling the “order taker” mentality to building partnerships between colleges, admissions, and marketing teams, Adam shares how he’s helped bridge institutional gaps to drive strategic enrollment growth. If you’ve ever felt stuck translating institutional priorities into student-centric campaigns, this episode is packed with the real talk and actionable strategies you need.
Guest Name: Adam Stolz, Director of Enrollment Marketing, University of Idaho
Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamstoltz/
Guest Bio: With over two decades of experience in higher education marketing and enrollment management, Adam Stolz holds an Ed.D. in higher education administration from Saint Louis University, a bachelor's degree in arts management with a minor in computer science, and a master's degree in organizational leadership and management. His career includes progressive leadership roles across diverse university settings—private, public, land-grant, flagship, and the largest state system in the country. He has received multiple marketing awards for his work, with expertise in CRM strategy, and he also serves as a higher education consultant. Currently, he is the Director of Enrollment Marketing at the University of Idaho, where he is part of the university’s marketing team, reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, and embedded with the Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management. 

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Connect With Our Host:
Jaime Hunt
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimehunt/
https://twitter.com/JaimeHuntIMC
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.