Gillette College
A Case Study on Gillette College
The Brief
Gillette College is a community college in Gillette, Wyoming, in the process of becoming an independent institution after separating from a branch campus system. When I joined in July 2023 as Senior Director of Marketing & Communications, there was no marketing department, just a part-time freelancer handling basic needs in the year prior, and before that, an off-site team 1.5 hours away that never had a consistent on-site presence. I was the first full-time, on-site marketer in the institution’s history, and my mandate was essentially: build it.
What I Made
My first move was data before decisions. I installed Google Analytics on the website to identify which pages were actually getting traffic, then restructured the site’s navigation around those findings rather than assumptions. Simultaneously I developed short-tail and long-tail keyword strategy to improve organic search performance. Within six months, landing page traffic increased 200% over the previous six months.
The next priority was brand cohesion. Because the institution had operated for years without an on-site marketing presence, individual departments had developed the habit of creating their own materials — with no consistency in voice, design, or messaging. Establishing a centralized approval process for all external materials meant pushback early on from staff accustomed to creative freedom. I held the line, rebuilt materials to brand standard, and stayed consistent. Nearly three years later, that process runs without friction.
From there I built the full department infrastructure: internal procedures, a CRM system, an expanded intranet, cross-departmental collaboration workflows, and a comprehensive creative production pipeline that now handles everything from paid ads and social campaigns to accreditation documentation.
In 2024 I co-implemented Element451, a new CRM system built from the ground up, including lead generation forms, automated workflows, landing pages, and email campaigns, to support enrollment marketing with actual data infrastructure behind it.
I also co-authored the Criterion 1 evidence narrative for the institution’s Higher Learning Commission accreditation review, ensuring the messaging was persuasive, clear, and standards-aligned. That filing contributed to Gillette College receiving official candidacy status in June 2026.
The next priority was brand cohesion. Because the institution had operated for years without an on-site marketing presence, individual departments had developed the habit of creating their own materials — with no consistency in voice, design, or messaging. Establishing a centralized approval process for all external materials meant pushback early on from staff accustomed to creative freedom. I held the line, rebuilt materials to brand standard, and stayed consistent. Nearly three years later, that process runs without friction.
From there I built the full department infrastructure: internal procedures, a CRM system, an expanded intranet, cross-departmental collaboration workflows, and a comprehensive creative production pipeline that now handles everything from paid ads and social campaigns to accreditation documentation.
In 2024 I co-implemented Element451, a new CRM system built from the ground up, including lead generation forms, automated workflows, landing pages, and email campaigns, to support enrollment marketing with actual data infrastructure behind it.
I also co-authored the Criterion 1 evidence narrative for the institution’s Higher Learning Commission accreditation review, ensuring the messaging was persuasive, clear, and standards-aligned. That filing contributed to Gillette College receiving official candidacy status in June 2026.
Deliverables
Department Infrastructure
• Built the marketing department from the ground up as the institution’s first on-site full-time marketer
• Hired and manage one full-time Marketing Generalist and one part-time remote freelancer
• Established centralized brand approval process for all external materials across 100+ staff
• Streamlined internal and external communications procedures
• Expanded intranet from static resource to full department hub
• Participate in new employee onboarding to establish marketing support expectations cross-departmentally
• Build and manage full department budget, including invoice coding and PO generation
Creative Production
• End-to-end high-volume creative production: print and digital collateral, paid ads, social media campaigns, landing pages, internal and external communications
• Projects include trifolds, flyers, viewbooks, video, social media content, and more
• Collaborate with enrollment department to develop recruitment strategies based on prospect trend data
Technology & Systems
• Installed Google Analytics and developed SEO keyword strategy (short and long-tail)
• Co-implemented Element451 CRM, including lead gen forms, workflows, emails, and landing pages
• Daily tools: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Canva, WordPress, SharePoint, Copilot, Microsoft Office, Slack, PrestoSports Web
Results
• +200% landing page traffic increase within first 6 months
• +8% year-over-year enrollment increase, with marketing strategy contributing to this growth
• Co-authored Criterion 1 HLC accreditation narrative — filing contributed to Gillette College receiving official candidacy status as of June 2026
• Brand cohesion established institution-wide within ~3 years, with full staff adoption of centralized approval process
• Built the marketing department from the ground up as the institution’s first on-site full-time marketer
• Hired and manage one full-time Marketing Generalist and one part-time remote freelancer
• Established centralized brand approval process for all external materials across 100+ staff
• Streamlined internal and external communications procedures
• Expanded intranet from static resource to full department hub
• Participate in new employee onboarding to establish marketing support expectations cross-departmentally
• Build and manage full department budget, including invoice coding and PO generation
Creative Production
• End-to-end high-volume creative production: print and digital collateral, paid ads, social media campaigns, landing pages, internal and external communications
• Projects include trifolds, flyers, viewbooks, video, social media content, and more
• Collaborate with enrollment department to develop recruitment strategies based on prospect trend data
Technology & Systems
• Installed Google Analytics and developed SEO keyword strategy (short and long-tail)
• Co-implemented Element451 CRM, including lead gen forms, workflows, emails, and landing pages
• Daily tools: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Canva, WordPress, SharePoint, Copilot, Microsoft Office, Slack, PrestoSports Web
Results
• +200% landing page traffic increase within first 6 months
• +8% year-over-year enrollment increase, with marketing strategy contributing to this growth
• Co-authored Criterion 1 HLC accreditation narrative — filing contributed to Gillette College receiving official candidacy status as of June 2026
• Brand cohesion established institution-wide within ~3 years, with full staff adoption of centralized approval process
