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When the 2025 Social Media Strategies Summit for Higher Education convenes this month, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges (IECC) will once again have a voice on the national stage. Chris Forde, IECC’s Program Director of Marketing and Communications, has been invited for the second consecutive year to serve as a conference speaker, joining communications professionals from some of the nation’s most respected universities.
Forde will be part of a panel discussion titled “The Building Blocks of a Social Media Campaign: From Planning to Results.” The session explores the art and strategy behind building effective social media campaigns that align with institutional priorities and deliver measurable impact.
Joining Forde on the panel are Kristen Pope, Associate Director of Social Media at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education, and Kayla Ooms, Digital and Social Media Specialist at Purdue University Northwest. The discussion will be moderated by Jason Boucher, Director of Social Marketing at Cookson Communications.
“It’s a real honor to share the stage with colleagues from institutions like Harvard and Purdue,” Forde said. “But even more meaningful is the opportunity to represent a community college system like IECC on a national platform. It reinforces that some of the most innovative and strategic marketing work in higher education is happening right here in rural Illinois.”
Sharing Strategy and Collaboration
The panel delves into how marketing teams can connect creative campaigns to institutional goals and foster collaboration across departments.
During the session, Forde and his co-panelists will explore how content pillars can guide campaign planning, how to communicate strategies to campus partners, and how to gain buy-in from leadership, faculty, and students. They’ll also discuss managing deadlines, creating campaign briefs, evaluating results, and learning from campaigns that don’t go as planned.
“For us, everything begins with our mission,” Forde said. “When we plan a campaign—whether it’s promoting one of our programs, sharing alumni success stories, or encouraging students to register for classes—it’s not just about engagement metrics. It’s about helping more people see how accessible and life-changing community college education can be.”
He said collaboration is a key ingredient. “The best campaigns are the ones where everyone has a voice—faculty, staff, students, and leadership,” he said. “We’ve worked hard to build relationships across departments so our messaging feels unified and authentic.”
National Recognition for Local Innovation
The Social Media Strategies Summit, hosted annually by Global Strategic Management Institute, draws marketing and communications professionals from colleges and universities across the country to exchange ideas, case studies, and best practices.
Forde’s participation, he said, highlights the growing recognition of IECC’s marketing approach, which focuses on storytelling, data-driven strategy, and creative campaigns that resonate with students and communities alike.
“IECC has shown that you don’t need a massive budget or a huge team to create impact,” he said. “You need clarity, creativity, and consistency. The fact that we’re part of this conversation two years in a row shows that the work being done here matters nationally.”
Under Forde’s leadership, IECC’s marketing team has launched several large-scale initiatives, including the Best Decision Ever campaign, a long-term storytelling effort featuring students and alumni whose college experiences transformed their lives. The campaign, which runs through 2026, has helped humanize the college’s message and strengthen enrollment outreach across the district’s four campuses.
“Social media gives us the ability to connect our stories directly to the people we serve,” Forde said. “When students see someone like them succeeding at IECC, it builds trust and inspires action. That’s the heart of every great campaign.”
A Platform for Continued Learning
Beyond representing IECC, Forde said participating in the summit is also a chance to learn from others and bring new insights back to the college system.
“Being part of this event is a reminder that higher education marketing is constantly evolving,” he said. “Listening to peers from across the country helps us see where the field is headed—what’s working, what’s changing, and how we can keep improving.”
Representing the Community College Mission
Ultimately, Forde said, the invitation is about more than professional recognition; it’s about showcasing the value and creativity that community colleges bring to higher education.
“When IECC is part of a national conversation like this, it helps elevate the perception of community colleges everywhere,” he said. “We’re proving that innovation doesn’t just happen at the biggest universities. It happens in communities like ours, where the work we do every day directly changes lives.”
