Category Archives: Resources

Presidential Presence in Social Media

Laurie L. Fenlason

Social media is an important communications tool, but how best for college and university leaders to engage? Social media can be a great way to interact directly with the campus community, but it carries risks. And even for leaders who are experienced in producing social content, the proliferation of new channels can be befuddling. PRG Senior Associate Laurie Fenlason and her co-author Rachael Hagerstrom, social media manager for Smith College and an advisory board member at the National Institute for Social Media, offer excellent tips for college leaders in their essay in Inside Higher Education.

Election Day is Less Than Three Months Away. Are You Ready?

Lisa Lapin

Lisa Lapin

The following guide to help campus leaders prepare effectively for the 2024 elections was written by Lisa Lapin. Lapin is the founder of Lapin Strategy and a Senior Associate with the Peterson Rudgers Group, serving as an advisor to higher education and non-profit organizations on strategic planning, public affairs, communications and marketing. Previously, she was Vice President for Communications at Stanford University and the J. Paul Getty Trust. 

After one of the most intense and fraught periods in recent history for higher education, more campus tensions are forecast for the 2024 presidential election and beyond. And once again, a tremendous responsibility falls upon campus leaders to leverage the moment to advance their educational missions and help their communities navigate a potentially disruptive season productively, safely and smoothly.

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Do’s and Don’ts for Newly Appointed Leaders

Maris Quinn

Marisa Quinn, a longtime leader at Brown University, founder of the firm Conanicut Strategies and a senior associate with Peterson Rudgers Group, offers wise advice for how newly appointed college and university leaders can get off on the right foot. In her essay in Inside Higher Ed, Avoiding Trip Wires, she recommends ways that leaders can maximize the impact of their first day, build a network of support, and develop a clear and consistent message. Read more of her tips in her complete essay.

A Growing Team of Seasoned and Talented Associates

One distinctive aspect of the Peterson Rudgers Group model is the ability to tap into a distinguished and diverse group of team members, associates and senior advisors who have deep experience in leadership roles at a wide range of colleges and universities. We have continued to add to this pool of seasoned leaders whose wisdom directly benefits our clients — most recently with addition of Sonya Malunda as our newest senior advisor and the appointment of Lisa Connolly as the newest member of our administrative team.

Lisa Lapin

Lisa Lapin

This spring we welcomed Lisa Lapin as our newest senior associate. Lisa served as Vice President for Communications at the J. Paul Getty Trust, the world’s largest cultural and philanthropic organization dedicated to the visual arts. There she led marketing, media relations, internal communication and public affairs, raising the regional, national and international profile of Getty and its Conservation Institute, Research Institute and Getty Library, grant-making Foundation, and two world-renowned fine art museums in Los Angeles. Prior to joining the Getty Trust, Lisa served as Stanford University’s chief communications officer for 10 years and led communications at the University of California, Davis for nearly a decade. In those roles she was a national leader on cutting-edge digital and strategic communications as well as issues and crisis management. Lisa launched her career as an award-winning journalist and editor at leading newspapers including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News and The Sacramento Bee. She holds an MLA from Stanford University and a BA in journalism from the University of Southern California.

Over the past several months, we were delighted to add four valued colleagues as senior associates: Laurie Fenlason, Alida Miranda-Wolff, Angela Paik and Marisa Quinn.

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Advice for Newly Promoted Leaders

Laurie L. Fenlason

In today’s hot market for talent, college and university leaders increasingly are finding opportunities to be promoted into new roles. PRG Senior Associate Laurie Fenlason and her colleague Jenn Desjarlais, a principal with Cambridge Hill Partners, offer great advice for how to take advantage of your institutional knowledge while also growing and developing in your new responsibilities. In an opinion piece in Inside Higher Ed, they write that “…even as you hit the ground running, don’t rush past the benefits of newness that would ordinarily accrue to an appointee coming from the outside.” Read their essay in Inside Higher Ed: “Congratulations, you’ve been promoted. Now what?“