UMC3 Summit

8:00 a.m. – Check-in/Breakfast 

8:30 a.m. – Opening Remarks
Jim Zook, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
The University of Mississippi
Welcome
Noel Wilkin, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
The University of Mississippi

8:45 a.m. – The Truth About Generation Z
Bill Faust, Senior Partner and Chief Strategy Officer
Ologie

9:45 a.m. – Beyond Events & News Releases: Content Creation for Social Media
Krista Berend, Director of Social Media
Texas A&M University

10:30 a.m. – Break

10:45 p.m. – Media Panel
Moderator: Rod Guajardo
Desare Frazier, Radio Reporter, Mississippi Public Broadcasting
Craig Ford, Anchor and Assistant News Director, WTVA 9 News Tupelo
Allie Herrera, Reporter, WMC Action News 5 Memphis
Elizabeth Walters, Executive Editor, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

11:45 a.m. – Lunch Buffet 
Menu: chicken (fried or grilled), garden salad, southern style green beans, 5 cheese mac, yeast rolls, peach cobbler, water, sweet tea, unsweetened tea, lemonade
We will make every attempt to accommodate dietary restrictions. Please contact Ryan Whittington, rmwhitti@olemiss.edu, by August 5 with any food allergies and/or dietary restrictions.

12:15 p.m. – Keynote Address
Natashia Gregoire, Managing Director of Communications, Culture & Change Management
FedEx Freight

12:45 p.m. – Communicator Awards
Emcee: Andrew Abernathy
Ole Miss Communicator of the Year
Excellence in Storytelling Award
Excellence in Collaborations & Partnerships Award
Excellence in Design Award

1:05 p.m. – Break

1:15 p.m. – Social Media Panel
Moderator: Webb Lewis
Pat Warner, Director of PR and External Affairs of Waffle Records, Waffle House, Inc.
Teresa Daniel, Senior Communications Specialist (Social Media), FedEx
Krista Berend, Director of Social Media, Texas A&M

2:15 p.m. – Lightning Round Presentations
Moderator: Ryan Whittington

3:00 p.m. – Break

3:15 p.m. – Channeling Hemingway: Write Drunk, Edit Sober
Jim Beaugez, APR, Marketing Specialist
C Spire

4:15 p.m. – Concluding remarks

8:00 a.m. – Check-in

8:30 a.m. – Opening Remarks
Noel Wilkin, Provost
Jim Zook, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

8:45 a.m. – Let’s Get Social Panel Session
This panel session features top-notch social media managers who will unravel the secrets behind their success. Get ready for insights, trends and inspiration to elevate your online presence. Panelists include: Hanna Teevan, digital content manager for Visit Oxford, Breck Jones, public information officer for the Oxford Police Department and Paul Katool, deputy director of public affairs for the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

9:45 a.m. – Lightning Rounds 1 & 2

10:00 a.m. – Opening Keynote: Building Your Personal Brand
Yolett McPhee-McCuin, Head Coach, Ole Miss Women’s Basketball

10:45 a.m. – Break

11:00 a.m. – Marketing in the Gen Z Era Panel Session
Join us for a current snapshot of the market followed by a panel discussion featuring Ole Miss students who will share their unique insights on effective ways to market to Gen Z. Learn firsthand what resonates with a key demographic, from authenticity to brand innovation. The panel includes Ryan Augustine (Class of 2026, Allied Health Studies), Sarah Nash (Class of 2025, Public Health and Health Science), Erin Prince (Class of 2024, Integrated Marketing Communications) and Hudson Thompson (Class of 2025, Integrated Marketing Communications).

11:45 a.m. – Lightning Rounds 3 & 4

Noon – Lunch

12:30 p.m. – Awards Ceremony/Break

1:15 p.m. – Breakout Sessions 

• Media Panel, Discussion / Smart Brevity / Inclusive Language

2:05 p.m. – Breakout Sessions

• Artificial Intelligence / Photo & Video Best Practices/ Inclusive Language

2:50 p.m. – Break

3:00 p.m. – Lightning Rounds 5 & 6

3:15 p.m. – Closing Keynote: The Landscape of Higher Education
Terry Flannery, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Council for Advancement and Support of Education

4:00 p.m. – Closing Remarks, Survey, Feedback, Prizes

4:30 p.m. – Adjourn