The mission of the Office for Marketing and Communications (“MarCom,” for short) at the University of Nevada, Reno is to advance institutional reputation and enrollment by creating smart, measurable marketing and communications solutions that showcase this dynamic national Tier 1 university. UNR is renowned for its culture of student success, world-improving research and outreach that enhances communities and business. At the Reno-Tahoe AMA's March 2014 luncheon, UNR’s Executive Director of Marketing Communications, Thomas White, discussed an overview of both the University and MarCom’s top initiatives, including SEO, SEM, graduate student recruitment, and the University’s quest to reach the top research classification. About Thomas White: Thomas White was appointed Executive Director of Marketing Communications in February 2014. Thomas brings more than 25 years of communications experience in higher education, the federal government and the corporate sector. At the University of Nevada, Reno, Thomas and his team are responsible for developing and executing a strategic communications program that promotes and differentiates the University and its core mission. Prior to joining the University, Thomas managed the university communications programs at the University of New England (Portland and Biddeford, Maine), St. John’s (Queens, NY), Seton Hall (South Orange, NJ) and Washington and Lee (Lexington, VA). In each case, Thomas took an enterprise-level approach to strategic marketing that transformed the departments from traditional models into technology and metric-driven programs. Thomas began his higher education career at Indiana University (Bloomington) where he was the chief marketing technologist responsible for managing a $1 million pilot program utilizing a range of Web-based technologies to increase the national and international visibility of the university. Thomas served as press secretary for the Peace Corps (D.C.) at a time of growth unprecedented since its inception in 1961. Thomas started his career in consumer marketing with the Seagram Wine Company (Chicago).