Brad Ward

Current

• Co-Founder at BlogHighEd.org
• Electronic Communication Coordinator at Butler University

Past

• Marketing and Recruitment Specialist at University of Illinois at Springfield
• Resident Assistant at University of Illinois at Springfield
• Marketing Intern at Design Ideas (Sole Proprietorship)

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Education

• Butler University - College of Business Administration
• University of Illinois at Springfield
• University of Illinois at Springfield

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Recommended

14 people have recommended Brad

Connections

149 connections

Industry

Higher Education

Websites

• My Blog
• My Website
• My Work Website

Brad Ward’s Summary

• Extremely proficient in Windows XP, Mac OS X, Adobe Photoshop CS3, Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0, Dreamweaver, Contribute, Fireworks, Microsoft Office, HTML, blogging, lifecasting, social media, photography, podcasting/vodcasting, and email marketing.

• Knowledgeable in Microsoft Access, Macromedia Flash, Adobe Illustrator, CSS, JavaScript, and Final Cut Pro.

• Strong experience and knowledge of social networking and electronic communication strategies for marketing/recruitment in Higher Education.

Brad Ward’s Specialties:

• Very positive attitude, self-motivated, well organized, and builds instant rapport.
• Extremely knowledgeable in social media and its uses in Higher Ed Marketing
• Effective working both independently and as a team member.
• Photographer
• 5 years experience in Higher Education work environment

Brad Ward’s Experience

• Co-Founder

  BlogHighEd.org

  (Non-Profit; 1-10 employees; Higher Education industry)

  January 2008 — Present (8 months)

  Work on idea, conceptualization, marketing and maintenance of http://bloghighed.org, which aggregates the best blogs in higher education from all areas: webmasters, marketers, vendors, counselors, consultants, and more.
  
  The site is designed to bring a great amount of quality content together and provide a community atmosphere around it all. We are now approaching 400 RSS subscribers after three months and are featured on http://education.alltop.com.

• Electronic Communication Coordinator

  Butler University

  (Privately Held; 501-1000 employees; Higher Education industry)

  June 2007 — Present (1 year 3 months)

  • Taking the lead on using social media and electronic communication in recruiting new students for Butler.
  • Created and moderate Butler Bloggers and Butler Forums.
  • Assist with the strategy and implementation of communicating to high school students using email, web, blogs, online chats, and other forms of e-communication.
  • Updating web content, supervising a student team, keeping up-to-date on e-communication trends and suggesting new ways to integrate print and electronic media.

• Marketing and Recruitment Specialist

  University of Illinois at Springfield

  (Government Agency; 501-1000 employees; Higher Education industry)

  February 2006 — May 2007 (1 year 4 months)

  • Create and develop web counterparts that are aligned with recruiting (print) materials (electronic viewbook, search and travel pieces, etc.)
  • Develop and maintain virtual and self guided, web-enabled campus tours.
  • Develop and monitor other electronic marketing formats such as podcasts, social networking, etc. that are aligned with recruitment efforts and strategies.
  • Coordinate with and assist admissions recruiters with virtual chat sessions.
  • Monitor new software products that are available to enhance web-delivered customized materials.
  • Periodically assess current students’ perceptions of print and web-based recruitment materials.
  • Develop and update stand-alone electronic media for student recruitment.
  • Photograph events and activities that serve to assist with promoting the image of the campus and student recruitment.
  • Assist with the development and maintenance of a database of electronic photos to be used and shared by selected UIS offices and units.

• Resident Assistant

  University of Illinois at Springfield

  (Government Agency; 11-50 employees; Higher Education industry)

  June 2003 — December 2005 (2 years 7 months)

  • Help to create a comfortable, safe, and educationally conducive living environment for the 220 students who live in Lincoln Residence Hall.
  • Was Resident Assistant for the specialized wing Healthy Lifestyles, a wing dedicated to students who wish to abstain from alcohol, smoking, and illegal substances during college.
  • Duties include making sure University rules and regulations are followed by residents, and organize educational as well as social programs to enhance their living experience.
  • Developed mediation and conflict resolution skills through training and two years experience.
  • Managed administrative tasks including room condition reports, maintenance requests, incident reports, and the room change process.
  • Confronted and resolved issues on diversity, racism, alcohol and drug abuse, academic performance and social acceptance.

• Marketing Intern

  Design Ideas (Sole Proprietorship)

  (Sole Proprietorship; 51-200 employees; Design industry)

  May 2005 — August 2005 (4 months)

  • Worked closely with the Director of Marketing and Sales on specialized programs that obtained data through product research and consumer surveys.
  • Created product positioning maps that allowed the company to forecast and budget the next fiscal year based on sales, product uniqueness, and product design.
  • Presented findings and research to the President and Board of Directors and answered questions pertaining to my work.

Brad Ward’s Education

• Butler University - College of Business Administration

  MBA, Marketing, Leadership, 2007 — 2009 (expected)

• University of Illinois at Springfield

  Masters, Business Administration, 2006 — 2007

  3.88/4.00 GPA

• University of Illinois at Springfield

  Bachelors, Business Administration, 2002 — 2005

  Activities and Societies:

  • President, UIS Blue Crew, 08-03 to 11-05
  • Marketing Coordinator, UIS Springfest 2005
  • Webmaster, Christian Student Fellowship, 02-04 to 08-05
  • Executive Board Member, Housing Residents’ Council, 04-04 to 05-05
  • Director of Public Relations, UIS Student Government Association, 05-03 to 01-05

Additional Information

Brad Ward’s Websites:

• My Blog
• My Website
• My Work Website

Brad Ward’s Interests:

Playing with all the new web 2.0 sites, spending time with my wife, photography, golfing, fishing, vacationing, and meeting new people.

Brad Ward’s Groups:

•    UIS Alumni
•    Web Communications in Higher Education
•    Triiibes Members

Brad Ward’s Honors:

• University of Illinois Alumni Association Student Leadership Award, 2006
• President for 2005-2006 Term, Illinois State Resident Assistant Association
• RAAAC of the Year, Illinois State Resident Assistant Association (2005)
• Resident Assistant of the Year, UIS Housing (2004-2005)
• Resident Assistant of the Year, UIS Housing (2003-2004)
• Who’s Who among American Colleges and Universities (2003-2005)
• UIS Most School Spirit (2002-2003, 2003-2004, and 2004-2005)
• Most Involved Student, UIS (2002-2003)

Brad Ward’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• new ventures
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch