Lone Star College-University Park is tapping into some of the brightest business and marketing minds across a wide variety of industries with the creation of a Marketing Advisory Council.

According to LSC-University Park President Dr. Shah Ardalan, the purpose of the Marketing Advisory Council is to provide strategic counsel and recommendations on brand awareness, public relations, messaging strategies, and networking opportunities to advance the mission of the college.

“LSC-University Park is known for innovation and is uniquely poised to learn from these exceptional industry experts who also believe in our mission of advancing economic mobility and social justice. Our goal is to explore new approaches of reaching more students and building America’s middle-class,” said Ardalan. “Marketing tools, analytics, and best-in-practice strategies are constantly changing, and the Marketing Advisory Council gives us the ability to learn from the best of the best.”

Serving as chair of the Marketing Advisory Council, which will meet quarterly, is Sonia Clayton, founder, president and CEO of Virtual Intelligence Providers, LLC, and a long-time partner with the college.

In addition to Clayton, council members include Scott Alexander (City of Houston); David Barnes (ABB); Tracy Paddock Beam (Strategic Transformation Partners); James Campos (U.S. Department of Energy); Ulysses Goree (KBR); Lisa Gregorian (formerly of Warner Bros.); Rudy Guzman (Amazon); Esteban Lora (Microsoft); Sandra Moore (Ford Motor Co.); Brad Morgan (American Express); David Ramirez (Apple); and Isaac Shareef (United Airlines). 

“We have assembled a powerhouse lineup of business and community leaders, both local and national, who not only have incredible backgrounds in business strategy and marketing, but they have a heart for making education more accessible for all,” said Clayton. “They want to give back with their time and their talents to make a difference.”

Ardalan was extremely encouraged following the council’s initial meeting and expressed his appreciation for the members’ active participation.

“Our first time together was spent getting to know each other, learning about Lone Star College-University Park, and reviewing the college’s current marketing efforts,” said Ardalan. “I want to thank them for sharing their experiences and ideas in all areas of marketing, such as identifying target markets, social media strategies, and tracking metrics. This is an intentionally selected working council, and they already determined and volunteered for numerous action items.”

Ardalan added that he plans to have a joint meeting between this advisory council and the college’s Community Advisory Council (CAC), which includes leaders from local education, business, government, and community leaders. The CAC was formed several years ago to serve as a sounding board for the overall strategic direction of the college.

Those interested in learning more about the new Marketing Advisory Council should contact Keri Porter, chief strategist of innovation and research, at UP-ChiefStrategist@lonestar.edu or (281) 290-2728.