Conference 2025 Sessions

Session details are subject to change, and some sessions are currently tentative. Additional sessions will be added soon—please check back for updates.
Leadership Summit (Sponsored by Direct Development)
Navigating and Thriving in the Headwinds of Christian Higher Education
David Hoag – President, CCCU
The State of Christian Higher Education: Our Strengths and Challenges
Perry Glanzer – Professor Fellow, Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University
TBA
Dr. Deana Porterfield – President, Seattle Pacific University
TBA
David Kinnaman – CEO, Barna Group
TBA
Tony Fraga – CEO, Direct Development
Jamie Gleason – EVP of Client Success, Direct Development
K-12
Caring Beyond the Classroom: A Collaborative Approach to Student Wellness
Tracey Bennett – Guidance Counselor, Hickory Grove Christian School
Financial Aid and Scholarship Secrets for Students
Kristi Steele – President, KC360.co
Forming Affection, Forming Conviction
Tami Peterson – Founder and CEO, Life Architects Coaching Christian School
Helping Families Understand the Value of Christian Higher Education
Ryan Ladner – Vice President of Enrollment, John Brown University
Letters of Recommendation That Make a Difference
Jeannie Kronenthal – Director of College Advisement, Veritas School
Erik Johnson – Co-Director of College Counseling, The Stony Brook School
Predicting Parental Satisfaction From School Level and Parental Demographic
William Monts – Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, Anderson University, SC
Students Navigating the Future With Faith
Daniel Simon – Vocation, College & Careers Counselor, Christian School Management
Testing Data is Useful Beyond College Admissions and Scholarships?
Adam Roate – Senior Director of Partnerships, Classic Learning Test
The SAT & ACT - Recent Changes, Strategies for Success and Creating Equity
James Caldwell – Founder & Director, Ivy Prep
What's Your Why? Vocational Intergration Workshop
Mike Harper – Director of Vocational Guidance, Trinity Academy
GAP (Graduate, Adult, Professional Studies & Seminary)
Christian Discipleship in a Multi-Cultural World & Higher Education Admissions
Judy Parga – Senior Graduate Admissions Counselor, California Baptist University-Graduate
Code Switching: Identifying and Communicating With Student Personas Through
Emma Donnelly – Admissions Counselor/Recruiter, California Baptist University
Creating Communication With Intelligence
Janna Collins – Director of Admissions, Bethel University
GAP Town Hall and Breakout Sessions
Judy Willson – Director of Graduate and Online Admissions, Geneva College
Generative AI in Graduate Enrollment Management in 2025: Adoption and Impact
Keith Ramsdell – VP for Enrollment Management and Marketing, NAGAP
Events
BOOK CLUB: Christian Higher Education: An Empirical Guide (2023) Discussion
Roy Y. Chan – Assistant Professor & Director of Graduate Studies, Lee University
Creating Enduring Wellbeing: Mindset Makeovers for Meaningful Change
Kathy Pierce Howard – Guidance Counselor, Texoma Christian School
The Power of Hospitality: Transforming Campus Events & Student Teams
Grace Fitzgerald – Director of Campus Visits & Events, Southeastern University
They're Just Not That Into You: How to Create Epic Campus Visits
George Wolff – Partner, Creative Director, 989Group
Brian Parker – Partner, 989Group
We Listen, But We Don't Change
Kaelyn Charles – Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Houston Christian University
Ja'Lynn Manson – Assistant Director of Freshman Admissions, Houston Christian University
Marketing
Chasing Mission Fit: Crafting Resonant Marketing for Enrollment
Bart Caylor – President, Caylor Solutions
Digital Enrollment ROI: Turning Ad Spend into Applications
Ashley Monk – CEO, Onya
Discover Where Christian Students Want to Hear From You—Scoir!
Jay Mcillece – Account Manager, College Team Lead, Scoir, Inc.
Shelby Scott – Senior Account Executive, High Schools, Scoir, Inc.
Taylor Fulcher – Strategic Director of Development & Major Accounts, High Schools, Scoir, Inc.
Marketing Truths
Ryan Morabito – Senior Advisor, Strategist, 5 Degrees
Mastering Student Search In-House: Strategy, Execution & ROI
Lisa Branson – Senior VP of Client Development, enrollmentFUEL
Rebranding a University
Lee Insko – Partner, 5 Degrees
Management
Actionable Insights From Female CCCU Chief Enrollment Officers
Christy Mathews, Ph.D.
Admission Staff Are Quitting. Why? And What Should We Do?
Riley Westmoreland – AVP, Enrollment Operations, Samford University
Creating a Healthy Culture
Tony Turner – Vice President of Enrollment Management, Charleston Southern University
Debunking Common Assumptions Impacting Performance
Nicholas Willis – Partner, TG Three
Nate McIntyre – Director of Admissions, George Fox University
First Things First: Juggling Life Priorities as an Enrollment Leader
AJ Crocker – Vice President of External Relations, Briercrest College and Seminary
From Best Practice to Next Practice: Becoming an Enrollment Innovator
James Steen – Vice President, Enrollment Management & Marketing, Houston Christian University
It's Not You, It's Me: A True Story of Breaking Up With a Higher Ed Vendor
Jamie Gleason – Executive Vice President of Client Success, Direct Development
Redefining Pathways to College: Benefits of Direct Admissions for Students
Catie Clark – Customer Success Manager, Niche
James Steen – VP Enrollment Management & Marketing, Houston Christian University
Tiffany Charles – Director of Admissions, Houston Christian University
Unlocking Staff Loyalty: The Power of Professional Development
Shannon Fuhrman – Senior Director of Training & Development, Regent University
General
10 Ways to Grow Enrollment: How to Hold On, Ride the Challenges and Drive
Seth Odell – Founder and CEO, Kanahoma
Affordable Dual Enrollment: Flexible, Faith-Based and Accredited
Darren Campbell – CEO/Founder, CampusEDU
Building a Sustainable Transfer/Non-Traditional Enrollment Pipeline: How Houston Christian Increased Enrollment by 17%
David Cook – Founder, CEO, DegreeSight
Engaging Gen Alpha: What Colleges Need to Know
Aaron Schroeder – Regional Director, Encoura
Melissa Fisher – Regional Director of Digital Solutions, Encoura
Enrollment Recovery Realized: Empower At-Risk Learners for Success
Scott Pruitt – Vice President of Program Development, Graduation Alliance
Everyone Works for Admissions/Enrollment
Steve Dyer – Associate Director of Admissions, Calvin University
Faith, Friends & Finding Your People: Building Community in Faith-Based Schools
Adam Metcalf – Founder, ZeeMee
Houston Christian University
Anderson University (SC)
Finding Students Who Flourish: How Culture-Connected Recruitment Drives Retention
John Borum – Regional Vice President of Partner Relations, Clark Higher Ed
Nathan Alexander – Regional Vice President of Partner Relations, Clark Higher Ed
From Transactional to Transformational
Abena Pokua – Undergraduate Admissions Counselor, Houston Christian University
Improving Yield & Enrollment: Factors Getting Students to the Finish Line
Blake Mischley – CEO, Co-Founder, MeetYourClass
Amanda Slaughter – Vice President for Enrollment & Marketing, Bethel University
Leading the Next Wave: Empowering Gen Z in Admissions
Claire Carriere – Associate Director of Admissions, John Brown University
Hannah Bradford – Executive Director of Admissions, John Brown University
Level Up! Using Gamification to Strengthen Student Engagement
Eric Menna – Co-founder, Loper
Parents in Pipeline: Leveraging Family Engagement for Admissions Success
Melissa Greiner – VP of Marketing, CampusESP
Greg Van Dyke – VP of Enrollment, Dordt University
Reaching Gen Z: Bridging Faith and Progress in Admissions
Jesse Harmeyer – Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Grace College
Madi Carter – Director of Graduate Admissions, Mississippi College
Travis Fox – Regional Admissions Rep, Great Lakes Christian College
Standing Out in a Crowded Market: The Value of Christian Higher Education
John Borum – Regional Vice President of Partner Relations, Clark Higher Ed
Nathan Alexander – Regional Vice President of Partner Relations, Clark Higher Ed
Supporting Parents During the College Admissions Process
Laura Sizelove – K-12 Director of Admissions & Enrollment, Valley Christian Schools
There is No "I" In Team: Admissions, Athletics and In-Between
Houston Glass – Associate Director of Admissions-Athletics & DEIB, Calvin University
Megan Phillips – Senior Visit Coordinator: Athletics, Calvin University
Diversity & International Admissions
Bridging the Gap: Recruiting & Retaining Underserved Populations
Sierra Kinslow – Associate Director of Multicultural Recruitment, Messiah University
JR Harris – Executive Director of Student Financial Services, Messiah University
Developing Cultural Empathy
Angela Hoover – International Tour Coordinator, NACCAP
Honoring Differences & Navigating Difficult Conversations
Sierra Kinslow – Associate Director of Multicultural Recruitment, Messiah University
Why Your School Should Be on the NACCAP International Tour
Angela Hoover – International Tour Coordinator, NACCAP
Research & Financial Aid
Announcing Student Loan Insurance: A Financial Safety Net for Students
Matt Osborne – SVP Client Service, Ardeo Education Solutions
Financial Aid
Ed Recker – Director, High School Relationship Management, Sallie Mae
Highlights From the NACCAP Annual Admission Benchmarking Study
Dave Burke – President and Founder, Legacy Higher Ed
Research
Andrew Wright – Director of Research & Data Analytics, NACCAP
Slate/Operations
Getting the Most From Your Slate Reports
Susanna Lehman – Vice President of Strategic Enterprise Solutions, enrollmentFUEL
How to Use Slate to Take Your Staff to the Next Level
Susanna Lehman – Vice President of Strategic Enterprise Solutions, enrollmentFUEL
Slate CRM: Show and Share
Emily Saarloos – Admissions Operations Manager, Redeemer University
Meghan Taylor – Director, Admissions & Financial Aid, Redeemer University
Slate/Operations
TBD
Technology
AI Through the Ages: A Brief History and Opportunity for Institutional Impact
Elizabeth Kirby – Director of Enrollment Solutions, Midwest US, enroll ml
Madison Snyder – Director of Enrollment Solutions, Western US, enroll ml
Can Empathy & AI Co-Exist: An Intro to Conversation Intelligence
Jeff Meece – Senior Strategic Executive, Mongoose
Faith and the Future: AI, Language Models and a Christian Worldview
Darren Campbell – CEO/Founder, CampusEDU
Generative AI & Enrollment: Finding Balance Between Tech & Human Touch
Jay Fedje – Vice President of Partnerships, DegreeSight, LLC
Bart Caylor – President, Caylor Solutions
Leveraging AI for Mission Fit Marketing and Enrollment Efforts
Bart Caylor – President, Caylor Solutions

Please note that session details are subject to change, and some sessions are currently tentative. Additional information will be added as it becomes available.