About
Jennifer M. Kendall is a Senior Marketing and Communications Leader with a serious passion for leveling up education brands. She’s what you call a "stratactical" leader—someone who not only crafts the big-picture vision but also dives deep into the trenches to make things happen, all while leading with heart and putting people first. She genuinely believes the best teams are where laughs come before deadlines and genuine connection fosters true innovation.
After a career in destination and non-profit marketing, Jennifer honed her higher-ed marketing expertise at NC State University, navigating the unique challenges and triumphs of traditional higher education. She led cross-campus initiatives, helping colleges, departments, and key university units like the Provost’s Office build their strategic acumen and bolster their brand stories. As 2020 reshaped the world, Jennifer's career journey also accelerated, pulling her into the dynamic, multi-million-dollar sphere of educational corporations like Summer Discovery, ACT, and Ascend Learning. At Summer Discovery, she collaborated with over 20 universities globally, including prestigious institutions such as the Wharton School of Business, UCLA, Penn, Cambridge, the University of Miami, and UT Austin. As the chief marketing leader for ACT, she gained firsthand experience in organizations that prioritize audience insights, speed to market, and data-driven decisions, even rebuilding a "testing brand" amidst the infamous shift to test-optional admissions. This invaluable experience has uniquely positioned her to translate the power of branding and modern marketing strategies to higher education, an area often behind the curve in leveraging such approaches.
Now, Jennifer is back to bridge that gap! She’s ready to translate those corporate learnings—from robust marketing automation to in-housing digital advertising for massive savings—into impactful, implementable plans for universities. She understands your constraints, understands the unique landscape of academia, and is pumped to empower higher education to embrace modern marketing, strengthen enrollment pipelines, and amplify its brand.
When not reshaping teams and organizations, Jennifer enjoys being a mom of two boys and spending time with her husband. A good beach, nap, or walk can cure anything. She’s an avid dog lover who has a lifelong love of Basset Hounds but somehow is currently a proud dog mom to a…. Chihuahua.
Let’s grab coffee and swap dog stories.
PS. While I love education, I also have deep experience in nonprofit marketing and guiding nonprofits through membership development, marketing, fundraising, and more. I'd be glad to chat with your organization to provide insights or guide strategies.
