Jim Crone - Resume

JIM CRONE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

I am a visionary senior leader with extensive experience in marketing and communications, brand development, client relations, project management and nonprofit service on a global scale. My results are driven by long-term and sustainable goals aligned with an organization’s strategic objectives, while creating a team environment fostering collaboration and professional development.

As a dedicated and driven team player, I have managed multiple project deadlines as short as overnight to longer timeframes, while overseeing multimillion-dollar budgets. My leadership skills have effected positive change among employees, allowing them to develop their skills for forward career momentum.

In my service with the GBS|CIDP Foundation International, my efforts have led to an increase in its endowment by 400%. During my tenure, the internationally recognized website Charity Navigator has given the foundation a coveted four stars, perfect rating of 100, which is rare among nonprofits. In addition, the foundation has been able to award $5+ million in research grants, including the recently created Benson Fellowship in neuromuscular medicine. I further advocated on the federal level to increase the National Institutes of Health funding by $6+ billion.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Increased funding 1,000%+ for Bradley University’s Office of Marketing and Communications by building effective business cases.
Generated multimillion-dollar increased revenues through initiatives to drive prospective students from quality lead acquisition to deposits/matriculation, in collaboration with the Office of Admission.
Increased Bradley’s annual fundraising revenues in excess of $2 million by creating digital campaigns that grew the number of donors and increased alumni engagement for the Office of Advancement.
Reduced the university’s operating expenses by $40 thousand annually through building an electronic financial assistance award delivery system for incoming and continuing students.
Realized significant annual savings, provided greater performance and 99.9%+ reliability by migrating the university’s website to an off-campus, cloud-hosted environment.
Decreased response times from days to an hour or less through the implementation of a campuswide online project request system to streamline workflow and improve efficiency.
Improved resource efficiency by several thousand hours annually, while creating consistency across all university sites, by leading the implementation of Bradley’s first centralized website content management system.
Led the university’s first comprehensive branding initiative in partnership with a national firm, key stakeholders and internal resources.

ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Bradley University, Peoria, Ill., 2002-present

Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications, 2020-2021

Developed strategic solutions in a universitywide administrative transformation project, resulting in operational efficiencies and the Office of Marketing and Communications being designated as a Center of Expertise.
Led a centralized in-house agency with expertise in content creation, digital strategy, website management, online advertising, organic social media, graphic design, photography, print publications, public relations and video production.
Worked with senior leadership to align unit’s objectives with institutional strategic planning initiatives.
Managed advertising campaigns and budgets across all media.
Oversaw operating budgets totaling $2.5 million, providing maximum return on resources.
Ensured professional development for team employees by creating an environment encouraging a collaborative approach to projects. Implemented a seamless return to the office from a virtual work environment due to COVID-19.

Executive Director of Digital Marketing and Communications/Electronic Information Technology Accessibility Coordinator, 2017-2020

Instituted project management tools to streamline processes and implement strategic initiatives across the university.
Developed and led the university’s digital accessibility program for ADA compliance, which included bringing Bradley’s website to the W3C’s WCAG 2.1 AA level.
Led a team of web design/development/content, social media, and video production professionals.

Director of Web Marketing and Communications, 2008-2017

Modernized the university’s website through a redesign that used responsive framework and focused on a mobile-first experience; upgraded all college/department/unit sites to new standardized templates.
Instituted website management tools such as Siteimprove to provide better user interfaces and experiences (UI/UX), digital campaign management, search engine optimization (SEO) and analytics-driven reduction in underutilized pages.
Developed and implemented digital marketing strategies for execution across the university.

Electronic Communications Manager, Office of Admission, 2002-2008

Created a portal system to engage prospective students while having direct connections to backend systems, including managing a customer relationship management (CRM) system to provide real-time updates.
Developed a financial tool to drive thousands of new prospective student leads that extended beyond federal net price calculator requirements, presenting estimated financial assistance awards and four-year cost-management options.
Implemented additional technology solutions for the Division of Enrollment Management; reduced costs through efficiencies such as digital document management and an application review system.

NONPROFIT SERVICE:

GBS|CIDP Foundation International Board of Directors, Conshohocken, PA, 2013-present

Board member, Secretary, Vice President; currently serving as President

Lead the board of directors to set strategic goals that advance the mission of the organization, working in conjunction with the executive director.
Meet with industry partners and donors to secure grant and major gift funding in excess of $1.5 million annually.
Expand the foundation’s global footprint by establishing a subsidiary in the European Union and increasing international liaisons.
Present on the international stage about rare disease policy and advances in therapeutic treatments. Published 6 peer-reviewed articles and posters in professional journals or symposia, including Transfusion, the journal of the American Association of Blood Banks.
Serve as a peer reviewer for the Department of Defense’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program to increase funding for rare disease research.

SYSTEMS, SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY COMPETENCIES:

Adobe Creative Cloud
Content Management Systems (CMS)
dotCMS
Google Analytics and additional Google web tools
Google Workspace
Hootsuite Enterprise
Microsoft Office Suite
Monday.com Project Management System
Organic Social Media
Paid Digital Advertising
Project Management Systems
SaaS Systems
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Siteimprove
Support System Online Helpdesk Platform
WordPress

EDUCATION:

B.S. in communications with a minor in multimedia, Bradley University, Peoria, Ill., 2002. Graduated summa cum laude.
Graduate-level coursework in business administration, Bradley University, Peoria, Ill., 2003.