American College of Education Taps USA Track & Field Exec as New CMO

INDIANAPOLIS (December 12, 2018) – A new executive will take up the baton at American College of Education in the new year.

Jill Geer, a national award-winning media maven with more than two decades of experience in communications, PR and marketing, will take the lead as the college’s chief marketing officer on January 2, 2019, overseeing integrated marketing operations and driving organizational and enrollment growth.  

Geer previously served as CMO at USA Track & Field, spearheading initiatives to connect marketing and promotional efforts in sponsorship, events, communications, merchandise, events, entertainment properties, and PR. Under her direction, the nonprofit brought on more than 10 new partners in a four-year span, driving more than $4M in revenue and recording 30% growth in organizational membership.

Geer’s Integrated Marketing Communications team at USATF was recognized with the Shorty Awards Audience Honor for Multicultural Community Engagement for USATF’ss RunJumpThrow program, a nationwide initiative in collaboration with The Hershey Company that brings the fundamentals of track & field – and Olympic medal-winning athletes – into under-resourced communities. Her group’s work was also heralded by PR News for its innovative Facebook campaign during the 2016 Olympic Games, which resulted in 31,000 new Facebook fans, driving 19 million impressions and an increase of 495,644 engagements for USATF.

“We are thrilled to have Jill join our team,” said ACE President, Dr. Shawntel Landry. “She brings very strong experience in building brands and we know she will be instrumental in our strategic growth plans.”

Geer’s appointment marks a watershed moment for the college, which is increasingly claiming more of the market share. While declining enrollment rates continue to plague higher education, ACE has experienced year-over-year growth, with average enrollment up 23% in 2017 and 14% in 2018.

“I am thrilled to be joining ACE at a time when it is poised for exponential growth,” Geer said in a statement. “The quality of ACE’s educational offerings, combined with its reputation as a Certified B Corp, make it a unique and inspiring opportunity.”