Alumni Spotlight: Eric Greene, '16
In his capacity as vice president at Kellogg Community College, Eric Greene implements strategic initiatives, builds institutional partnerships and oversees the internal relations, external relations and communications functions of the College. Greene previously served in the positions of Chief Communications Officer, Director of Public Information and Marketing and Adjunct Instructor of Journalism. Prior to joining KCC in 2012, Greene spent 19 years as a journalist, working for newspapers in Michigan and Montana. Greene grew up in rural Ionia County, graduated from Belding High School and later earned a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University and a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University. Greene is a longtime marathon runner and community advocate, serves as president of the Lakeview School District Board of Education and lives in Battle Creek with his wife and two sons.
Below he shares about his experience in the IMC program:
What are the top 3 things you learned from the IMC program, and how have you been able to apply them to your work at Kellogg Community College? As a grad student in the IMC program, I learned that marketing strategies need to be as precisely defined and as meticulously measured as possible. I also learned that a successful IMC strategy requires the many dynamic parts of a campaign or an organization to be moving in sync with each other and in alignment with the mission of the overall brand. I’ve incorporated these key principles into my work at Kellogg Community College in the development of strategic plans, enrollment campaigns, outreach practices, internal communications routines and community engagement activities.
How did you come to choose Eastern Michigan University's IMC program? In addition to being well-regarded in the marketing world, the IMC program at Eastern Michigan University is fully online, which allowed me to complete my coursework around a very busy schedule as a full-time employee, elected official, community volunteer and parent.
What are some of the benefits that you’ve experienced as a result of your IMC degree? The degree gave me confidence in my abilities as a marketer and a formal credential that recognizes that I have achieved expertise in the field.
What advice would you give someone entering the IMC program? Prepare to do a lot of reading, a lot of writing and a lot of careful time management. Do every assignment right away and don’t procrastinate. The accelerated format of the program demands a daily time commitment, but the payoff is earning a master’s degree in two years.
What business changes do you think are coming in the next 5-10 years and how has the IMC program prepared you for these upcoming changes? In the next 5-10 years, I anticipate a greater recognition of the importance of integrated marketing communications strategies in all sectors, particularly as society expects brands of all kinds to be authentic, honest and contributing to the greater good even in the midst of technological disruption and global tension. I particularly appreciate the IMC program’s heavy emphasis on real-world campaigns and marketing challenges, which oriented class conversations toward the actual rather than the hypothetical.
What did you like most about the IMC program? I most appreciated the professors, who shared their expertise and their humanity and took a caring approach when working with students. I also appreciated the bond I formed with several classmates in my cohort. By the end of the two years, we felt as if we had climbed mountains together.
What were the advantages of EMU’s IMC program being fully online? Because it was online, I never had to commute to campus or be in a classroom at a designated time. That saved me a ton of time and allowed me to complete my coursework around my busy schedule. And because it was online, I was able to work with students from around the United States and even a few who were in other countries.
What was your experience working with classmates who lived in different geographical locations? I deeply appreciated learning from their perspectives, which sometimes were different from mine because they were part of a different culture or located in a different climate or even on a different continent. The presence of geographic diversity in the program enriched our conversations and provided all students with a wider perspective.
Vice President for Strategy, Relations and Communications
Kellogg Community College