Eddie Francis

Eddie Francis is a strategic communications veteran who has led marketing and communications at four institutions. His work has been featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Volt, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed. He contributes to the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium and has appeared on podcasts including “Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO,” “The HERC Jobs Podcast,” “Higher Voltage,” “Higher Education Marketing Leader” and “The Higher Ed Marketer.” Francis also contributed to the books “The 30-60-90-Day Handbook: Checklists for Communications and Marketing Leaders in Higher Education” and “Epic Content Marketing for Higher Education.”

Although Francis launched his career in radio, he found his voice in higher education. He led public relations at Southern University at New Orleans, where he developed the university’s branding and redesigned its website. He moved on to Paul Quinn College, where he helped spark an enrollment increase amid a public relations crisis. At Dillard University, he led the “Write Your Legacy” brand refresh, expanded the university’s licensed merchandise offerings and led its website redesign. He also served twice as the fractional communications and marketing leader at Talladega College.

Francis learned the importance of finding the right people to help an organization meet its business goals during his time in talent acquisition. He recruited for the award-winning global recruitment firm Cielo and brands including Quest Diagnostics, Staples, Lowe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market and Tyco SimplexGrinnell.

Francis’ honors include recognition among New Orleans Magazine’s “30 People to Watch,” the Press Club of New Orleans’ Best Radio Entertainment Feature Award and two nominations for the AMA Foundation’s Higher Education Marketer of the Year award. He is a member of the American Marketing Association and served on the planning committee for its Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education.

Francis earned his master’s degree in strategic leadership from Tennessee State University and his bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Loyola University New Orleans. He is the proud husband of Halima Leak Francis, the proud father of Stevie, a dog daddy to Allegra and a cat daddy to Asa.