GET TO KNOW JOE
Joseph A. Brennan, MBA, PhD
Dr. Joseph A. Brennan has 35 years of experience as an executive, author, speaker, coach and consultant in the field of higher education communications and marketing. He is known for his innovative thinking, exceptional stakeholder engagement skills, collaborative leadership style, deep curiousity and calm presence . A strategic thinker and a pragmatic doer, Joe solves problems, drives growth, reduces costs and improves productivity for his employers and clients - all while putting people first.
As a chief communications and marketing officer, coach and consultant, Joe has designed and directed highly-successful marketing and public relations programs and campaigns, built award-winning teams and guided communications in dozens of crises and critical incidents. He has developed and implemented comprehensive strategies to enhance a university’s brand, produce record revenues and enrollment, and engage communities. He is a trusted advisor and thought partner for change-makers and visionary leaders.
Over a distinguished higher education career spanning nearly four decades, Joe rose from a continuing education director with a staff of 2 to become a vice president and chief communications and marketing officer directing multi million dollar budgets and overseeing dozens of employees.
Joe has seen the rise of marketing and communications in higher education as it grew from a tactical service operation to a strategic enterprise-level function. Along the way he's managed every aspect of the work: research, message strategy, writing and editing, branding, advertising, public and media relations, publications, websites, photo/video and creative services, social media, marketing tech and generative AI.
Widely regarded by his peers as one of the best strategists and crisis counselors in the business. Joe has supported more than a dozen presidents and chancellors over the years, serving them as a cabinet member and an officer of the institution. These CEOs have entrusted him to design and dirrect high-impact strategies to advance and defend the mission, finances and reputation of their institutions - and to advise them during the most difficult moments of their careers.
Joe is an in-demand speaker, podcast guest and author who writes about leadership, emergency communications, crisis management, services marketing, and the design, measurement and management of the marketing and communications function. He is a frequent contributor to Higher Ed Jobs, where his articles are among the publication's most popular. He has also published more than 20 pieces in professional magazines and peer-reviewed journals. In addition, Joe volunteers as a peer reviewer of research for the Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management.
A seasoned media spokesperson and a calm, clear communicator, Brennan has given more than 100 news media interviews - often on high-stakes topics - to television, radio and print journalists at the local, regional and national levels, including the New York Times, the Washington Post and National Public Radio. He has also represented his institutions on high-stakes issues, advocating for them with state and federal lawmakers, gubernatorial appointees, statewide system leaders and national advocacy organizations.
Known as a "heart first", collaborative and empowering leader, Joe has coached and mentored dozens of professionals and executives. He maintains a network of more than 4,000 professional contacts who often seek him out for support and guidance on difficult and complex situations.
Joe believes in giving back to his profession and his community. He has served on national boards and committees for the most influential organizations in his field: the Public Relations Society of America and the American Marketing Association. He deployed to Puerto Rico as a disaster services volunteer for the American Red Cross after a devastating hurricane, and he helped a community-based non-profit establish a community health center for persons with developmental disabilities. He currently volunteers with St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Morristown, NJ, where he has served as a lector, meditation and yoga teacher, men's ministry leader, and adult education committee co-chair.
He holds a professional certificate in leadership coaching from Rutgers University and is currently pursuing the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential from the International Coaching Federation. He is also a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) who specializes in providing accessible and trauma-informed yoga and meditation classes.
Joe's academic degrees include a PhD in English and an MBA in Marketing. He is a life member of Phi Beta Kappa and three other academic honor societies and was elected by his peers as a Fellow of the Public Relations Society of America, his profession's top distinction.