Active Governing Board Ties Local Organizations and Hiring Decision-Makers to Students
DENVER, May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The University of Denver Daniels College of Business is pleased to announce its 2026-2027 Marketing Advisory Board. The Board is an active governing body dedicated to supporting student placement through strategic relationships with Colorado’s top organizations and hiring decision-makers. Co-chairs Jack Buffington, a professor at the University of Denver, and Jen Lester, CEO of Philosophy Communication, Inc., lead the Board.
“The Board is transforming into an active governing seat,” said Jack Buffington, co-chair of the Marketing Advisory Board and professor at the University of Denver (DU). “Higher education continues to be more and more competitive, and we need advocates who are championing the University’s excellence and helping our students find jobs. It’s that simple.”
The Board members play a critical role in raising the bar for the Daniels College of Business Marketing Department. During the 2026-2027 academic year, the Board will focus on two main initiatives: Engaging Industry with the Classroom and Student Success.
“The Board is comprised of top marketing thought leaders who have exceptional networks,” said Jen Lester, co-chair of the Marketing Advisory Board. “We need to tap into our connections to achieve the University’s goal of 100% student placement. I’m confident that it can be done if the professors, administration, and the Board work in lockstep toward this goal.”
The 2026-2027 Marketing Advisory Board members include:
- Jack Buffington is co-chair of the Marketing Advisory Board, a DU professor, and director of supply chain and sustainability at First Key Consulting.
- Jen Lester is co-chair of the Marketing Advisory Board and is CEO at Philosophy Communication, Inc., a marketing and public relations agency.
- Madhumita Das is vice president, OCIO Quality Engineering at Empower, a financial services and retirement plan provider.
- Debra Dodson is senior director in the Cloud Supply Chain organization at Microsoft, Inc.
- Craig Elston is group senior vice president, strategic planning and analytics, at Mars United Commerce, part of Publicis Groupe.
- Mark Lohmann is CEO at Birdcall, a fast casual restaurant.
- Heather Moran is senior managing director of business value for health care and life sciences at Salesforce, a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform.
- Melissa Kellogg is marketing director at Leprino Foods, a leading manufacturer of dairy ingredients.
- Lisa Kislak is a fractional chief marketing officer with expertise in hospitality, consumer packaged goods, and professional services industries.
- Scott Prindle is partner at Spatial Matters, a spatial computing company that designs and builds immersive applications for industries, including manufacturing, health care, and entertainment.
- Troy Lerner is CEO of Booyah Advertising, Inc., a full-service digital agency.
The Marketing Advisory Board members commit to their Board positions annually. Each year, co-chairs review the Board composition and engage in a thoughtful process to identify the potential skill sets needed to support the Marketing Department and the demands that today’s hiring community expects from graduates.
The Marketing Advisory Board meets every six weeks. It is supported by the following DU faculty and staff: Melissa Akaka, Ana Babic-Rosario, Ali Besharat, Ph.D., Jenny Dobmeier, Bob Kumagai, Michael Myers, and Cristin Tarr.
If you are interested in serving on the Board, please contact Ali Besharat P.h.D., chair of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver Department of Marketing at Ali.Besharat@du.edu.
About the Daniels College of Business Marketing Advisory Board
The Daniels College of Business Marketing Advisory Board consists of 11 top leaders who bring a wealth of knowledge and industry connections to the Marketing Department. The Board supports the Department’s commitment to meeting the ever-changing needs of the marketing field. Industry experts gather every six weeks during the academic year to address strategic department initiatives, serve as a sounding board, leverage industry relationships for students, and act as guest lecturers on relevant class topics. For information about the University of Denver Daniels Marketing Advisory Board, please visit https://daniels.du.edu/marketing/advisory-Board /.
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SOURCE University of Denver Daniels College of Business
