Case Study

Background

Northland Pioneer College (NPC) serves a geographically large and rural district in northeastern Arizona, encompassing both Navajo and Apache Counties—regions highly prone to wildfires during summer months. With multiple campuses and centers spread across remote areas, maintaining instructional and operational continuity during a wildfire poses significant challenges.

In 2025, I developed a comprehensive Operations Continuity During Wildfire Disruption plan to ensure educational and administrative resilience. This initiative stemmed from prior seasonal closures, increasing wildfire risk, and the need for clear district-wide response protocols that balance employee safety, academic continuity, and public service.

Project Development

2.1. Purpose and Scope

The plan was designed to maintain college operations, safeguard stakeholders, and ensure continuity of education during wildfire-related disruptions. It established specific operational phases aligned with the Navajo County “Ready, Set, Go” alert system, addressing instructional continuity, data protection, communication, and the movement of college assets

2.2. Framework and Stakeholders

The development process engaged cross-departmental leadership, including:

• President’s Cabinet (strategic oversight and executive decision-making)

• Institutional Effectiveness and Emergency Management Teams (risk assessment and documentation)

• Technology Advancement and Support (TAS) (data, systems, and communications continuity)

• Academic Affairs (instructional contingency planning)

• Human Resources (employee safety and accountability protocols)

• Facilities and Operations (asset protection and relocation logistics)
  
  

The plan’s backbone relied on predefined communication channels (RAVE alerts, website, email, SharePoint), emergency relocation sites, and digital instruction continuity within 48 hours of any closure

3. Tabletop Exercise: Testing the Plan

3.1. Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness, coordination, and decision-making efficiency of the wildfire continuity plan, NPC conducted a tabletop exercise with the President’s Cabinet in Summer 2025. The exercise simulated a wildfire impacting the Show Low and Snowflake campuses, requiring immediate closure and relocation of executive and operational functions.

3.2. Scenario

• Trigger: A rapidly advancing wildfire near Show Low forced emergency evacuation orders within a 12-mile radius.

• Immediate Response: Activation of the “Ready” phase — securing critical assets, notifying departments, and preparing for remote operations.

• Escalation: Transition to “Set” phase, requiring relocation of key equipment and President’s Cabinet operations to the Painted Desert Campus in Holbrook.

• Outcome Challenge: Communication disruptions simulated to test redundancy plans, including the use of landline phones and cloud-based document access

3.3. Participants

All Cabinet members, including the President, Vice Presidents, HR Director, IT Director, and Deans, participated in role-play scenarios involving:

• Staff accountability and safety reporting

• Relocation of technology and records

• Activation of remote learning platforms

• Public information and media coordination

• Vendor and partner notification protocols
  Operations Continuity during Wi…

3.4. Methods

The tabletop was facilitated using FEMA-style simulation and guided discussion. Each decision point was evaluated based on:

• Timeliness of response

• Role clarity and chain of command

• Communication redundancy

• Effectiveness of coordination between academic and operational areas

• Continuity of student services (financial aid, advising, tutoring, etc.)

4. Results and Findings

4.1. Strengths Identified

• Clear leadership continuity: Relocation plans for northern and southern evacuations provided immediate direction for Cabinet operations

• Robust communication structure: The RAVE system, coupled with internal SharePoint updates and scheduled leadership briefings, ensured consistent messaging.

• Data integrity and IT preparedness: Daily offsite backups and redundant cloud systems minimized risk of data loss.

• Cross-department collaboration: Strong alignment between Academic Affairs, IT, and Student Services allowed academic continuity within 48 hours of disruption.

4.2. Gaps and Areas for Improvement

• Role documentation: Some supervisors required clearer written procedures for employee safety check-ins.

• Resource reallocation logistics: Clarification needed for vehicle key management and temporary equipment redistribution.

• Community communication protocols: Identified need for pre-approved public templates for social media and press releases to ensure unified external messaging.

• Alternate location readiness: While the Holbrook and Show Low sites were designated as primary relocation hubs, additional secondary locations will be developed through tribal and county partnerships

5. Post-Exercise Actions

Following the tabletop, NPC implemented the following enhancements:

• Created Cabinet Continuity Binders with role-specific checklists, contact trees, and communication templates.

• Conducted staff safety verification drills through HR and department supervisors.

• Established quarterly plan reviews through the Institutional Effectiveness office to incorporate seasonal updates.

• TAS began installing redundant landline systems in high-risk zones to ensure voice communication during internet outages

• Developed a public information workflow integrating the President’s Office, Communications, and County Emergency Management.

6. Conclusion

The tabletop exercise validated that NPC’s wildfire operations continuity plan is a practical, actionable framework capable of sustaining academic and administrative operations during regional wildfire events. Through simulation and cross-functional evaluation, the college strengthened its preparedness posture, refined leadership coordination, and reaffirmed its commitment to community resilience.

The lessons learned from this exercise now guide future emergency planning efforts, including expansion to other disruption scenarios such as floods, power outages, and cyber incidents. As wildfire risk continues to rise in Arizona, NPC remains proactive in ensuring operational stability, student success, and institutional excellence, even in the face of natural disasters.

Executive Summary

This case study documents a two-year transformation of Northland Pioneer College’s (NPC) marketing and communications strategy. Beginning in July 2023, NPC launched a comprehensive, phased overhaul under the leadership of a newly appointed Director of Communication, Katie Matott. The strategy focused first on creating a unified visual and operational system and then on expanding outreach to underserved student populations. The result was a measurable increase in digital engagement, improved internal collaboration, reduced costs, and growing market share across key regions. This case serves as a testament to the power of structured leadership, intentional design systems, and data-driven planning in rural higher education settings.

Background & Initial Challenge

Before the strategic transformation, NPC’s marketing efforts were fragmented and inconsistent. Each member of the marketing team created materials independently, often without reference to a shared visual identity or college-wide message. Outreach efforts were reactive, largely influenced by immediate needs rather than long-term goals. Meanwhile, the team operated across different campuses without centralized communication tools, leading to inefficiencies and duplication of effort.

At the same time, NPC faced a glaring equity gap: although Native American residents made up 54% of the population in the college’s service area, they accounted for only 35% of the enrolled students. Adult learners—another crucial demographic for community colleges—were also underrepresented in outreach strategies. There was a clear need to rethink not only how the college marketed itself but to whom and with what consistency.

Phase I – Unified Marketing System (Implemented by Jan 2024)

The first phase of the transformation focused on building internal structure and visual coherence. At the heart of this was the implementation of a comprehensive design system—a consistent set of templates, fonts, colors, and messaging points. These tools were distributed via email and supported through the adoption of Microsoft Planner, a project management platform that allowed for shared calendars, file storage, and task visibility.

The shift to in-house production was a pivotal decision. Rather than relying on third-party vendors, the college invested in graphic design talent internally. This allowed for faster turnaround times, tighter alignment with institutional branding, and significant cost savings.

Feedback from the marketing team was overwhelmingly positive. Staff found Microsoft Planner more intuitive than previous systems and appreciated the improved transparency across projects. This phase laid the foundation for all future outreach—creating a recognizable, trustworthy identity for NPC in the community.

Campaign Performance

NPC’s Spring 2023-2025 campaigns utilized a diversified media strategy—including social media, digital display, and paid search to increase engagement and drive enrollment.

• Search Ads achieved the highest performance with a CTR of 37.11%, indicating a strong alignment between user intent and ad targeting.

• Display Ads followed with a 1.60% CTR, showing effective visual engagement, especially among Apache County residents and females aged 18–24.

• Social Media Ads yielded a 3.81% CTR, still above industry average benchmarks for higher education.
  
  

Across all channels (October 2023 - December 2024):

• Over 1.6 million impressions were generated with a minimal budget.

• The campaigns delivered 390,000+ annual visits to NPC’s website; over 300% increase compared to previous years.

• Completed applications increased by 42% and new students who enrolled increased by 24% compared to the previous semesters.

• Total campaign spend did not exceed previous years, and in many cases was significantly lower. 
  
  

These results highlight the success of NPC’s Phase I strategy, which focused on unified messaging, visual consistency, and targeted digital outreach—laying the groundwork for future enrollment growth and equity-driven marketing in Phase II.

Regional Market Share Improvements

The Apache region, with one of the smallest populations in the college’s service area, emerged as a standout, achieving a 2.84% market share. South NPC followed closely with 2.63%. NPC saw concrete gains of at least 2% in both regions as a result of these coordinated efforts. reflecting strong community engagement and effective targeting.

These gains point not only to successful marketing but also to increased trust in NPC’s ability to deliver on its promises.

Client Background

NAPA White Mountains is a regional network of three NAPA Auto Parts locations serving a diverse customer base, from do-it-yourself auto enthusiasts to professional technicians. Our collaboration began in 2020, when I led the development of an integrated marketing strategy combining digital outreach and local media. After I transitioned out of my agency role and the account was reassigned to a successor, the client soon experienced a sharp decline in performance metrics, including engagement, impressions, and ROI. Unsatisfied with the direction of their campaigns, they reached out to re-engage me in a freelance capacity, seeking to restore the success and consistency previously achieved under my management. I continued in this role until the owners retired in 2024.

Initial Challenges

• A lack of local content production and engagement after my departure

• Strategy focused only on impressions rather than performance (CTR & conversions)

• Disconnection between creative content and location-based customer behavior

Strategic Solutions Implemented

1. Re-engaged Local Audiences: Produced monthly on-site videos with staff across all 3 locations to promote trust and visibility.

2. Re-optimized Ad Campaigns:
   I shifted the campaign objective from maximizing impressions to maximizing CTR, improving quality traffic and engagement.

3. Analytics-Driven Refinement:
   Audience demographics we reviewed and determined that the audience (per client) were heavy in ages 45+. Targeting was redefined resulting in a significant shift in ages 18–24, making up 22.8% of the audience (and an increase of 10%), resulting from content recalibrations.

4. Hyper-Local Targeting:
   Designed ads around store-specific promotions to increase store visits, driving directions, and direct calls.

5. Consistent Creative Refresh:
   Produced multiple campaigns across the year: sales videos, seasonal campaigns, and walk-through content, supporting both branding and lead generation.
   
   

Results & Metrics

Improvements were seen across all KPIs compared to the previous management:

This further demonstrated the importance of localized content and regular engagement, which were reintroduced in late Q1 2024 when I resumed management.

Client Takeaway

The client expressed renewed satisfaction and confirmed that campaign results exceeded expectations — both in customer visibility and in-store conversions. They credited the rebound to the strategic and hands-on approach I brought back to the project.

Conclusion

This project exemplifies the impact of strategic leadership, localized storytelling, and data-driven campaign planning. By re-centering the focus on measurable outcomes and community relevance, I was able to restore — and exceed — previous levels of performance.