Melissa is available for speaking opportunities on various subjects. Frequent topics include organizational culture, the Three Fundamentals of Leadership, and executive communication strategies.
“I had the good fortune to participate in leadership retreats led by Melissa Richards, who was incredibly adept at guiding us to discover our strengths and to learn how to best collaborate on addressing the crucial issues our university was facing.”
– Mark M.
You can hear Melissa speak at these upcoming events:
Building Organizational Trust from the Ground Up. Melissa with Ellen de Graffenreid, vice president for communications and marketing at Grinnell College. 2025 Counselors to Higher Education (CHE) Senior Summit, Washington, D.C. March 24-26. This conference is SOLD OUT!
Trust by Design: Checklists for Building Trust with Colleagues. Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) 2025 School Marketing and Communication Conference (Virtual). April 1, 8 a.m. Eastern Time.
Mergers and Closures in Higher Ed. Viv Higher Ed. (Virtual). April 17, 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
The Essential Checklist and Dashboard for Presidential Communications. Melissa with Keith McCluskey, director of public relations strategy at William & Mary. CASE Conference on Marketing and Branding. Los Angeles, CA. June 4-6.
Past Topics
“Roadmap to Leadership.” Carrie Phillips, CCMO, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and Melissa Richards, Principal and Founder, iMarketingMix LLC. 2024 American Marketing Association (AMA) Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education.
Panel discussion leader: “Higher Education Voices.”
PRSA Counselors to Higher Education (CHE) Senior Summit, Nashville, TN
Panelist: “What Sororities Can Learn from Women’s Colleges.”
National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) Annual Conference, Dallas, TX
“The 30-60-90 Day Checklist for New and Aspiring Vice Presidents.”
CASE Conference on Marketing and Branding, Seattle, W
“Lessons from #ProjectPowerLunch: A Focus Group Case Study.”
CASE District III 2013 Conference, Atlanta, GA
“Strategic on a Shoestring.”
College Communicators Association, Winter 2019 Conference, Georgetown University; Co-presenter, PRSA Counselors to Higher Education 2017 Conference, Washington, DC
“How Sweet Briar College Found Its FIERCE.”
American Marketing Association Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, Orlando, FL. Capture Higher Ed’s Resolve Conference, Louisville, KY
“Process, Partnerships, and Internal Alignment.”
Co-presenter, CASE District II 2017 Conference, Baltimore, MD
“The Importance of On-Campus Brand Reinvigoration to Brand Lifecycle: Virginia Tech’s ‘I invent’ Campaign.”
Co-presenter, CASE District III 2013 Conference, Atlanta, GA (February 2013). Co-presenter, American Marketing Association Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, New Orleans, LA. Accompanying paper published in the American Marketing Association Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education 2012 Professional Proceedings Journal.
“Managing Outsourced Creative Resources.”
Panel presenter, College Communicators Association Fall 2012 Conference, Old Dominion University
“Get Smart for Campus Visits with a Mobile App.”
Co-presenter with Kelly Queijo, Smart College Visit; College Communicators Association Fall 2012 Conference, Old Dominion University
“Print vs. Online Magazine – Effect of Medium on Open Rate and Memory.”
Co-presenter, College Communicators Association Spring 2012 Conference, University of Richmond
“What Advancement Leaders Need to Know about Magazines.”
Panel presenter, CASE District III 2012 Conference, Atlanta, GA
“Recreating the Campus Visitor Experience.”
Co-presenter, American Marketing Association Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, Chicago, IL. Accompanying paper published in the American Marketing Association Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education 2011 Professional Proceedings Journal.
“Think Like Your Audience: Energize Content Development with Personas.”
Co-presenter with Blair Garland, Roanoke College; College Communicators Association Fall 2010 Conference, University of Virginia
“Turning Brand Enthusiasts into Brand Ambassadors.”
American Marketing Association Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, San Diego, CA. Accompanying paper published in the American Marketing Association Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education 2010 Professional Proceedings Journal. Virginia Tech Brand Ambassador Certification Program. Founder and instructor of numerous courses in this certificate program for staff and faculty
“The Beginner’s Checklist for Leveraging Social Media to Market Higher Education.”
American Marketing Association Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, Boston, MA. Accompanying paper published in the American Marketing Association Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education 2009 Professional Proceedings Journal.