Summary

Learning and development professional with more than 30 years of experience across the full program life cycle, including needs analysis, program design and development, facilitation, implementation, and evaluation, within corporate, postsecondary, and entrepreneurial environments. Proven track record in talent development program coordination, instructional facilitation, communications campaign design, learning management systems, and data-informed reporting.

Skilled in stakeholder engagement, cross-functional project team coordination, and the development of creative communication campaigns that engage learners and demonstrate measurable program impact. Brings a global perspective from leading marketing strategy across six international markets and managing programs supporting diverse, multicultural participant populations.

Skills Highlights

• Program design, development, implementation, and evaluation
• Needs analysis and curriculum development
• Learning management systems: Blackboard Ultra, D2L, Brightspace, Banner, Captivate
• Communication campaigns and learner engagement
• Microsoft Teams, Zoom, SharePoint, and virtual meeting platforms
• Survey design, data analysis, and executive reporting
• Virtual and in-person facilitation
• Tracking, documentation, and reporting of program participation and completion
• Stakeholder, vendor, and cross-functional project team management
• Global and multicultural program delivery

Professional Experience

Multi-Disciplinary Professor and Program Coordinator, Georgian College — May 2018 to September 2026

• Lead the full program life cycle for the Digital Content Creation and Strategy program, including needs analysis, curriculum design, development, implementation, and ongoing evaluation.
• Facilitate in-person, blended, and virtual instructional sessions, applying adult learning principles across diverse and multigenerational learner groups.
• Develop and deliver communication campaigns to promote program offerings, achieving application growth exceeding 50 percent year over year.
• Coordinate program and project team meetings, providing updates to academic leadership and external stakeholders.
• Manage tracking, documentation, and reporting of student participation, progression, and completion within institutional learning management systems.
• Collect and analyse participant feedback through surveys and engagement data to inform curriculum enhancements.

Founder and Digital Strategy Lead, The College Prof — May 2025 to present

• Designed and launched a continuing education and digital engagement platform supporting learner retention, content accessibility, and strategic communication.
• Established key performance indicators and analytics frameworks to track learner engagement and progression.
• Built CRM-informed communication workflows and audience segmentation systems to sustain learner engagement across a diverse participant base.

Contract Lecturer, Lakehead University — September 2022 to present

• Independently designed, developed, and facilitated university-level coursework in Business Communications and Marketing, including all assessments and learner mentoring.
• Applied adult education principles to support achievement and professional development within a multicultural postsecondary environment.

Instructor, Teaching and Training Adults, Georgian College — May 2020 to September 2023

• Delivered continuing education programming focused on adult learning principles and multigenerational, multicultural classroom facilitation.
• Designed and delivered a full leadership training program for major clients in various vertical markets, applying needs analysis to align program content with organisational requirements.

Instructor, York University — May 2021 to September 2022

• Delivered postgraduate instruction in Integrated Marketing and Digital Marketing Communications, independently developing all course content and assessments.
• Provided student advocacy and career navigation support to domestic and international learners.

Program Coordinator, Georgian College — 2019 to 2021

• Led stakeholder engagement, project coordination, and strategic communication across Business, Computer Studies, and Interactive Web Design programs.
• Led the development of two new programs and the renewal of an existing program, conducting market research, competitive analysis, and formal statements of interest.
• Developed digital workflow systems supporting paperless administration and cross-functional program coordination.

Principal, Turtleback Canada Inc. — September 2014 to December 2022

• Led more than 18 integrated B2B and B2C marketing campaigns, establishing KPIs and data analysis frameworks to evaluate campaign effectiveness.
• Increased average client website traffic by 53 percent and supported average revenue growth of 8 percent.
• Managed agency, vendor, and media relationships while overseeing brand governance and communication standards.

Marketing Manager, Nedco — May 2011 to October 2014

• Directed advertising, branding, and promotional programs across 39 locations, managing regional campaigns, budget allocation, and brand governance.
• Implemented Marketo-driven marketing automation, contributing to more than 8 million dollars in direct sales growth.
• Increased customer loyalty by 12 percent and recruited, trained, and onboarded a team of five.

Marketing Manager, Visioneering — September 2007 to April 2011

• Directed international marketing strategy and global brand positioning across six international markets, managing annual budgets exceeding 500,000 dollars.
• Directed twelve major international trade show campaigns with year-over-year attendance growth averaging 8 percent.
• Recruited, trained, and developed a team of ten subject matter experts and support staff.

Education

• Ph.D. Candidate, University of Windsor — Educational Leadership and Policy (2022–2026)
• Master of Business Administration, University of Fredericton — Leadership and Innovation (2018–2021)
• Teaching and Training Adults Certificate, Georgian College (2018–2019)
• Advertising and Marketing Communications, Computer Programming, Georgian College (2015–2018)
• Bachelor of Arts, English, York University (1991–1994)

Selected Facilitation and Presentation Topics

• Training the Multi-Generational and Culturally Diverse Classroom
• Effective Team Building in a Multi-Generational Workforce
• Student Engagement and Persistence in Postsecondary Education
• Bridging the Student/Instructor Gap Through Conversational Introductions
• Digital Learning, Inclusion, and Engagement Strategies

Published Articles

Connell, K., & Connell, S. (2026). Canada's International Student Surge and Decline.

Connell, K. (2024). Understanding why students quit and why they don't: A look at Tinto's Student Integration Model and Bean's Student Attrition Model. Graduate Education Research Conference, University of Windsor.

Connell, K., & Smith, C. (2023). The intersection of SEM and equity: A systematized literature review. Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly, Special Edition, 3–23.

Connell, K. (2023). The impact of the international student experience on persistence in higher education. RISE Symposium.

Additional Strengths to the Role

Program Design and Delivery: More than thirty years designing and delivering training across corporate and postsecondary environments, supporting the full program life cycle from needs analysis through evaluation.

Communication Campaigns and Learner Engagement: Performance-driven communication and CRM-informed engagement campaigns, including initiatives contributing to over eight million dollars in direct sales growth.

Global Program Coordination and Vendor Management: Managed budgets exceeding five hundred thousand dollars across six international markets and led proposal development and multi-stakeholder agreements.

Facilitation and Stakeholder Engagement: Operational coordination and stakeholder engagement across multiple academic programs, supported by graduate training in HR strategy and coaching.

Data-Informed Program Evaluation: Doctoral research on learner persistence and engagement, applied to communication strategy and resolving learner concerns, demonstrates the analytical capacity to turn participant feedback into program improvements.