Phillips, chief marketing and communications officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will conclude her term as chair of CASE District IV later this year, a role she held from 2024 to 2026, after serving as chair-elect beginning in 2022. She will continue to serve in an advisory role as past chair. 

CASE — the Council for Advancement and Support of Education — is a global professional organization composed of colleges, universities, independent schools, and nonprofit institutions. It supports professionals in fundraising, alumni relations, communications and marketing, and provides strategy and tools to strengthen enrollment, engagement and long-term sustainability.

The end of Phillips’ formal leadership marks the culmination of a nearly 20-year volunteer journey with CASE District IV that began, she said, almost by accident.

“This was never the plan,” she said. “After getting my degree, I planned to work for a year or so at a college while the economy got better and then find something else. Instead, I found a career.”

That early work in higher education led to what she describes as a “voluntold” assignment — attending a CASE district conference that quickly pulled her into volunteer service. From there, she moved into successive cabinet and conference leadership roles, including serving as District IV conference chair in 2020.

“I left the first conference with a volunteer spot the next year. The rest, as they say, is history,” she said.

When she stepped into the chair-elect role, Phillips said District IV lacked a cohesive structure for engagement outside its annual conference. That gap became the foundation for what she considers her most significant contribution.

“Our district didn’t quite have an identity,” Phillips said. “I developed the engagement model that our district implemented. We created a plan that didn’t exist and executed it. That plan resulted in more than 1,000 engagements each year outside of the conference for our district. I’m really proud of that effort.”

Phillips said the work positioned the district for continued growth. The framework she helped design has since been adopted by all seven other CASE districts. She also shared the results with CASE trustees at a national meeting a few years ago, elevating both District IV and ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s presence in national advancement discussions.

Leading a district that spans Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, required alignment, Phillips said. Member institutions vary widely in size, mission and resources. She and the District IV cabinet worked to build a shared framework that could connect and support those institutions through intentional outreach and programming.

“We sat down as a cabinet and looked at our overall engagement goal, identified the groups we wanted to reach and developed tactics to support them,” she said. “It was a very marketing-driven approach.”

That systems-focused leadership mirrors Phillips’ work at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock, a metropolitan research institution committed to expanding access to education and preparing career-ready graduates for the regional workforce. In her role at the university, she oversees institutional marketing and communications strategy. That work shapes ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s enrollment messaging, strengthens brand positioning, and aligns the university’s storytelling across campus. Through her involvement with CASE, Phillips has connected ����Vlog��ý Little Rock with national best practices and peer institutions addressing similar priorities in enrollment, communications and institutional positioning.

“CASE is good for ����Vlog��ý Little Rock,” she said. “There are so many institutions that we can always learn something from.”

Those connections have had practical impact. Phillips said early planning for the university’s upcoming centennial celebration has been informed by conversations with CASE colleagues across the country. She also has contributed to CASE efforts to establish professional metrics for marketing and communications — standards designed to help institutions assess effectiveness and improve operations.

“Because of my involvement at the leadership level, we’ve been able to give feedback and help shape those standards,” she said. “When complete, that work will be a key tool to help units across the world assess their approach and continue improving their marketing and communications function.”

She credited ����Vlog��ý Little Rock leadership, including Chancellor Christina S. Drale and Vice Chancellor Christian O’Neal, with supporting her service and recognizing its institutional value.

“I have to begin with thank yous,” Phillips said. “Chancellor Drale and Christian O’Neal were both incredibly supportive of my CASE involvement. They saw the bigger picture of how this could help the institution.”

O’Neal said Phillips’ leadership strengthened both District IV and ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s reputation.

“Carrie’s leadership has elevated not only our work at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock, but the visibility of our institution across the CASE District IV region and beyond,” O’Neal said. “She brings a thoughtful, strategic approach to everything she does and has a unique ability to connect people and ideas in meaningful ways. Carrie has managed well at home and well at CASE. We are all better for it.”

Chancellor Drale said Phillips’ impact has been just as significant within the university.

“Carrie brings to the table a consummate professionalism that has allowed us to transform our marketing and communication division into the powerhouse it is today,” Drale said. “She has an impressive creative talent as well as sharp analytical skills. But her superpower is her ability to understand the importance of mission and purpose and translate those into strategy, structure, and messaging. And for an extra bonus, she is a delight to work with.”

For Phillips, the most lasting impact of her CASE journey is rooted in community.

“CASE friends became family,” she said. “We are better together.”

As she hands leadership to her successor, Baleigh McCoin, executive director of Advancement and Marketing at Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas, Phillips is confident in the district’s continued progress. Phillips said she is especially proud that McCoin is the first leader from a two-year institution to serve in the role. 

“We’ve built the framework, and I’m excited to see her build on it and continue to refine it,” she said.

While her term comes to a close, her involvement continues, as does the work of advancing institutions such as ����Vlog��ý Little Rock through collaboration and shared purpose.

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The E. Joseph Savoie Leadership Award honors a District IV president or chancellor who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to advancement, collaboration, and innovation within their institution. 

Under Drale’s leadership, ����Vlog��ý Little Rock has achieved its strongest enrollment growth in 15 years, including a 29% increase in freshman students and an 18% increase in transfer students. Her focus on affordability has led to the creation and expansion of high-impact programs like the Half-Off Scholarship and Trojan Guarantee, reducing tuition costs by more than $3.8 million for Arkansas students.

“When I took this position 5½ years ago, my institution had a lot of challenges, and we were looking for a way forward,” Drale said. “I knew that my job was to build a clear and coherent path forward. I remember sitting at my desk with a blank sheet of paper in front of me and writing the word focus in big letters in the middle of the page. We had to come back to the center of our mission and focus on the things that defined our purpose as part of the educational landscape in Arkansas.”

Drale was selected for her steady, visionary leadership during one of the most challenging periods in ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s history.

“Chancellor Drale has led ����Vlog��ý Little Rock through a pivotal period with clarity and purpose,” 2025 CASE District IV Conference Chair Rebecca Nievar said. “Her ability to drive meaningful change while keeping students at the center of every decision exemplifies the very best in higher education leadership.”

Drale has remained committed to student success, institutional integrity, and collaborative leadership. Her efforts helped the university stabilize and grow, with this past fall marking a 40% increase in applications for the upcoming semester. The university’s Centennial Campaign has already surpassed $215 million raised toward its $250 million goal, with nearly two years remaining in the campaign that will celebrate the university’s 100th anniversary.

“She listens deeply, plans intentionally, and never loses sight of the bigger picture,” said Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement. “She brought clarity, focus, and strength to every decision, refusing to let circumstances define our future. She placed student success and access to affordable, high-quality education at the center of everything. That steady leadership is producing real results.”

Drale concluded with a powerful reflection on education’s resilience and impact in times of adversity.

“Every institution shares a belief, an essential faith in the transformational power of education,” Drale said. “No matter how difficult things may be or what might be taken away, we don’t have to stop helping students discover that power. We can do it every day as long as we focus and keep the faith.”

About CASE District IV

CASE District IV represents professionals and institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, providing support and recognition for excellence in alumni relations, communications, development, and marketing.

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CASE District IV includes Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. You can visit the to see a full list of winners.

“I am really honored to see the MarComm team honored for a wide variety of items,” said Dr. Carrie Phillips, chief marketing and communications officer at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Their hard work and dedication to ����Vlog��ý Little Rock continues to shine through in the great work they produce.”

����Vlog��ý Little Rock received three Best of CASE District IV awards for Trojan Guarantee in the Communications-Communications Initiative category, Marketing-Advertising (online) category, and Marketing-Marketing Initiatives category. The Trojan Guarantee Campaign focused on promoting ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s newest scholarship initiative, which provides a scholarship covering full tuition for Pell-eligible students.

Additionally, ����Vlog��ý Little Rock received a Best of CASE District IV Award for Yield Postcard in the Alumni Relations-Alumni Relations Initiatives category. ����Vlog��ý Little Rock created an innovative postcard campaign aimed at increasing student enrollment by reaching every Arkansas high school student with personalized, hand-written postcards. ����Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty, staff, and alumni volunteered to write postcards to prospective students. The alumni team organized writing parties with alumni board members, transforming these events into engaging community events.

“We are incredibly proud of our Communications and Marketing team for earning these prestigious awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education,” said Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement. “It’s a testament to the hard work, creativity, and dedication of our team in showcasing the amazing things happening at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock. We’re also proud of the alumni team for engaging our alumni to help reach future Trojans. We’re committed to telling the university’s story in a way that resonates with our community and beyond, and these honors reinforce that we’re making an impact.”

����Vlog��ý Little Rock also received Best of CASE District IV Awards for:

• Writing-Profile (1,000+ words) for the article, “Williams’s Legacy Will Impact Generations”
• Video-Promotional (Short) for the Expect More Campaign video featuring Bryan Hernandez
• Publications-Student Recruitment (Series or Package) for a comprehensive series of undergraduate student recruitment materials
• Marketing-Advertising (Online) for the Expect More with ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Campaign

Visit /communications/ to find out more about ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications and Marketing.

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Tooks has been appointed to a two-year term as the Director of District IV Awards Co-chair, where she will be responsible for overseeing the district’s award programs, including chairing the Hall of Fame Award, Rising Star Award, and E. Joseph Savoie Chief Executive Leadership Award, and Top Hand Award.

“I am very excited about my new role with CASE,” Tooks said. “I think this will be a good opportunity for me to grow professionally, and I am grateful for the opportunity.”

Among her new duties, Tooks will be responsible for recruiting judges, securing nominations, spotlighting winners, developing a stewardship program, supporting membership engagement, and coordinating with the communications and social media director to highlight people and program awards on social media.

Tooks received a scholarship for new professionals to attend the 2023 CASE District IV Conference. She also served as a member of the Program Committee for the 2024 Conference, where she helped to select speakers and plan this year’s conference.

Tooks, a native of Camden, joined the ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Office of Alumni and Development in 2022. As director of annual giving, she is responsible for the management and implementation of the ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Foundation’s annual giving program.

She has made great strides since she took over the Campus Campaign and even presented about the success of the program during a session called “Employee Giving 101: Revitalizing the Program” at the 2024 CASE District IV Conference in San Antonio, Texas. She also participated in a panel discussion about the future of advancement in the next 50 years.

“I had the opportunity to meet some really great people during the conference,” she said. “Being a speaker at this year’s CASE Conference gave me the opportunity to learn and to grow personally and professionally. I am looking forward to growing those connections and building more relationships with professionals in advancement and higher education.”

Tooks is an active member of the community, serving as a member of the Alliance Ambassadors Program for Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, the ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Staff Senate, the Hope (Helping Overcome Poverty through Education) scholarship committee at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Children International, and the Friends of City Parks Conservancy. Last year, she was named to Arkansas Business’ 2023 Class of 20 in Their Twenties, which puts the spotlight on talented young leaders in the state’s business and nonprofit community.

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“I am incredibly honored to serve District IV as its new chair,” Phillips said. “CASE is an organization that has invested so much in as a person and as a professional. It’s one of the first places I look for resources in learning and professional development. To get to be in a leadership position in an organization that has given so much to me is a really special opportunity.”

In this new role, Phillips, a distinguished leader in the field of higher education advancement, will spearhead initiatives to support and enhance the personal growth of university advancement professionals across the region, which includes Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, for the next two years. Phillips is the first ����Vlog��ý Little Rock employee to serve in this position.

“I think it is incredibly special to represent this university and help highlight the great things that are happening at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock,” she said.

Among her duties, Phillips is responsible for creating an engagement strategy to support CASE members in District IV, meeting with other CASE district chairs to collaboratively support CASE, representing the district at all CASE meetings, and overseeing district activities. These include annual conferences, professional development meetings, leadership cohorts, supporting membership engagement efforts, welcoming new members, and providing them with resources and updates about CASE and the industry. CASE District IV also has two professional development cohorts for new professionals that have been in the industry under three years as well as senior leaders, which is instrumental in helping retain a talented workforce.

With a proven track record of leadership and innovation, Phillips is set to lead the cabinet in advancing the goals and initiatives of the organization across District IV.

“As chair elect, I helped put together an engagement strategy concept that every CASE district has adopted,” Phillips said. “During my time as chair, I would like to fully implement that strategy together with my cabinet. For example, we have not hosted a district conference in Oklahoma since 2009. We will be doing an onsite regional conference in Oklahoma.”

Having been actively involved in CASE since 2009, Phillips has served as a conference volunteer, presenter, conference chair, and chair-elect, as well as on two national working groups who worked to revitalize CASE awards and grant programs.

Phillips joined ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Marketing and Communications team in 2022. She had previously served as director of communications and marketing at Arkansas Tech University.

She earned a Doctor of Education in higher education administration from Texas Tech University, where she studied how regional public universities are using marketing efforts to mitigate the enrollment cliff. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and a Master of Arts in multi-media journalism from Arkansas Tech. In 2023, Phillips was recognized as one of the top 10 higher education marketers to follow by Social Media Strategies Summit.

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