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After conducting national searches, Stephens College has hired Derrell Carter as vice president for strategic marketing and Dr. Steve Pankey as vice president for enrollment management. Carter and Pankey will begin at Stephens on Sept. 1.

Derrell Carter headshotCarter served for the past three years as associate vice president of communications and institutional advancement at Triton College in River Grove, IL, where he oversaw development and implementation of the college’s mission, vision and three-year strategic plan. He also led development of Triton’s first diversity, equity and inclusion plan for employees and students, oversaw grants processes for securing $8.8 million in external funding, and managed a division of more than 20 staff.

Previously, Carter was senior manager of corporate communications at BMO Harris Bank in Chicago, IL, vice president of global internal communications at Arthur J. Gallagher in Itasca, IL, and communications manager at Boeing in Chicago, IL, and St. Louis, MO.

“Derrell brings a rare combination of corporate and academic experience and leadership to Stephens,” President Dianne Lynch said. “He is ideally situated to lead our efforts to establish Stephens successfully in the increasingly competitive higher education marketplace.” 

Carter has received numerous awards for his work, including the Platts Global Energy Award for Best Marketing Campaign and the Pacific Plains Region Silver Quill Award of Excellence. He holds master’s degrees in political management (George Washington University), business (University of Missouri-St. Louis), media communications, and finance (Webster University). He earned his B.A. in Public Relations from Webster and is a doctoral candidate in Leadership at American College of Education.

Steve Pankey headshotPankey most recently oversaw enrollment services and the registrar’s office for Des Moines Area Community College, which included recruitment, admissions, international student services, academic records, scheduling, transcripts, credentials and registration for 73,000 students across six campuses and six additional instruction sites across central Iowa. He has served the higher education community in various roles for the past 15 years, heading numerous recruitment and retention initiatives at two- and four-year institutions, both public and private.

After several years of working in mental health, Pankey says he discovered his passions for student development and enrollment management, and is dedicated to supporting student access, success and persistence.

“I have been so impressed with Steve’s professional expertise, understanding of the higher education marketplace, and genuine appreciation for the value and impact of a Stephens College education,” Lynch said. “He’s the ideal leader for Stephens as we build on current strengths and launch innovative new degree programs — including a business degree with an e-sports concentration, a new co-ed Conservatory for the Performing Arts, and an expanded education program.”

Pankey earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri, his master’s in counseling psychology from Avila University, and his Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He will relocate to Missouri from Ankeny, IA, with his wife, nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son.

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