Meet Dr. Jane Everson, Director of Hickory Metro Higher Ed Center.

She is responsible for overseeing the identification, recruitment, and delivery of educational programs; marketing the center and its programs; and monitoring and evaluating the fiscal and programmatic health of HMHEC.

With a PhD in Urban Services, Dr. Everson’s background includes work in university faculty and administrative positions, most recently with Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Since the inception of HMHEC in 2003, her role has been to lead the establishment and development of a regional center for higher education.

The Hickory Metro Higher Ed Center was established as a collaborative partnership of colleges and universities in Western North Carolina. Partners have grown over the years to include: Appalachian State University, Catawba Valley Community College, Lenoir-Ryhne College, the city of Hickory, Catawba County, the University of NC Chapel Hill, the University of NC Charlotte, Western Carolina University, Northwest Area Health Education Center of Wake Forest University Medical Center, Winston-Salem State University and Mountain State University.

Because the region did not have a public university presence, one of Dr. Everson’s greatest marketing challenges was the need to market both a new initiative (HMHEC) and a new opportunity (public education). About her partnership with Gotham to address these challenges, she says, “Gotham has been willing to try new ideas, work with HMHEC staff to evaluate results of these ideas, and change or abandon them if they do not provide results. I am most pleased with two avenues: creativity of newspaper and radio ads and enhancements to our website.”




HMHEC’s successes have been numerous including: increased website traffic, increased student enrollment, and increased public awareness of HMHEC’s mission and the benefits of public higher education within this region. The center offers more than 70 different undergraduate degrees and graduate degree programs and a master's program. Since the inception, more than 600 individuals have completed their degrees through off-campus programs and online programs in Hickory.

Client
The YMCA of Catawba Valley is a non-profit health and human services organization that is committed to helping people grow in spirit, mind and body.  It serves people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and incomes.  A community-based organization, the YMCA strives to make all programs and services available to everyone.

Target Audience:
Catawba Valley Residents

Objective:
To raise $3 million for the improvement of YMCA facilities.

Challenge:
Raise the funds necessary to make significant improvements:
1.) Build new basketball courts
2.) Build new tennis courts
3.) Add a climbing wall
4.) Most importantly, construct a new, updated bathhouse to support the center's
aging swimming facilities
5) Invest in new sports fields and facilities.

A new $600,000 bathhouse, basketball courts, tennis courts, a climbing wall for the teen center at the Hickory YMCA, a zero-depth splash park for kids, surfaced playing fields, and lighting for playing fields. The fundraising campaign was challenging due to a large sum of the capital campaign going towards new, but in some cases unexciting projects in the minds of donors; i.e. a bathhouse.

Solution:

a.) Design a Creative Folder for Communications
The visuals consisted of children running, swimming, climbing, and playing tennis juxtaposed with prominent graphics of action verbs- "Climb", "Swim", "Run", "Play" and "Volley."  The copy also related to how these new elements will help keep kids occupied, out of trouble and help prevent obesity.

b.) Incorporate Prominent and Well-known YMCA Philanthropists
The YMCA requested that we use key figures CO Miller, who was manager of the foundation Center, which predated the current Hickory YMCA,  Adrian Shuford, the man who donated all the land for the original site in Conover, and Kathy Kim, who has taught tennis at the Foundation Center and the YMCA for over 30 years. They want donors to identify with these people who gave deeply in the past.  These individuals were well known in the business community, added credibility and provided the history and the story behind the mission of the YMCA. 

c.) Launch a Pioneering Platform-"Unlock the Potential"
The platform countered the bathhouse stigma by making the appeal to the Catawba Valley residents who wanted to do something positive to answer childhood obesity issues.  Another key benefit promoted in the messaging was limiting boredom in kids by keeping them active and out of trouble.

Results:
Phase One of the "Unlock the Potential Campaign" has been completed and the bathhouse, which required $600,000, was built only five months after the launch of the campaign.  To date, the Capital Campaign has reached half its $3 million dollar goal in a region that is suffering economically.

Client's Reaction to the Project:
Director of Financial Development for the past seven years, Angela Chapman, is extremely pleased with the creativity and impact the campaign has had to date. She stated, "Unlock the Potential clearly states what this campaign is about, it is a great lead-in for a conversation with a potential donor." Angela is optimistic that the $3 million dollar goal will be met in a challenging economic climate.