TargetX Names Winners of 5th Annual X Awards for Excellence in Student Recruiting

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Student recruiting firm TargetX has recognized two of the top colleges in the South for their innovative approaches to recruitment marketing.

Saint Leo University in Florida has received the 5th annual X Award in recognition of an institution that has made great strides in "overthrowing dead culture," the phrase adopted by TargetX CEO Brian Wm. Niles to represent the company's philosophy of modernizing admissions marketing.

And Brad Pochard, Associate Vice President of Admission at South Carolina's Furman University, has become the third individual to receive the X Award for leadership, innovation and success.

Pochard is leading a comprehensive effort to increase Furman's application pool, strengthen its presence in existing markets and expand recruitment efforts into new markets. He has successfully led the Department of Admission in enrolling a record number of students for the 2011-2012 academic year, according to the university.

"Brad is making changes happen at a very traditional institution where change doesn't always come easy," said TargetX VP of Consulting Jeff Kallay, one of higher education's top thought leaders. "He made tough decisions, implemented new ideas and shook things up -- and has been very successful."

At Saint Leo University, the number one change agent is the president, Dr. Arthur F. Kirk, Jr., whose creative leadership extends to the enrollment office.

"The admissions team doesn't look at how other schools are recruiting students," said Kallay. "It forges its own path based upon an effective blend of gut-instinct and research. Online and in-person recruiting experiences are strategically designed and executed to work together. This truly is a culture of overthrowing dead culture."

TargetX created the X Award in 2007 as a way to recognize revolutionary marketing efforts by the nation's admissions offices.  The first winner was Hendrix College, followed by Albright College in 2008, California Lutheran University in 2009 and Spelman College last year. In 2009, the company decided to also recognize an admissions officer for individual achievement and presented the award to Providence College's Christopher Lydon, followed last year by Bryan Lester of the Sage Colleges.

"We're looking for schools and individuals who have embraced the remarkable shifts taking place in how students seek information about colleges and how colleges communicate with students," said CEO Niles.

TargetX has the credentials to present an award for revolutionary marketing. The company spearheaded the student recruiting revolution in 1998 when it was founded to help higher education take advantage of the power of email to communicate with prospective students.  Since then, it has continually developed new and more effective technology tools for admissions offices -- culminating in a groundbreaking, cloud-based CRM system called the Student Recruitment Manager®.

Today, TargetX is the leading student recruiting firm serving higher education, thanks to its unique blend of technological innovation and unmatched experience and expertise in college admissions.

"TargetX has been at the forefront of recognizing and responding to the needs of colleges as they struggle with marketing challenges," said Niles, "which is why we feel empowered to recognize their successes and reward them for a job well done." 

For more information, visit www.targetx.com

SOURCE TargetX