Insights from NACRO Annual Conference Panel Discussion

As I completed my last month in the Georgia Tech Office of Corporate Engagement this summer, I sincerely enjoyed joining Chelsy Cegielski of the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the 2026 NACRO Annual Conference panel – “From Transactional to Transformational: A Leadership Panel on Building Sustainable Corporate Engagement in Salt Lake City!”

Here are just a few of my key takeaways from my comments:

1. Campus leadership is needed.
2. One doesn't need to manage everyone, but someone does need to lead.
3. Metrics need to be truly holistic and all-encompassing.
4. Central-team metrics need to support, not compete with campus partners.
5. CRMs need to take into account truly holistic corporate opportunities and revenue types that can come to our campuses (think, think, think . . . I am counting seven currently).
6. Gifts are not a form of engagement.
7. Justifications for change: Multiple types of fear (Disappointing campus stakeholders. Disappointing leaders. Disappointing partners. Partnering with the wrong companies can create serious problems).

These are just a few.

Sincere thank you to Jen Claude and Redpath Consulting Group for the invitation – and for the fantastic audience questions!

Mark Nolan, most recently Associate Vice President of Corporate Engagement with Georgia Tech, is Founder of J. Mark Nolan Consulting.