Whiteboard HIgher Education

Our People

With a combined 100+ years of experience in higher education and enrollment strategy, we’re wildly enthusiastic about our work and pride ourselves on creativity and flexibility to accommodate the dynamic nature of the enrollment cycle. We strive to deliver unmatched partnership and outstanding results every day.

Pat O'Brien

Founder, President

Jonathan P. Epstein

Senior Vice President, Enrollment Strategies

Nikki Cipolla

Vice President, Marketing and Digital Strategies

Brennan McDevitt

Senior Vice President, Recruitment Analytics & Product Innovation

Bijan Warner

Vice President, Enrollment Analytics

Ryan Malino

Executive Vice President, Operations

Rob Bielby

Executive Vice President, Client Success

Jenn Dowd

Senior Director, Analytics Operations

Sara Meehan

Director of Enrollment Analytics

Karen Townsend

Director of Recruitment Analytics

Jenna Andrews

Director of Marketing Operations

Taylor Hirsch

Associate Director of Recruitment Services

Bianca Cantiello

Senior Program Manager, Enrollment Services

Erin Burke

Data Analyst

Rich Healy

Director, Analytic Solutions

Frank Bridges

Senior Designer, Creative and Technical Services

Casey Weinberg

Director, Application Development

Matthew Moo

Data Analyst

Joe Bellavance

Senior Advisor

You could be here.
Check out our current opening

Data Analyst

Our Partnership Philosophy

Our “all things to a select few” philosophy allows us to build deep relationships with our partner institutions and establish a thorough understanding of their unique needs and goals. We take great pride in the teams we work with and we encourage you to learn more about those we are proud to call our partners. See the work. Hear their stories.
View our work

Our Commitment to ACCESS

Cristo Rey
Learn more about the partnership
We are advocates of access to education and believe that all students should have an opportunity for higher education if they choose. That’s why Whiteboard has partnered with Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School through their Scholarship Program. Our four-year scholarship supports one student on their academic journey from freshman year through graduation. Learn more about our Cristo Rey partnership and the incredible work being done at Cristo Rey Philadelphia.
Learn more about the partnership
“We created this company with efficiency in mind. We built a team who has set out to help institutions waste less of their budgets, resources, and talents by delivering smart solutions that uniquely intersect the art and science of enrollment.” — Pat O’Brien Founder & President

Get to know the team.

Let’s have a conversation
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Pat O'brien

Pat O'Brien

Founder, President
Pat spent 20 years in sales leadership, marketing and executive positions in the direct marketing and data services industry. A keen desire to take the wheel and drive led Pat to establish Whiteboard in 2013 as a provider of strategic analytics and enrollment services centered around enhanced consumer insights and exceptional outreach strategies. Pat brings a client-centric philosophy to Whiteboard centered around delivering maximum value while building meaningful and lasting relationships. Since the company’s founding, Whiteboard has become a force in the enrollment services arena building an outstanding roster of clients while attracting some of the brightest minds in the market. He holds a bachelor’s from Mount Saint Mary’s University and an MBA from Pennsylvania State University. Contact
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Jonathan Epstein

Jonathan P. Epstein

Senior Vice President, Enrollment Strategies
For more than 15 years, Jonathan has developed a reputation as a results-centered expert in student recruitment and enrollment strategy, student search, and blending innovative data analysis with practical experience. Jonathan has partnered with 100+ higher education institutions as chief strategist and lead consultant for student search. He has also worked with dozens of other institutions across all stages of the funnel. Jonathan’s core objective has always been to deliver maximum recruitment value and return on investment for every school with whom he works. A recognized thought leader, he is also the author of many well-received publications and was the recipient of the NACAC Journal of College Admission’s 2010 John B. Muir Editor Award, which recognizes the author who has made the most significant contribution to the journal. Prior to joining Whiteboard Higher Education, Jonathan served as Vice President of Enrollment Analytics at Fire Engine RED, Senior Consultant at Maguire Associates, and Associate Director of Enrollment Management at Brandeis University. Jonathan holds master’s in higher education administration from Harvard University and a bachelor’s in social psychology from Wesleyan University. Contact
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Brennan McDevitt

Brennan McDevitt

Senior Vice President, Recruitment Analytics & Product Innovation
Brennan has 10+ years of experience in campus admissions and enrollment management experience. He has developed successful recruitment strategies, including supporting campus CRMs, using analytics to drive successful student search campaigns, implementing paperless application review processes, and managing admissions staff. Brennan has a passion for operational efficiency and specializes in streamlining recruitment and enrollment procedures to maximize efficiency and reduce wasted time and effort. His direct experience with campus recruiting combined with his knowledge of the latest technological advances available to colleges and university admission offices make Brennan a valuable advisor and partner to Whiteboard’s clients. Prior to joining the Whiteboard team, Brennan spent seven years at Saint Joseph’s University as Director of Freshman Recruitment/Enrollment Operations and Director of Admissions Systems & Recruitment. Brennan began his higher education career as an admissions counselor at his alma mater, Mount St. Mary’s University, where he earned a bachelor’s in business and sports management. Contact
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Bijan Warner

Bijan Warner

Vice President, Enrollment Analytics
Bijan is a trusted partner and consultant to chief enrollment officers on all aspects of their financial aid strategies and execution and has helped numerous institutions achieve and exceed their enrollment and revenue goals. Bijan applies complex and creative analytic techniques to guide strategy at each stage of the funnel — from prospect to applicant, matriculant, returning student, and successful college graduate. By blending rigorous econometric and predictive models, a nuanced understanding of the student population, an attention to local and national trends, and a keen awareness of practical implications, Bijan collaborates with institutions in order to help them make their best and most confident decisions. His unique skill set grounded in sociological training enables him to situate the economic decision of college choice within specific social contexts. Prior to joining Whiteboard Higher Education, Bijan served as a senior consultant and analyst at Human Capital Research Corporation, where he guided the allocation of first-year aid budgets ranging from $4 million to $40 million. Bijan holds master’s degrees in sociology from the University of Chicago and DePaul University and a bachelor’s degree in information technology and English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Contact
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Ryan Malino

Ryan Malino

Executive Vice President, Operations
Ryan has 20+ years of experience in the direct marketing services industry with a focus on program engineering, technology, and successful execution. His diverse background in the industry takes him from shop floor operations to technology infrastructure to database management and everywhere in between. Ryan focuses on cutting-edge technology while marrying past know-how and industry knowledge to best engineer solutions that drive customer successes. Ryan has worked closely with many customers varying in size and across a multitude of verticals, including higher education, financial services, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and utilities. Contact
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Rob Bielby

Rob Bielby

Executive Vice President, Client Success
Rob has a passion for distilling complex data down to actionable information and insights to drive institutional decision-making. With over 10 years of experience in higher education and analytics, he has a refined understanding of student decision-making, financial aid policy, and enrollment strategy. Rob has partnered with dozens of institutions and Fortune 500 corporations to efficiently achieve their goals. By applying advanced modeling and econometric techniques to student and consumer data, he is particularly skilled at pinpointing business problems and identifying effective solutions. He has published extensively in the areas of higher education research and policy as well as in statistical methodology. Prior to joining Whiteboard, Rob has served as a senior analyst at Human Capital Research Corporation; Wayne State University; and Gongos, Incorporated. Rob holds a doctorate of philosophy in higher education/higher education administration from the University of Michigan, a master's degree in higher education administration from the University of Michigan, and a master's degree in political science from Stony Brook University. Contact
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Jenn Dowd

Jenn Dowd

Senior Director, Analytics Operations
Jenn has great depth of knowledge in higher education, technology, research, and data analysis, making her an excellent addition to the Whiteboard team. Jenn leads all efforts to drive technology innovation for the analytics team and utilizes her understanding of the student life cycle to help identify and deliver enhanced insights to our partner institutions. Prior to joining Whiteboard, Jenn served as a research analyst at Rasmussen College and at Human Capital Research Corporation as well as a research coach to master’s students at Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy. Her experience with building efficiencies for administrative and academic leadership through dynamic reporting of KPIs allows Whiteboard to provide a more holistic service to clients. And her knowledge of the student life cycle combined with her experience in teaching higher education administration graduate students how to develop and use primary research provides another level of sophistication to our analytical services. Jenn holds a master’s degree in higher education and administration from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in management, international finance, and marketing from the University of Miami. Contact
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Casey Weinberg

Casey Weinberg

Director, Application Development
Casey has over 15 years of leadership experience in designing, developing, and implementing innovative business solutions across a variety of industries. As Director of Application Development at Whiteboard, Casey drives technology initiatives, leads development efforts, and executes on business applications for the team in areas like data management and cybersecurity. Prior to joining the Whiteboard team, Casey served in a number of software development roles ranging from application development to network administration to enterprise systems architecture. Most recently, Casey was a manager of application development and then application/solution architect for enterprise architecture at Dialog Direct, a full-service direct marketing provider. Casey is trained in and has experience with Microsoft .NET technologies, Microsoft SQL databases, Oracle, PHP, and JavaScript. His experience in application and database development, solution design, and systems integrations strengthens Whiteboard’s enrollment service offerings and enhances its robust internal processes. Contact
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Jenna Andrews

Jenna Andrews

Director of Marketing Operations
Jenna oversees all operations of Whiteboard’s recruitment services, including student search campaigns. Her expertise in email and direct marketing, project management, and client relations — coupled with her technical skills in HTML and CSS, database management, and data systems — enables her to take a strong lead for the team, handling the day-to-day client campaigns. Jenna joined Whiteboard in 2015 after almost a decade in direct marketing operations roles in a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical, travel and leisure, finance, and automotive. Her depth of knowledge combined with her superior organizational skills is critical to the success of Whiteboard’s campaigns and programs Contact
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Frank Bridges

Frank Bridges

Senior Designer, Creative and Technical Services
Frank has over 30+ years’ experience in graphic design and creative development and over 15 years’ experience in direct marketing. He serves as lead designer for our partner institutions, consistently developing authentic and fresh campaigns. He has expertise in various industries from finance to gaming to pharmaceutical. His extensive programming experience for direct marketing programs gives him an incredible edge in recruitment strategies assisting with emails, microsites, data management, and web development. Frank’s philosophy aligns with our enrollment strategists for higher education partners: An institution shouldn’t just sign off on the campaign — they should love the campaign. He strives to produce outstanding deliverables with every campaign. Contact
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Bianca Cantiello

Bianca Cantiello

Senior Program Manager, Enrollment Services
Bianca leads Whiteboard’s program management efforts for Enrollment Services, including student search and digital marketing. Bianca’s unique blend of technical, communicational, and organizational skills enable her to serve as the “glue” that holds these programs together. Her problem-solving skills are impeccable, working together with our analysts and enrollment strategists to suggest and implement solutions for our partner institutions. Bianca joined Whiteboard in 2016 as a project coordinator and quickly took on a larger leadership role in her day-to-day responsibilities. Bianca has over 10 years’ experience in direct marketing, serving many roles in program management, data programming, graphic design, prepress, and digital printing. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Arcadia University in fine arts and a concentration in graphic design. Contact
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Karen Townsend

Karen Townsend

Director of Recruitment Analytics
Karen is a creative professional with over 20 years of progressive enrollment experience. At Whiteboard, Karen serves as a client lead on the analytics team, working with institutions to bring data analysis, marketing, and strategy together to identify actionable insights and find a proven path to enrollment success. Karen’s experience spans a variety of institutions, including Tufts University, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and most recently as Vice President of Enrollment Management at Kansas City Art Institute. Karen has hands-on knowledge of day-to-day admissions operations like application reading, travel planning, recruitment, and executive-level responsibilities like domestic and international recruitment, data analysis, communication planning, and serving on cabinets and boards. Karen holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from George Washington University. Contact
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Taylor Hirsch

Taylor Hirsch

Associate Director of Recruitment Services
Taylor serves as Whiteboard's Associate Director of Recruitment Services, assisting with the deployment of client campaign deliverables and serving as a trusted resource to our partner institutions. Her role aligns well with her passion for recruitment and serving students and families. Prior to joining Whiteboard, Taylor served as an admissions officer for her alma mater, Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. She was heavily involved in the day-to-day activities of the admissions office as well as a “roadrunner” for the New Jersey region. Additionally, she was an active member of campus, serving as the advisor for the National Student Organization and an officer of the Rhode Island Association of Admission Officers (RIAAO). Her experience on campus with students and in admissions gives her great insight into the recruitment process and what institutions need to be doing to be successful in today’s changing landscape. Taylor earned her MBA and bachelor’s degree from Johnson & Wales University. Contact
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Erin Burke

Erin Burke

Data Analyst
As a data analyst for Whiteboard, Erin assists the enrollment analytics team in conducting statistical and predictive analysis to deliver real-time, actionable insights and develop strategy for our partner institutions. Erin has a deep understanding of the higher education landscape so she can tailor analysis and recommendations to specific client needs. Erin has served a variety of audiences in higher education — even during her time as an undergraduate and graduate student. She developed a comprehensive understanding of the financial aid process as a financial aid assistant at the University of Michigan. There, she was responsible for maintaining student data with a focus on special populations with unique needs assessment requirements. She also worked as a college advisor in the Michigan College Advising Corps developing post-secondary plans for all graduating seniors, including aid award counseling, application initiatives, and scholarship awareness. Erin earned a master’s degree in public policy, a master’s degree in higher education, and a bachelor’s degree in history, all from the University of Michigan. Contact
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Rich Healy

Rich Healy

Director, Analytic Solutions
Rich has spent his entire career in data analysis roles with a majority of that time in higher education. His vast knowledge of data analytics, business intelligence, and product implementation helps enhance Whiteboard’s data systems, architecture, and analysis. His former work and teaching experience gives Whiteboard another stellar customer-facing analytics team member to help build bridges between clients and their data and allow them to draw insights and strategy to deepen the impact of analysis. In his most recent role before joining Whiteboard, Rich served as the senior analyst in the Office of the Provost at the University of Chicago. In this position, he generated data intelligence regarding various strategic enrollment and academic initiatives. Prior to that, Rich was Analyst Team Manager for Academic Analytics where he transformed the process and infrastructure for the analyst team. He has also held several institutional research positions, including Director at Central Ohio Technical College and Assistant Director at The Ohio State University. Rich has also spent over a decade teaching coursework in geography and also academic research methods at various two-year and four-year higher education institutions.
 Rich holds a master’s degree in economic geography and a bachelor’s degree in geography from The Ohio State University. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies in economic geography at The Ohio State University. Contact
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Sara Meehan

Sara Meehan

Director of Enrollment Analytics
Sara is a seasoned business analyst with proven analytical and data management expertise promoting informed, strategic decision-making and integrating technology solutions designed to optimize operational efficiencies. She has spent the past 15-plus years in enrollment management, serving in a variety of roles at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. As an enrollment business analyst, Sara’s responsibilities have run the gamut, including institutional research, information technology, CRM implementation, enrollment analytics, and financial aid. In her most recent role as Director of Enrollment Information Systems, Sara led all analysis and interpretation of financial aid and recruitment data for strategic enrollment initiatives, developed custom dashboards within the Slate system, and served as liaison with external financial aid consultants for all budget projections and packaging strategies.
 Sara holds a master’s degree in public administration from American University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from James Madison University. Contact
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Joe Bellavance

Joe Bellavance

Senior Advisor
Joe has been helping admissions offices meet their enrollment goals for over 30 years. As an enrollment leader working at both public and private institutions, he understands the dynamic nature of the marketplace and the importance of helping institutions understand who they are, identify students they serve, and connect the right message for their audience. Joe has an impressive background in the enrollment space, including Dean of Enrollment at Lyndon State College, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Nichols College, and Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing at Regis College.
 Before starting his own consulting firm in 2019, Joe worked at the College Board for over 10 years where he led the New England Higher Education Division and most recently served as the Senior Program Director for their Student Search Service®, Enrollment Planning, and Segment Analysis Service enrollment programs. Contact
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Matthew Moo

Matthew Moo

Data Analyst
Whiteboard Higher Education is proud to announce that Matthew Moo has joined the company as a Data Analyst, further expanding the company’s analytical offerings and expertise. In this role, Matthew will leverage his enrollment and technical backgrounds to help facilitate Whiteboard’s impressive analysis and visualization capabilities. “Matthew is the perfect complement to our established group of analysts and enrollment consultants,” says Rob Bielby, Executive Vice President for Client Success at Whiteboard. “He has all of the skills we are looking for and brings an amazing energy level and passion for higher education. Our clients will absolutely love working with him.” Matthew comes to Whiteboard with experiences in both higher education and data analysis. He most recently worked as a risk analyst at Radian, a Philadelphia based mortgage insurance company where he wrangled big data and predictive models. Prior to Radian, Matthew served as a Graduate Assistant in Undergraduate Admissions at Creighton University, where he developed his love for enrollment management.
 Matthew holds an MBA and BS in Finance and Economics from Creighton University and currently resides in Philadelphia, PA. Contact
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Nikki Cipolla

Nikki Cipolla

Vice President, Marketing and Digital Strategies
Nikki is a marketing strategist who has been fortunate to build her experience in a variety of roles and industries. She has worked client side within higher education & a Fortune 500 company, directed marketing & media relations for NFL players and led numerous CPG accounts during her time in advertising. From new product rollouts, developing digital campaigns or pitching & securing media placements, Nikki has become a journey leader who creates multifaceted, integrated campaigns fit for the ever changing world. During her time at Ursinus College, Nikki was faced with navigating one of the most disruptive times in recent memory: COVID-19. Quickly moving things online that had never been virtual, refining the entire digital user experience and launching the college’s first advertising & brand campaign was an incredible challenge. However, by leveraging all of the learnings from throughout her career — and executing with amazing partners on campus — Nikki was able to assist Ursinus in making their class in both 2020 & 2021. Nikki holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Siena College and an MBA from Union Graduate College (now Clarkson University). Contact
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Data Analyst

We’re seeking a bright, motivated analyst to join our growing organization to help us continue to redefine analytics and predictive modeling in enrollment management.

Our analytics offerings are built on the premise that the higher education landscape is undergoing a seismic transformation and successful institutions require a new standard in sophisticated analytics, econometric modeling, and responsiveness to the needs of students. Our team is focused on applying the newest technologies to develop effective solutions for our partner institutions.

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong desire to grow professionally then we would love to hear from you.

Position

As Data Analyst, you will join our growing Enrollment Analytics team in a collaborative environment focused on strategy, insights, client relationships, and innovative delivery. You will work with structured and unstructured data to build out analyses and deliverables that drive decision-making. This is a dynamic opportunity with space to innovate and grow our analytics toolkit and work across a multitude of projects.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain trusted partnership with client institutions
  • Play a key role in the continued development and implementation of standards of data management and transformation of data into informational assets
  • Collaborate with Enrollment Analytics team to provide real-time, actionable deliverables using data visualization and written summaries
  • Condition and maintain client and proprietary data sets
  • Develop a comprehensive understanding of the higher education marketplace, industry best practices, student decision-making, and the economics of higher education

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • 2–3 years data analytic work experience
  • Experience in higher education admissions or financial aid a plus
  • Client-focused with strong critical thinking, problem-solving, written communication, and presentation skills
  • Practical data management, analytics, and visualization experience, including utilization of software such as Microsoft Excel, SPSS, Tableau, SAS, R, Python, or SQL
  • Data governance experience, especially in Tableau Online or SQL, a plus
  • Demonstrated ability to work across multiple teams and projects, especially in a remote environment
  • Entrepreneurial spirit with a commitment to growing and improving the team and business more broadly

Location

Whiteboard is a remote organization. Some travel will be required once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

Compensation

Compensation is commensurate with education and experience. Additional compensation includes payments from an established bonus pool. Whiteboard is also proud to offer our employees medical healthcare coverage, flexible vacation time, and a robust 401(k) plan that includes a company sponsored matching component.

Application

Résumé and cover letter should be submitted to Opportunities@GoWhiteboard.net. Whiteboard Higher Education is an equal opportunity employer.

Why Whiteboard

Whiteboard Higher Education is built on the foundation of trust, responsibility, and the utmost respect for our work, our associates, and our clients. Our main objective is to help schools identify, engage, and enroll high-quality students while improving key financial and academic metrics through our core service offerings: targeted student search, strategic financial aid awarding (yield), and market research.

We are a unique blend of experienced strategists with on-campus enrollment experience as well as talented designers and analysts that deliver maximum return on colleges’ marketing and recruiting budgets. In short, we become an extension of our client’s admissions office. We believe in creativity and flexibility and are wildly enthusiastic about the work that we do.