Melanie Bélanger
Pismo Beach
Summary
Strategic District Marketing Director with extensive experience in public relations and brand management within higher education. Skilled in leading cross-functional teams to develop impactful marketing campaigns and optimize resource allocation, resulting in enhanced community engagement and increased student participation in dining initiatives.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
District Marketing Director
Chartwells Higher Education
San Luis Obispo
05.2023 - Current
- Lead strategic marketing, public relations, and engagement initiatives for a $55M+ multi-unit campus dining program.
- Analyzed campaign performance to refine future marketing efforts.
- Cultivated relationships with local media outlets, securing press coverage that elevated the visibility of campus dining initiatives.
- Oversee brand strategy, digital media, merchandising, vendor relations, and student-focused campaigns across residential, retail, catering, concessions, and summer programs.
- Serve as a key liaison between Chartwells and campus stakeholders to ensure alignment with institutional goals and enhance the student dining experience.
- Increased social media engagement by 173% through data-informed content strategies that resonate with Gen Z audiences.
- Led all public relations initiatives, including media relations, crisis communication, press releases, and executive communications, strengthening Chartwells' reputation within the campus and local community.
- Directed marketing and communications for a $40M renovation project, including signage design, brand storytelling, and promotional rollouts for new dining venues.
- Executed full merchandising strategy for newly launched dining concepts in the 1901 Marketplace, including national brands and local concepts (coffee, Mexican, Mediterranean, buffet, poke, and boba).
- Managed relationships and collaborative marketing efforts with third-party vendors, ensuring brand consistency, promotional success, and positive ROI.
- Presented quarterly KPI and performance reports to key stakeholders, analyzing campaign results and engagement metrics to guide strategic marketing decisions.
- Produced high-impact campaigns and events to support themed dining, seasonal promotions, sustainability initiatives, and DEI programming.
- Built strategic partnerships with university departments to co-develop aligned marketing and student engagement efforts.
- Conducted competitive research, student surveys, and market analysis to optimize brand messaging and service offerings.
Director of Marketing & Creative Services
UC Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara
05.2019 - 06.2023
- Directed multi-channel social media strategies, boosting online engagement among target audiences.
- Enhanced digital marketing strategies, significantly increasing student engagement and participation in campus events.
- Developed digital and print materials, enhancing event visibility and participation.
- Coordinated media partnerships, increasing community engagement and visibility.
- Supervised and mentored a team of 9-12, enhancing marketing and design skills.
- Implemented a data-driven approach to budget management, leading to optimized resource allocation and improved marketing ROI.
- Led UCSB Recreation marketing, optimizing resources with strategic budget management.
- Conducted market analysis to identify trends, guiding development of targeted campaigns that resonated with UCSB community.
Marketing Communications Specialist & Graphic Designer
Santa Barbara City College
Santa Barbara
09.2011 - 05.2019
- Led rebranding for athletics and institutes, creating logos and campaigns with measurable impact.
- Managed social media strategy, resulting in a significant increase in engagement across major platforms.
- Enhanced brand visibility through targeted marketing campaigns, contributing to increased community engagement and higher event attendance.
- Collaborated with departments to develop tailored marketing solutions, improving engagement.
- Produced diverse marketing materials that effectively communicated SBCC's messages and maintained high quality.
- Designed print/digital media to convey SBCC's brand identity, enhancing public perception.
Art Director
MARCOA Media, LLC
San Diego
11.2004 - 01.2011
- Led design team to create military publications, increasing client engagement and satisfaction.
- Directed publication layout, ensuring consistency and client specification adherence.
- Developed interactive digital publications, expanding distribution channels.
- Oversaw press checks and digital distribution to ensure publication accuracy.
- Managed document proofreading to enhance publication quality and reliability.
Graphic Designer
San Diego Magazine
San Diego
12.2003 - 07.2004
- Redesigned Clutch magazine to elevate visual appeal and increase reader engagement.
- Directed editorial and cover photoshoots, achieving high-quality publication standards.
- Developed targeted advertising strategies that improved client campaign effectiveness.
- Managed operations of custom publishing division, ensuring alignment with client requirements.
Advertising Art Director
Phoenix Media Communications Group
Boston
09.2001 - 08.2003
- Designed advertising materials for major newspapers, increasing brand visibility and audience reach.
- Led art department of six, fostering creativity and collaboration to deliver high-quality editorial and advertising content.
- Produced diverse print materials for clients, improving marketing effectiveness and client satisfaction.
- Led team of six to create editorial content, elevating publication quality and engagement.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Graphic Design
Notre Dame College
Manchester, NHSkills
- Marketing Strategy
- Brand Strategy
- Digital Marketing
- Content Creation
- Social Media Management
- Brand Management
- Campaign analysis
- Market Research
- Team Leadership
- Project Management
- Team coordination
- Vendor management
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Acrobat
- Sitefinity
- Drupal
- OmniUpdate
- Asana
- Wrike
- Mailchimp
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Excel
- Innovation
- Stakeholder communication
- Copywriting
- Stakeholder communication
Certification
- Managing New Managers Certificate, 10/01/20
- Enterprise Communication Certificate, 05/01/19
- Managing to Maximize Performance Certificate, 04/01/19
- Management Tool Box Certificate, 03/01/19
- High Performance Teams Certificate, 12/01/18
Awards
2026, SIA Awards | Service Industry Advertising Awards
- Silver — Website
- Silver — Website Refresh (Dineoncampus.com/calpoly)
2025, National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS)
- Grand Prize and Gold for Innovative Dining Program of the Year
- Grand Prize and Gold for Outreach and Education Program of the Year
- Silver for Renovation of the Year
- Honorable Mention for Residential Special Event of the Year
2025, MarCom Awards
- Platinum — Marketing Team Excellence
- Platinum — The Dish, Weekly Email Newsletter
- Gold — Instagram Engagement (@cpcampusdining)
2025, Education Digital Marketing Awards
- Gold — The Dish, Weekly Email Newsletter
- Silver — Instagram (@cpcampusdining)
2025, Collegiate Advertising Awards
- Gold — Dining Plan Brochure Series
- Silver — Social Media Marketing Video
2012-2017, Community College Public Relations Organization
- Honorable Mention: Outstanding Employee of the Year (SBCC)
- 1st — SBCC College Promotional Video
- 1st — Manipulated Photo, Summer Enrollment
- 1st — Promotional Advertising Campaign: Career Skills Institute (CSI) Program Launch
- 1st — Career Skills Institute Logo
- 1st — Atkinson Art Gallery Posters
- 1st — McDonald's Food Tray Liners
- 1st — Promotional Advertising Campaign: #1 Community College in the Nation
- 1st — Student Recruitment Book/Viewbook
- 2nd — Commencement Photography
- 3rd — Lamp Post Banner/Outdoor Media
- 3rd — College Fair Postcard and Atkinson Art Gallery Posters
- 3rd — Promotional Advertising Campaign: A Top 10 Community College in the U.S.
Timeline
District Marketing Director
Chartwells Higher Education
05.2023 - Current
Director of Marketing & Creative Services
UC Santa Barbara
05.2019 - 06.2023
Marketing Communications Specialist & Graphic Designer
Santa Barbara City College
09.2011 - 05.2019
Art Director
MARCOA Media, LLC
11.2004 - 01.2011
Graphic Designer
San Diego Magazine
12.2003 - 07.2004
Advertising Art Director
Phoenix Media Communications Group
09.2001 - 08.2003
Bachelor of Arts - Graphic Design
Notre Dame College