About Us - The Parish Group

ABOUT

TPG

For over 35 years, The Parish Group has been at the forefront of the higher education marketing industry. Located in the artistic city of Asheville, North Carolina, we are a laser-focused team of creative and analytical professionals committed to uniting schools with their best-fit students.

Our proven methods use the tools of research, big data, common-sense branding, innovative multichannel communications, and responsive photography and video. Our partners enjoy extraordinary service, measurable and trend-setting success, holistic and proven experience in enrollment management processes, cutting edge technology, and creative collaboration in all engagement.

We are a Slate Preferred Partner and work with institutions ranging from private universities to state schools to HBCUs. We are a one-stop and fully comprehensive shop for your student recruitment marketing and beyond. Together we do BIG things has been our driving force and commitment for
over three decades.

Maryann Parish

Maryann is the financial leader of The Parish Group. She is the fiscal manager and institutional advocate for all partner projects. She tracks and audits time, expenses, budgets, vendors, and all production costs. She also manages and controls mailing and postage expenses for fulfillment projects. Her attention to detail and efficiency is appreciated by our client-partners.

President | Co-Founder | CFO

Award winning ad agency owner, master gardener, world traveler, Riley’s human.

Bill Parish

Based on a successful advertising photography practice, specializing in professional and student recruitment, Bill Parish co-founded The Parish Group in 1988. His skill and leadership in evaluating, targeting, and capturing the university student experience have led to three decades of growth, innovation, and measurable success for client-partners.

Co-Founder |
Senior Vice President of Creative Services |
Lead Photographer

Former Ansel Adams assistant, landscape and lifestyle art photographer, Maryann’s ride or die, and ringmaster of inspiration.

Eric Bryan

Eric provides oversight of The Parish Group’s business development, research and analytical teams, digital strategies, and new-student search campaigns. For over 25 years, Eric has provided enrollment consultation to schools across the United States. His predictive analytics and vast knowledge of student recruitment funnel optimization have resulted in increased yield, record enrollments and new market development for institutions of various sizes and selectivity.

Senior Vice President of Enrollment Strategies

Former college football letterman, race car driver, aspiring abstract floral painter, and vintage motorcycle builder.

Marcus Webb

With over a decade of enrollment management experience for both public and private institutions, Marcus touts the intersection of the philosophical components of enrollment with the data driven. Having served in various capacities related to strategic enrollment management, recruitment, net-revenue generation, communication, data analytics, multi-platform CRM development and optimization, and financial aid leveraging, Marcus seeks opportunities to create solutions for the constantly evolving challenges of the enrollment landscape

Vice President of Enrollment Analytics | Chief Slate Strategist

Serial pragmatist, resident scowler, occasional ice climber, and amateur jiu-jitsu enthusiast.

Roger Jones

Roger has a long history and in-depth experience in higher education that make him a valued enrollment partner. He has been a part of the transformation of the industry, having started his enrollment management career in the mid 90s. Roger has served in multiple roles in conjunction with mid-size, public, public research, community college, and private liberal arts institutions.

Assistant Vice President of Partner Development

DJ, believes no suit is complete without a bow-tie and Jordans.

CANDACE SPENCER

Candace has a 13-year history with undergraduate admissions marketing. She first partnered with The Parish Group while working as Director of Interactive Media and Marketing at High Point University. During her time at HPU, she created a strategic plan for website migration and increased social media engagement by over 3,000 percent. Her working knowledge of market research, the admissions process, multichannel marketing campaigns, and targeted brand messaging is a vital asset to our client-partners.

Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Strategies and Communications

Fan of decoy wrapping, slipping in obscure movie quotes, good shrubberies, and color-coded closets.

JULIA WATSON DOZIER

Julia holds an MFA in Creative Writing from North Carolina State University and a BA in English from Florida State University. As an avid reader, writer, and researcher, she thrives on crafting compelling, sharp copy for both technical and creative purposes. Julia runs the internal marketing and social media for The Parish Group, as well as copywriting for client projects.

Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Content Creation

Published poetry and prose writer, big fan hot sauces, pop punk bands, and her dog (or anyone’s).

Lauren Sauriol

Lauren is a Slate Strategist with vast knowledge of admission operations. Having served in various roles from Communication Manager to Director of Admission Operations and Technology, Lauren blends her love for writing and Slate to assist partner institutions to better their communication and CRM strategies. When she’s not working with our partner institutions, you can find her writing for the TPG Blog. As a double alum of the East Stroudsburg University Communication Department, Lauren keeps her finger on the pulse of admission trends to write timely blogs while also assisting partner institutions with their CRM enhancement.

Slate Strategist

A motorcycle-riding, pasta loving, bandana-making dog lover living it up in the hills of Eastern Tennessee.

Jim Schlimmer

Having served as Chief Enrollment Officer for 9 colleges across 7 states over 4 decades, Jim has administered the financial aid recruitment processes and created financial aid modeling systems to optimize first-year and returning students’ revenue streams. He firmly believes enrollment plans should be discernible and transparent with trackable KPIs.

Director of Enrollment Analytics

Data nerd, believes in the power of a good spreadsheet, loves tennis and bicycling.

Meredith Rushing

Meredith is an award-winning, client-focused designer with over 35 years of experience in educational recruitment and corporate design. She provides creative direction for her team as well as hands-on graphic design for clients. As a second photographer on photo shoots, she loves interacting directly with students as well as professors.

Art Director | Lead Designer | Photographer

Long distance, open water swimmer with an obsession for creating architectural paper sculptures and traveling the world in her spare time.

Andraya Avery

With extensive knowledge in both web (and print) graphic design, Andraya ensures that brand identity and UX are consistent in the digital aspect of every project. She creates and maintains search microsites, develops and edits digital content, oversees and designs email campaigns, and manages The Parish Group’s digital engagement campaigns.

Lead Web Designer | Digital Communications Specialist

Left-handed horror and special effects aficionado who plays video games and longboards in her spare time.

Joaris Manning

Joaris was born in Puerto Rico and moved to the U.S. with her family when she was young. In her first life, Jo was an architect, but she realized that graphic design was the most enjoyable part of her work. She returned to school and earned a degree in graphic design. Now, Jo has nearly a decade of experience designing in the print production and online world.

Graphic Designer

Originally from Puerto Rico, former architect, graphic designer of awesomeness.

Riley Parish

Riley is the mascot for The Parish Group. He protects Maryann from potential intruders and bad business deals. Ever the high-energy worker, Riley makes sure that every toy is utilized to its fullest potential and every couch is ergonomically suitable.

K9 Resources | Mascot | VP of Zoomies

One-eyed, bear chasing, doggy daycare exile devoted to his stuffed octopus.

AVL

ROOTS

Asheville is more than a picturesque mountain destination in Western NC. It has a thriving scene of arts and culture that inspires our work everyday. We are lucky to be in one of Asheville’s most iconic and recognizable buildings centrally located in the heart of downtown Asheville in Pack Square Park. Our newly renovated creative loft space gives us access to everything the city has to offer.

Whether it be striking murals and art exhibits, award winning cuisines, creative crafts and brews, or the flourishing music scene, Asheville truly is the creative center of the universe.