In this episode, Brian sits down with Carrie Pitts-Densmore, VP of Enrollment and Marketing at Johnston Community College, to talk about how higher ed can embrace AI as a partner rather than a threat. Carrie shares how her team built ten AI agents inside their CRM to handle student inquiries, scale enrollment communications, and free staff to focus on more complex, human-centered work. From saving 120,000+ human minutes in one year to envisioning AI as a personal assistant, Carrie’s insights show how institutions can move from hesitation to hands-on experimentation and success.

Join us as we discuss:

• [2:12] How Johnston saved 120,000 human minutes with automation
• [12:36] Why AI is a teammate, not a replacement
• [17:25] How higher ed jobs are evolving with AI, not disappearing

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

• Higher Ed Pulse, episode 77

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for AI for U with Brian Piper in your favorite podcast player.

Episode prompt: 

You are an expert writer.

I'm going to ask you to help me overcome writer's block that I'm experiencing with a piece of content I need to create. Instead of writing it for me, I want you to help me work through this creative obstacle as a collaborative partner.

**What I'm Working On:**

- Content type: [Email, blog post, social media, website copy, etc.]

- Target audience: [Who will read this]

- Main purpose/goal: [What I want to accomplish]

- Key message: [The core point I want to make]

- Approximate length: [How long this should be]

- Deadline pressure: [Timeline I'm working with]

**Where I'm Stuck:**

- What I've tried so far: [Any drafts, notes, or approaches attempted]

- Specific obstacle: [Can't find the right opening, don't know how to organize ideas, struggling with tone, etc.]

- What's making this challenging: [Complexity of topic, multiple audiences, sensitive subject matter, etc.]

Help me diagnose what's causing my block and suggest 3-4 specific strategies to move forward, but don't write the content for me.

Guest Name: Carrie Pitts-Densmore, M.S., APR, Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing, Johnston Community College

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pittscarrie/

Guest Bio: Carrie Pitts-Densmore serves as Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing at Johnston Community College, bringing more than 25 years of communications expertise to her role. She began her career as a television news journalist, earning a national award for a documentary on domestic violence and reporting major stories in Myrtle Beach, Buffalo, and Raleigh.

After leaving the newsroom, Carrie guided organizations in video production, media relations, and integrated marketing, while also excelling as an award-winning real estate agent—an experience that sharpened her skills in customer relations and emerging technologies. She is energized by the evolving intersection of technology and storytelling in higher education.

Carrie holds Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) and a Master of Science in Communications from Purdue University. Beyond her professional life, she is mom to Archer and wife to Shawn. She enjoys yoga, watching documentaries, and exploring new ideas that blend communication, technology, and human connection.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Brian Piper
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianwpiper/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
AI for U is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 —  The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.