Well, it was bound to happen. At long last, the tenth season is upon us, and wow do we have an exciting round of guests lined up. This season, we went Presidential. Just like in season five, all of our guests are the current President, President-Elect, or Past President of their regional NACAC affiliate.

We're leaning all the way in on the current leaders of the profession - the folks managing the debate over ethics in their state, the regional college fair circuit, and whether to get cookies or hummus at the conference social.

Episodes will be released every Tuesday between now and November 4th. But, as always, we might have a surprise or two up our sleeves in the mean time.

It seems like we've been saying it for years and years: college fairs are dying out. And yet, here in 2025, they continue as strong as they have been in some time.

Part of that is the enduring nature of the event - and part of it is the work of Dan Saavedra and his innovative team at StriveScan. For this Lunchcast Live, we asked Dan to help us understand how he found opportunity and improvements in a recruitment event that is older than any of us.

The Admissions Directors Lunchcast recently launched a live video podcast version of our unique brand of conversations. Throughout the winter and spring, we held less formal, but just as informative, conversations with admissions leaders about what's on their mind.

While the live version was an exclusive invitation for our Lunchcast community (email [email protected] to get on the list for future episodes!) - the first half of the conversation is now available on the podcast feed.

We are pleased to bring you the first section of our conversation with Jim Miller, retired admissions professional, former NACAC President, and the namesake of the Wisconsin ACAC's Commitment to Service award, discussing what wisdom he would pass along to the rising generation of professionals.

A few months ago, we recorded a special Lunchcast Live with Nick Spaeth, Dean of College & Academic Advising at Brookfield Academy in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Nick joined us to discuss the importance of building and maintaining relationships across the desk in our work.

Our very first guest on the podcast, Adrian Flores, came back for a Lunchcast Live discussion on what colleges are missing when it comes to recruiting first generation college students.

Adrian Flores is a College Transition Coordinator at The Carmen Schools in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In his career, he has worked at two small private institutions that were incredibly tuition dependent and is able to dive deep into the competing demands facing colleges and universities.

Information about Lunchcast Lectures is available here.

Use promocode: COLDOPEN for a friend of he pod discount!

This week's episode sponsored by Geneologie, where you'll get 10% off your first order if you mention The Admissions Directors Lunchcast.

⁠https://www.geneologie.com/promo-box/ ⁠

College admissions has always been stressful—but today’s students are facing a level of anxiety and pressure unlike anything we’ve seen before.

From social media-fueled perfectionism to overwhelming college messaging, mental health is now a major factor in the admissions process.

Joining the conversation:

• Mary O’Malley, Co-Head of Advising at Union Hall Admissions Counseling, shares what she’s seeing firsthand—why students struggle to define what they actually want and how parents, counselors, and colleges can help.

• Alicia Bourque, Vice President for Student Affairs at Loyola University New Orleans, gives insight into how colleges should proactively support students’ mental health, from admissions through graduation.

We discuss:

• The biggest mental health struggles students face in the college process
• How colleges' deadlines and messaging can either help or hurt
• Why peer support networks matter more than ever
• What admissions professionals can actually do to support student mental health

Information about Lunchcast Lectures is here.

Use promocode: COLDOPEN for a friend of the pod discount!

This week's episode sponsored by Geneologie, where you'll get 10% off your first order if you mention The Admissions Directors Lunchcast.

⁠https://www.geneologie.com/promo-box/ ⁠

The last few years have been rough for admissions professionals, and the conversation about staff morale isn’t going away anytime soon. How do leaders keep their teams motivated?

What actually improves morale (beyond pizza Fridays)? And what role do admissions counselors themselves play in shaping workplace culture?

Joining the conversation:

• Dana Lambert, School Counselor at West Milford Township Public Schools, shares insights from the high school side—why school counselors often feel stuck in “middle management,” how burnout impacts students, and what admissions reps can do to strengthen relationships.

• Angie Cooksy, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Bradley University, brings the VP perspective on building a culture of support, resilience, and positivity while acknowledging the very real pressures of enrollment work.

From avoiding toxic positivity to managing remote staff, this episode digs into the realities of keeping morale high in a high-pressure profession.

This week's episode sponsored by Geneologie, where you'll get 10% off your first order if you mention The Admissions Directors Lunchcast.

⁠https://www.geneologie.com/promo-box/ ⁠Vendors are a critical part of the admissions and enrollment world—but are you getting the most out of them? This week, Nathan and Teege explore the best strategies for building, managing, and maximizing vendor partnerships to improve recruitment, retention, and efficiency.

Joining the conversation:

• Jeff Fuller, College Counseling Director at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory School, shares how vendors shape relationships between high schools and colleges—and where ethical considerations come into play.

• Tess Ferzoco, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Edgewood College, gives an inside look at how institutions can get real ROI from their vendor contracts and avoid common pitfalls.

From data privacy concerns to underutilized tools, this episode is packed with insights on making vendors work for you—not the other way around.

This week's episode sponsored by Geneologie, where you'll get 10% off your first order if you mention The Admissions Directors Lunchcast.

⁠https://www.geneologie.com/promo-box/ ⁠Data drives everything in modern admissions—but are colleges using it the right way? This week, Nathan and Teege dive into how institutions can analyze student data more effectively to improve recruitment and yield.

Joining the conversation:

• Brian Ford, Director of School and College Counseling at Boston College High School, who shares what high schools wish colleges paid more attention to in student data.

• David Dysart, Associate Director for Data Analytics at Stevens Institute of Technology, who breaks down how colleges can actually use data to target the right students and avoid common integration pitfalls.

From tracking demonstrated interest to the ethical concerns of data-driven decision-making, this episode covers it all. Tune in to make sure you’re using data the right way!

This week's episode sponsored by Geneologie, where you'll get 10% off your first order if you mention The Admissions Directors Lunchcast.

⁠https://www.geneologie.com/promo-box/ ⁠

CRMs, texting platforms, predictive analytics, chatbots—oh my! The world of admissions technology keeps evolving, and if you’re not careful, your tech stack can start running you instead of the other way around.

This week, we’re talking to two experts who have mastered the digital frontier:

• Abe Gruber, Vice President of Strategic Growth & Operations at Softdocs, shares the biggest mistakes colleges make with tech implementation and where AI is taking us next.

• Bridgett Thompson, Director of Admissions Operations at Knox College, discusses how to streamline workflows, improve efficiency, and avoid tech burnout in admissions.

We cover:

• How to get the most out of your CRM and recruitment tools
• The key to successful tech implementation (hint: it’s NOT the go-live date)
• The role AI is already playing in admissions—and where it’s headed
• Why student portals are becoming a critical recruitment tool
• The one thing most admissions offices would change about their tech

Whether you’re wrangling a brand-new CRM or just trying to tame your current tech, this episode is packed with practical advice.