Talent runs deep at the Sells Agency.
For example, our Susie Nicholson, director of strategic services, has been inducted into the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Hall of Fame.
Before taking the lead role of Sells Agency’s Fayetteville office, Susie held various roles at Arkansas Tech University where she was at the forefront of some of the university’s greatest successes during more than two decades of service at the institution.
Marketing initiatives pursued under her guidance helped ATU grow from a small college with an enrollment of fewer than 4,500 students to a regional, comprehensive university that at one point served more than 12,000 students. ATU became one of the 10 fastest-growing master’s degree-granting institutions in the United States during that time.
CASE is a global nonprofit association dedicated to educational advancement professionals – in alumni relations, communications, development, marketing, and advancement services – who share the goal of championing education to transform lives and society.
The Hall of Fame Award recognizes professionals who have moved on from their institutions after providing outstanding service to CASE District IV, to the advancement profession, and to higher education.
Humble almost to a fault, Susie is not thrilled we wrote and shared this blog post about her and was visibly embarrassed when we cheered and clapped for her during our daily morning staff meeting after she returned from receiving the award in San Antonio.
However, we did manage to get her to say a few words about her award.
“It’s special to me to have been recognized for my years of involvement with the organization, but I feel like CASE has given me way more than I have given CASE,” Nicholson said. “I learned so much, but more importantly, I made lifelong friends and mentors – relationships I cherish.”
Sells Agency CEO Mike Sells said the award further affirmed for him that Nicholson was the right person to lead Fayetteville operations.
“I worked with Susie when we were both in banking and again when Sells was the agency for ATU. When I learned that she was ready for opportunities outside of higher education, I knew she had the talent needed to provide top tier service to our clients in Northwest Arkansas,” Sells said. “We are proud of her honor and proud to call her a colleague.”