A combination of marketing savvy, communications strategy and fundraising leadership brings Michelle Dejno to O’Connor Connective as a Strategic Communications Consultant. Dejno will assist CEOs, boards and leadership teams in advancing their efforts through smart marketing and communications to get results in sales, growth, fundraising and recruitment of talent.
O’Connor Connective is pleased to have Dejno play a key role in the ongoing expansion of its strategic marketing communications consultancy to accommodate its growing list of clients. Dejno will join the company starting July 9, 2018.
“Michelle brings to us the perfect — albeit incredibly unique — combination of growing a marketing agency, raising dollars and increasing enrollment within Catholic education environments, and advancing countless businesses in Minnesota and Wisconsin. And an added treat is that she brings the humor and exceptional personal communication skills needed to facilitate leadership teams as they make tough decisions,” said Bridget O’Connor, founder and owner of O’Connor Connective.
Dejno comes to O’Connor Connective with more than 25 years of experience in strategic marketing communications — as an executive, a consultant and an educator in industries such as retail, education, health care, hospitality, entertainment, financial services and telecommunications as well as with nonprofit organizations.
Most recently, Dejno worked as the Director of Fund Development and Community Relations for the St. Mary Catholic Schools system in Neenah, Wisconsin — recruited for her development and marketing skills after serving the organization for many years in a number of volunteer roles, including six years as a Board of Trustees member and one year as board chair.
She previously was the longtime Executive Vice President of Partner Services for Willems Marketing in Appleton, Wisconsin, and also taught marketing as an Adjunct Faculty member at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton.
“Michelle has been highly engaged in the New North community — which aligns beautifully with our values at O’Connor Connective. She’s served on the board and was marketing chair of the Women’s Fund of the Fox Valley Region, a member of Neenah Rotary, and served on the Neenah-Menasha YMCA, Future Neenah and the Tri-County Community Dental Clinic boards,” O’Connor said. “We know she’ll continue to be a leader in advancing the needs of our region.”
Dejno received her B.A. in Journalism-Advertising from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.