Marketing EDGE, a nonprofit marketing education organization, today announced the addition of Elise James-DeCruise, John Kelly and Seema Patel to its Board of Trustees. The expansion of the Board will help support the nonprofit's proven track record of providing the necessary tools and programs student members need to thrive in their marketing and advertising careers.

"Since joining Marketing EDGE in 2006, I've had the privilege of working with executives and academics to help shape the next generation of diverse marketing and advertising talent," said Terri L. Bartlett, CEO and President of Marketing EDGE. "The distinguishing characteristic among our Board members is their deep passion to make a difference in the lives of students as they prepare to launch their careers in the rapidly evolving field of marketing. That is particularly true among Elise, John and Seema. I'm excited to introduce their wide-range of experience and influence to benefit the thousands of students and network of academics we support day in and day out."

More about the new members:

• Elise James-DeCruise: With more than 15 years of global experience in marketing, strategy, design and delivery of learning solutions and services, James-DeCruise is a top tech female leader committed to innovation, education and diversity and inclusion. As the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Marcus Thomas, she scales and builds on efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the workforce, workplace and marketplace. Additionally, she provides critical guidance and leadership to Marcus Thomas's multicultural marketing efforts. Prior to joining Marcus Thomas, she led Global Multicultural Marketing and Inclusion initiatives at MediaMath. James-DeCruise is the L&D Strategic Advisor for GoCoach and maintains an active presence on Boards and Advisory Committees such as the Startup Institute, NYC Tech Talent Pipeline, and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Diversity & Inclusion Task force, among others.
• John Kelly: As Sr. Director of Global Member Growth at Nike, John leads the Nike Membership Program, developing and optimizing a suite of best-in-class digital and physical benefits, services, and experiences designed to retain, acquire and serve the millions of Nike members worldwide, driving Nike's Consumer Direct Offense. He joined Nike from American Express, where he served as Vice President of Product Management. While there, he led the product, channel, and design teams responsible for digitizing Amex's membership proposition across global Web, Mobile, and Member Communications platforms and experiences.
• Seema Patel: With two decades of experience in advertising and technology, Patel holds extensive expertise in launching new businesses and supporting multi-platform solutions. She has been the driving force of many new, innovative product rollouts throughout her career and is one of the leading experts in addressable and advanced advertising. In her current role as Vice President, Partnership Development at ViacomCBS, Patel serves as the business lead with MVPD partners, technology partners, and internal stakeholders. During her tenure, ViacomCBS has built the largest addressable TV footprint in the country spanning across broadcast and cable in the areas of live linear, VOD, & OTT platforms. Patel is also a co-founder of TechBae, a networking organization dedicated to advancing equality by creating meaningful connections and developing opportunities for women across all levels within the ad tech and media landscape. She is passionate about creating a community to create kinship and foster mentoring for junior rising stars in the industry.

For more information on Marketing EDGE's Board of Trustees, please visit: https://marketingedge.org/about-us/board-of-trustees/

About Marketing EDGE

Marketing EDGE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is shaping the future of marketing by connecting students, academics and professionals to the resources and relationships they need to continue to see, move and stay ahead. Empowering skill-ready, responsive and responsible marketing leaders for more than 50 years, Marketing EDGE expands access to leading research, resources and events, fosters deep personal connections and diverse ideas, and provides real-time insights for real-world impact. For more information, visit www.marketingEDGE.org.