Boston College

Q A &

with Incoming NAGAP Secretary Brett DiMarzo

Incoming Secretary Brett DiMarzo, MEd, Director, Graduate Enrollment Digital Strategy, Boston College

What led you to your career in graduate enrollment management? For instance, how did you find your first role in GEM? Why have you continued in this field since?

Having spent time as a student worker in residential life and student life as an undergraduate, I always looked at higher education administration as a possible career. After spending a few years in retail management after graduation, I searched for a way back to higher education and began my career in graduate enrollment management, hoping to bring my experience in service to helping students find the program that would help them reach their educational goals. Even today, I continue to value the impact I can have helping students learn about the opportunities in graduate education and working with dedicated colleagues with that same mission. I am truly thankful to have found my purpose and calling, and it has added so much to my life professionally and personally.

Tell us about your current role in graduate enrollment management. What do you enjoy most about it?

Having spent most of my 18-plus-year career working directly with students as an assistant, associate, and director of admissions, my current role as director of graduate enrollment digital strategy at Boston College allows me to think creatively and share my knowledge with the admission and marketing teams across the university. Using my service experience and expertise, I can dedicate my time helping the teams at BC find the tools they need to provide excellent service to their students. My role allows me to work across various disciplines, collaborate with my colleagues in graduate admissions and student service areas across campus, and discover new tools and technologies to explore how we as an institution can serve our students better. It truly brings me joy each and every day.

How long have you been involved in NAGAP, and what led you to becoming involved?

When I first began as an assistant director of graduate admission in 2006, my director encouraged me to join the association. She believed that my professional development would rely on the knowledge and network found in an organization like NAGAP, and it would help me continue to grow as a person and a GEM professional. Coming from a previous industry that does not embrace sharing best practices the way higher education does, I quickly realized how dedicated NAGAP is in providing development and networking opportunities and how much I value those attributes in my professional career. I wanted to give back to this profession I love, and almost immediately became involved volunteering time at annual conferences, seeking opportunities to present, and eventually started to serve in the New England chapter.

What are you most excited to work on or accomplish in your new role as secretary?

In my new role as secretary for NAGAP, I want to do my part in helping to operate the association efficiently and effectively, bringing my experience as part of the New England chapter leadership to the team. With the ever-changing landscape of graduate education and enrollment management in particular, I hope to work with my board colleagues to continue to define NAGAP as the leader in GEM, expand the work we do as an association to grow our membership, especially with newer professionals coming into the industry, and look for new opportunities to enhance the current benefits of membership and bring new programs to the association. I see myself as a steward for the GEM profession and am excited to be a part of the leadership team to continue the work of NAGAP for the next two years.

What do you like to do for fun?

I am at my happiest when I get to spend time with my wife and son exploring all New England has to offer. We love to spend time along the coasts at the beach, visiting places in Maine and Rhode Island and anywhere near the water. I enjoy playing golf and spending time with extended family and friends, celebrating holidays and special events. Our family are avid NASCAR fans, and we love watching the races, both on television as well as attending the race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway each July. As a former cast member for the company, I am also a huge Disney fan and love spending time watching movies, visiting the theme parks, and keeping up to date with all the details of the company. n