Joseph K. Adams

Joseph K. Adams is vice president of marketing and chief marketing officer (CMO) at UMUC. In this role, he leads the university’s marketing strategy and oversees advertising, online marketing and creative services components. He joined UMUC in 2012 and is excited to serve a leading institution in the emerging and fast-changing higher education field.

Mr. Adams brings more than 20 years of progressive leadership experience in marketing and business management. In his most recent role as general manager of digital consumer services for the U.S. Postal Service, he drove growth, relaunched the USPS Web site, developed new applications and introduced mobile apps to successfully grow online revenue.

As senior vice president and CMO of premium services of America Online (AOL), he led innovation and growth in new digital services. Prior to that, as CMO at Sylvan Learning, he led all aspects of marketing and communications for education services and grew leads through digital channels.

Earlier, in increasingly responsible roles at Campbell Soup Company and Vlasic Foods, Mr. Adams focused on consumer products, both stateside and globally. He led growth in established packaged goods brands and drove innovation and new product development. His work experience also includes serving as a strategy consultant with Kurt Salmon Associates, where he developed growth strategies for retail and soft goods companies.

Mr. Adams graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown with a BA in accounting and economics and went on to earn his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

He is active in his community and has served as a youth basketball coach for more than 12 years. He has three children approaching college age, which gives him and his wife a whole new perspective on, and appreciation for, the higher education experience.