New VP for Strategic Planning and Marketing and Communications

Dear Members of the Trinity College Community,

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Rich Majerus as Trinity College’s vice president for strategic planning and marketing and communications. A leader with deep experience in higher education, data, and operational strategy, Rich brings a breadth of expertise across institutional strategic planning, marketing and communications, enrollment, advancement, and operations—a unique combination that will help us guide Trinity’s next chapter.

This role is central to aligning institutional strategy, strengthening our visibility and reputation, and ensuring that we define and deliver Trinity’s distinctive value with clarity and impact. As we continue to advance Trinity’s strategic priorities, this integrated work will be essential to building awareness, deepening engagement, and supporting long-term institutional success.

Rich comes to Trinity from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), where he serves as vice president of expeditions. In this role, he leads a global team across 12 campus locations and oversees a wide-ranging portfolio that includes wilderness courses, alumni programs, custom education, and youth initiatives. His leadership has focused on operational excellence, program innovation, and mission-driven growth across a complex, distributed organization.

Prior to NOLS, Rich served as vice president of planning and strategy at Queens University of Charlotte, where he led the development and execution of the university’s institution-wide strategic framework. This work advanced a set of interconnected priorities—from expanding economic mobility and strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration to investing in employee success and elevating brand visibility—all designed to position Queens for long-term impact and sustainability.

Prior to Queens, Rich served as assistant vice president for advancement strategy and donor relations at Colby College, where he played a key role in the launch and success of the Dare Northward campaign, the largest campaign undertaken by a liberal arts college. Originally set at $750 million and then expanded to $1 billion, the campaign helped elevate Colby’s national profile and led to the launch of a new institutional brand of the same name.

Rich began his career in enrollment at his alma mater, Carleton College, before leveraging his expertise in enrollment data and modeling as a founder of Third Coast Analytics (TCA), a higher education data science and strategy firm that was acquired in 2016. At TCA, he advised university leaders and boards across the country on using data and technology to drive institutional improvement.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Rich brings a deep commitment to the mission of higher education and the liberal arts and a collaborative approach to leadership that will resonate across our community.

In Rich’s own words: “I am looking forward to joining the Trinity and Hartford communities and to working together to articulate our shared vision for the future of the College. I am honored to have this opportunity to collaborate with Trinity faculty and staff to lift up the exceptional work, teaching, and scholarship that is happening on campus.” He adds, “The liberal arts have had a profound impact on my life and worldview, and I look forward to rejoining a campus community to help advance the power and impact of the liberal arts in action.”

Rich holds a B.A. in sociology and anthropology with a concentration in educational studies from Carleton and an M.A. in sociology from the University of Notre Dame.

Rich will begin his time at Trinity on April 27. Please join me in welcoming him to the Trinity community.

Sincerely,

Dan Lugo
President of Trinity College