mStoner Superheroes Series — Ryan Nagdeman, Rush University Medical Center

For our second installment in the Higher Ed Superheroes series, we feature Ryan Nagdeman, Assistant Vice President, Marketing and Communications at Rush University Medical Center.

Ryan Nagdeman
Assistant Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Rush University Medical Center

Get to know Ryan: For nearly 20 years, Ryan served in roles at the University of Chicago, Loyola University Health System and currently the Rush System for Health. He’s noodled around in strategy and management for digital, marketing, advertising, communications, photo and video teams, and managed several large on campus teams and campaigns. When he’s not working, Ryan is eating pizza, walking a dog, or watching a movie with his family.

What was the most impactful project you’ve been associated with at your institution and what was your involvement? Our website collaboration with mStoner had a tremendous impact for Rush University. Post-launch we saw an increase in the amount of inquiries which can be overwhelming, but we believe it increased the quality of students interested in Rush. It was impactful to bring over 70 internal stakeholders together at the beginning of the project. We all felt we did together and the launch was a celebratory moment for the entire community.

Coolest pinch yourself moment at work? I’m in the midst of another impactful project. Several weeks ago, we launched a marketing campaign for the entire Rush system. It was great to work on this with our system leaders and they got behind a new tagline and creative message for Rush. Staff have told us that seeing our new campaign everywhere has energized them. It’s first and foremost for patients, but we had staff in mind and we couldn’t be more pleased to hear how proud they are to see and hear Rush more in the marketplace.

What advice do you have for senior leaders about running a successful Marketing department? Give your team members ability to create their own work. We fulfill needs for patient and student marketing, but I’ve really enjoyed seeing the team to create/execute projects just for us. We get to be our own client and we get to create the parameters. This has resulted in new mission/values for the group, digital and hallway portfolio, plus a redesigned collaborative workspace.

What do you believe are the most critical skills needed as a leader in higher ed? It’s important to understand as much as you can. Try to comprehend what others are trying to accomplish. You might be able to help in more ways than you know. When I hear things that are not clear or sketchy, ask as many questions as necessary and keep learning.

What is most rewarding about your job; what makes it all worthwhile? I love seeing someone accomplish something. Work hard, run with it, and enjoy the results. 

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time? I walk around and say hello to people and ask them what they’re doing or how they’re feeling. This is a great way to engage staff and patients/visitors. I know it’s not possible to know everyone, but that hasn’t stopped me from saying hello to them. Once during an elevator chat, a patient asked me if I was the president and “I said no, but I play one on TV.” She shrugged.