Our Team

Emma Jones

Executive Vice President / Owner

Emma Jones (she/her) is a storyteller at heart. She’s passionate about changing the prevailing narratives about higher education by inspiring innovation and action within our client institutions and associations. With more than 20 years of experience working in and for colleges and universities, Emma guides national partnerships to build higher education leadership benches for the future, with an emphasis on empowering women and gender-diverse leaders.

A Champion for Women in Leadership

As Credo’s Executive Vice President, Emma wears many hats. She oversees Credo’s brand, marketing, and sales teams, and plays a key role in developing our business strategy, culture, and diversity and inclusion efforts. As the Executive Editor for Credo Press, Emma worked closely with Credo co-founder Joanne Soliday on publications including Surviving to Thriving (2014) and Pivot: A Vision for the New University (2019). She also leads Credo’s Women in Leadership Initiative, which supports and develops cabinet-level and presidential leaders from across the country in partnership with the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U). Emma speaks regularly to groups of leaders on the higher education landscape; how leaders sustain their energy and commitment in challenging roles; and as a REACH-certified facilitator, how to develop collaborative advantage through engaging effectively with diverse leadership styles. Emma was recognized in 2022 by the Women's Resource Center of Alamance County as a Leading the Way Honoree for her work with developing leaders nationally.

More About Emma

Client and Project Portfolio
- Facilitator | AICUM / AICURI (Massachusetts and Rhode Island) Aspiring Leaders Program
- Facilitator | APCU (Presbyterian) Executive Leadership Program
- Facilitator | GICA (Georgia) Higher Education Leadership Development Program
- Facilitator | ICI (Indiana) Leadership Academy
- Facilitator | KICA (Kansas) Aspiring Campus Leadership Academy
- Consultant | OFIC (Ohio) Strategic Planning
- Facilitator | TICUA (Tennessee) Aspiring Leaders Academy
- Facilitator | TICUA (Tennessee) Executive Leaders Institute
- Facilitator | WAICU (Wisconsin) Aspiring Leaders Program
- Roundtable Leader | Council for Independent Colleges (CIC) Presidents Institute 2023 Roundtable; “Presidential Longevity and Institutional Culture” with Dr. Tiffany Franks, President, Averett University
- Facilitator | American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) President’s Trust Town Hall Meeting; “Presidential Leadership in Crisis: Sustaining Self and the Future of the Profession” with Dr. Lynn Pasquerella, President, AAC&U; and Dr. Joretta Nelson, Vice Chairman/Owner, Credo
- Facilitator | South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Annual Meeting
- Facilitator | North American Association of Methodist Schools and Colleges (NAAMSCU) Annual Meeting
- Featured Speaker | Tennessee College Public Relations Association (TCPRA) Annual Conference – “Leadership & Change in Higher Education”
- Featured Speaker | Independent Colleges of Indiana Fall Board Meeting – “Connecting Student Thriving & Faculty Thriving” with Dr. Allison Ash, Senior Consultant for Student Success, Credo
- Presenter: Credo Webinar | “Managing Risk & Change in Strategic Planning”
Previous Experience
- Chief Brand Officer, Credo
- Manager, External Communication & Program Development, The Foundation for International Education, London, UK
- Study Abroad Advisor and Publicity Coordinator, Elon University
Education & Certifications

• Bachelors in Literature and Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Asheville

• M.A., Liberal Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

• Certified REACH Ecosystem Practitioner
Strengths & More

StrengthsFinder Profile

• Strategic
• Communication
• Focus
• Learner
• Significance

REACH Style | Coach, pulled toward Driver

Enneagram Profile | Type 3: The Achiever