SECCA 2025 Louisiana

BIENVENUE!

Welcome to SECCA 2025! LSU is happy to host our SEC colleagues, not only to share best practices but also to give you a taste of the unique culture of South Louisiana. Here, it's not Monday, it's "red beans and rice day." We "geaux" instead of "go." And our seasons have nothing to do with the weather.* So, get ready to "pass a good time" and broaden your playbook with some of the top communicators in our conference.

(*In case you were guessing, it's king cake, snowball, crawfish, and gumbo seasons.)

ALLONS Á BATON ROUGE

Register, and book your hotel room today! When packing, remember average high temperatures in June are around 90°F, and average lows are around 74°F. Shorts and short sleeves are appropriate.

WHERE YOU'LL STAY

Located on LSU's University Lake, the Cook Hotel and Conference Center is Baton Rouge’s only independently owned and operated boutique hotel. Room revenues support the LSU Alumni Association's mission to LSU.

GOOD EATS

So much of Louisiana's culture revolves around good food—Cajun, Creole, and everything in between—that we plan our lunch menu while eating breakfast. Check out some of these spots, and enjoy the unique cuisine that makes Louisiana famous.

KNOW BEFORE
YOU GEAUX

It's summer in Louisiana, so plan for comfort. Shorts and short sleeves are acceptable and recommended. You might also see or hear some phrases you aren't familiar with, so check out the Louisiana linguistics link below.

BOOK today

DINING

Know the lingo

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

7:30am – 8:20am

Breakfast at Hotel

11 am – 4:00pm - Conference Check-in for all attendees

Location: Shelton Room, Lod Cook Conference Center

4:45 pm – 5:05pm – Start Gathering in the Lobby

Location: Hotel Lobby
Opening Mingling. Ensuring we’re all ready when the buses arrive

5:05pm – 5:30pm – Board Buses & Travel to the Old State Capitol

5:30 pm to 8:30 pm - Welcome Dinner

Location: Old State Capitol
Timeline:
5:30pm – 6:30pm - Drinks & Appetizers in Foyer area
6:30pm – 6:45pm - Welcome speech by LSU
6:45pm – 8:30pm – Full dinner in ballroom with music provided by The Congregation

8:30pm – 9:00pm - Board Buses & Return to Hotel

7:30am – 8:20am – Breakfast at Hotel

8:00am – 8:30am – Shuttles begin taking attendees to campus.

The first shuttle leaves at 8:00am.

The last shuttle leaves at 8:30am.

Additional refreshments will be available all day on campus at every location, so if you want to head to campus on an early shuttle, you can.

8:45am – 9:45 am – Session 01

Topic: Higher Education: Communicating Value in a Challenging Environment
Location: Business Education Complex Auditorium – Room 1510
Panel Moderator – Todd Woodward – LSU
Panelists: Jay Blanton – Kentucky, James Hataway – Georgia, Tisha Benton – Tennessee

9:45am – 10:45 am – Session 02

Topic: Student Success: A Goal for All Departments
Location: Business Education Complex Auditorium – Room 1510
Panel Introduction – Provost Dr. Troy Blanchard – LSU
1^st Speaker – Julie Balog – Kentucky
2^nd Speaker – Robyn Starling-Ledbetter – Arkansas

10:45am – 11:00am – BREAK

Location: Business Education Complex Auditorium – Foyer

All Emerging leaders go to Room [1220]

(By invitation only event. Participants were contacted before the conference.)

All other attendees return to Auditorium – Room 1510

11:00am – 12:00 pm – Session 03A

Topic: Creating the "Right" Communications Organizational Structure
Location: Business Education Complex Auditorium – Room 1510
Introduction – Todd Woodward – LSU
1^st Speaker – Thomas Broadus – Mississippi State
2^nd Speaker – Amber Theinert – Oklahoma
3^rd Speaker – Monica Watts – Alabama

11:00am – 12:00 pm – Session 03B

Topic: Emerging Communications Leaders in the SEC
Location: Business Education Complex – Room 1220
Panel Moderators – Dr. LeNa McDonald, SEC & Kathy Pharr – Georgia
Panelists: Jim Zook – University of Texas at Austin & Sid Salter – Mississippi State

12:00pm – 12:20pm – Board Buses & Travel to Huey P. Long Fieldhouse

12:20pm – 1:20pm - LUNCH

Location: Huey P. Long Fieldhouse – Ballroom

1:20pm – 2:15 pm – Session 04

Topic: AI & Communications
Location: Huey P. Long Fieldhouse – Auditorium
Introduction – Todd Woodward – LSU
1^st Speaker – Dr. David Reed – Florida
2^nd Speaker – Jacob Batte & Erin Garrett – Ole Miss

2:15pm – 3:15 pm – Session 05

Topic: Navigating the New Government Administration
Location: Huey P. Long Fieldhouse – Auditorium
Introduction – Todd Woodward – LSU
1^st Speaker – Steve Orlando – Florida
2^nd Speaker – Dr. Robert Twilley – LSU
3^rd Speaker – Louis Gremillion - LSU

3:15pm – 3:30pm – BREAK

Location: Huey P. Long Fieldhouse – Foyer

3:30pm – 4:45 pm – Session 06

Topic: Lightning Round – 1 speaker from each school – 5 minute presentation on any topic
Location: Huey P. Long Fieldhouse – Auditorium
Introduction – Todd Woodward – LSU
Speakers & Topics so far:
Mark Rushing – Arkansas – Internal Comms
Brittany Wise – Florida – Inter-Departmental Promotion
Amber Theinert – Oklahoma – 30 Years Later: Remembering the Oklahoma City Bombing
Webb Lewis – Ole Miss – Giving Day
Pat Wiseman & Lara Zuehlke – UT-Austin – Reimagining Internal Comms at UT-Austin
James Hataway – Georgia – Comprehensive Learner Record
Mallori Lanier – Alabama - Streamlining Strategy with a Thoughtful Social Media Policy
Amy Weaver, Kelley Young & John Walker – Auburn - AU Wire: Auburn’s Storytelling Machine
Tim St. Martin – Texas A&M - YouTube Content & Engagement
Sydney Jones-Wright – Vanderbilt - The 360° Communications Mode
Rachel Holland – LSU - Legislative Insights Map
Sid Salter – Mississippi State - New AI Initiative
Jacob Rudolph – Tennessee - Digital Transformation: One University. One Website.
Jay Blanton – Kentucky - Communicating the Plan for Athletics to Become a Non-profit Holding Company

4:45pm – 5:00pm – Board Buses & Travel back to Hotel

5:00pm – 5:45pm – BREAK

5:45pm – 6:00pm – Board Buses & Head to LSU Tiger Stadium. Please bring your gift exchange items to tonight's dinner.

6:00pm – 6:25pm – Split into Two Groups

Group A – Tours The Brand Space within LSU Tiger Stadium
Group B – Heads to Stadium Club to start Dinner

6:30pm – 6:50pm – Switch out the Groups

Group A – Heads to Stadium Club to start Dinner
Group B – Tours The Brand Space within LSU Tiger Stadium

6:50pm – 7:30pm – Dinner & Drinks

7:30pm – 7:40pm – Group Photo

7:40pm – 8:00pm – Gift Exchange (Remember to bring a gift related to your school if you are participating)

8:00pm – 9:00pm – Continued Dinner & Drinks

9:00pm – 9:20pm - Board Buses & Return to Hotel

8:00am – 8:55am – Breakfast at Hotel

9:00am – 9:45 am – Session 07

Topic: Update on the SEC’s Academic Relations
Location: Lod Cook Conference Center Ballroom
Speaker: Dr. LeNa McDonald – Associate Commissioner for Academic Relations – SEC

9:45am – 10:30 am – Session 08

Topic: Sponsored Session from Mackey Strategies - Prioritization within Communications
Location: Lod Cook Conference Center Ballroom
Speaker: Melanie Moran – Vice President & Senior Strategist – Mackey Strategies

10:30am – 11:15 am – Session 09

Topic: Successful Local Communications Strategy
Location: Lod Cook Conference Center Ballroom
Speaker: Lisa Robbins – Senior Director for Integrated Creative Services – Georgia

11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. - SECCA 2025 is FINISHED

Location: Lod Cook Conference Center Foyer
A boxed lunch will be provided for ease of travel

Wednesday's sessions are sponsored by Mackey Strategies

EXPLORE CAMPUS

LSU was founded in 1860 near Pineville, Louisiana, and relocated to Baton Rouge in 1869. This campus was dedicated in 1926 and consists of more than 250 buildings constructed in the Italian Renaissance style. As a public Carnegie-designated R1 (Very High Research Activity) University, LSU has more than 2,000 sponsored research projects underway at any given time and supports $6.1 billion in economic impact for Louisiana—one of the many reasons it was named the #1 university in Louisiana by Forbes and the Wall Street Journal.

MIKE'S HABITAT

LSU is the only U.S. university with a live tiger mascot, a tradition that began in 1936. Mike VII, who came to campus in 2017, resides in a 15,000-square-foot habitat featuring lush plants and trees, a waterfall and pool, a stream flowing from a rocky backdrop, and a comfort rock that provides a heated or cooled surface for ultimate relaxation.
Stop by and pay him a visit while you’re on campus, or see what he’s up to via webcam.

MEMORIAL TOWER

LSU's 175-foot campanile was built in 1923 and dedicated in 1926 as a memorial to Louisianans who died in World War I. Memorial Tower's bells chime every quarter hour and can play special tunes like the LSU alma mater. The tower houses the William A. Brookshire Military Museum, a repository for artifacts and memorabilia reflecting the university’s rich military history and heritage.

GREEK AMPHITHEATER

Present-day students use the Greek Theater for outdoor events, as a gathering place, or as a quiet location to study and enjoy nature. But when it was constructed in 1925, it was the site of academic convocations, rallies, pageants, and commencement exercises. It was built to accommodate roughly 3,500 people, the campus population at the time.

LSU DAIRY STORE

Stop by the Dairy Store to cool down with a scoop or two of student-made ice cream. With more than a dozen flavors, you’re sure to find one that satisfies your taste buds. Other available items include cheese, sundaes, shakes, malts, espresso, and cappuccino. The first LSU Creamery was established in 1905, and the Dairy Store has been in continuous operation since 1972. a table in browsers.

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EXPLORE BATON ROUGE

Louisiana's capital city, Baton Rouge, is a cultural crossroads located between the Cajun country of Lafayette and birthplace of jazz, New Orleans. Its proximity to America's energy resources, delicate coastal ecosystems, and artistic, historical, and cultural treasures mean there’s rarely an empty slot on the calendar of events. Check out some of these local attractions while you’re here:

SHAW CENTER FOR THE ARTS

The Shaw Center for the Arts covers an entire city block in downtown Baton Rouge and features a spellbinding view of the Mississippi River. The LSU Museum of Art, the only dedicated art museum in the city, is located inside. It presents world-class touring exhibitions of regional, American, and European painting, sculpture, decorative arts, works on paper, and photography and has a permanent collection of more than 6,500 objects.

arial view of downtown Baton Rouge

LOUISIANA ART & SCIENCE MUSEUM

The Art & Science Museum is located in a 1925 historic railway station on the banks of the Mississippi River. The art galleries showcase changing fine art exhibitions and selections from the permanent collection. The Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, one of the most sophisticated multimedia presentation venues in the country, features sky shows, large-format films, visual music shows, and galleries devoted to space science.

BURDEN MUSEUM & GARDENS

Burden Museum & Gardens offers 440 acres of green space located in the heart of Baton Rouge. It consists of the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, Windrush Gardens, and the Rural Life Museum. The property, owned by the Burden family from the mid-1800s, was donated to LSU in 1966.

NIGHT LIFE

Aside from our cuisine, Louisiana is known for its historic musical legacy and vibrant music scene. Whether it's jazz, Cajun, zydeco, or swamp pop, we have shows, concerts, and festivals year-round. Check out some live music while you're here. And if the beat moves you, don't be afraid to get up and dance.

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