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John W. Paff, APR
Executive Director of Communication
Executive Assistant to the President

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;  bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. (Proverbs 3:3-4)

Professional Experience: 
John W. Paff, APR, has served since 1993 as the chief communication officer of Huntington University, an independent liberal arts college in Huntington, Indiana. Mr. Paff has responsibility for the College's media relations and news bureau, comprehensive web site, quarterly magazine and other publications, internal communications, graphic standards, and general (non-recruitment) marketing. As executive director of communication, Mr. Paff manages a creative team of talented writers and designers.

In 2003, Mr. Paff was concurrently appointed as executive assistant to the president. In this role, he serves as a member of Huntington College's Senior Leadership Team and President’s Council. Mr. Paff serves as the President's liaison to the Board of Trustees, manages administrative audits and searches, assists the President with reports, speeches, and correspondence, and directs other administrative functions pertaining to the President's Office.

In 2005, Paff was appointed as the first chair of the Commission for Public Relations Officers of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. In this role, he chaired the Strategic Communication Pre-Conference at the 2006 International Forum for Christian Higher Education in Dallas, Texas.

Mr. Paff has been an early adopter of new technologies to serve the public information needs of Huntington University. He launched the school’s first web site in 1995, and has served as webmaster since that time, developing a highly complex university web presence. He has successfully managed a multi-author, multi-departmental web environment, maintaining graphic identity and consistency of message while engaging the creative content-development talents of Huntington faculty and staff. The Huntington University (formerly Huntington College) web site has received a number of honors and awards, including a "Link of the Week" listing by ComputerUser.com, a Silver Award of Excellence by Visual Xtreme, and a coveted Four-Star Award from CampusTours.com. One national magazine profiled Huntington's virtual tour alongside those of Duke, Harvard, and UCLA. 

In addition, Paff has served as a freelance web developer for dozens of non-profit and commercial enterprises, ranging from small museums to medical practices to major industrial enterprises to community-wide public-sector sites. (See portfolio.) 

Background: 
Mr. Paff holds a bachelor’s degree in social studies/secondary education from Oral Roberts University (1985) and a master’s degree in public policy from Regent University (1987). In addition, he served from 1987 to 1993 at the National Legal Foundation, a public interest law firm specializing in the protection of religious liberties. Both his formal education and his work experience give him a rich understanding of the complex challenges of public information services.

Ability to Teach:
In addition to his formal degree in secondary education, Mr. Paff has a demonstrated ability to teach. He has served as adjunct instructor of communications at Huntington University, where he has taught C0331 Public Relations and OA215 Web Development.  In addition, he has presented half-day and full-day workshops in web site maintenance and the use of Microsoft FrontPage, both for Huntington University and commercial enterprises. 

Consulting and Presentations:
Mr. Paff frequently presents conference seminars on marketing communications, including:

• "Defending the Doorway (again): What Webmasters Need to Know about Cybersquatting, Gripe Sites, and Malicious Links," CASE V Regional Conference, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Chicago Ill., December 2007.

• "Defending the Doorway: What Webmasters Need to Know about Cybersquatting, Gripe Sites, and Malicious Links," CASE IV Regional Conference, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Dallas, Tex, April 2007.

• Chair, Strategic Communication Pre-Conference, International Forum on Christian Higher Education, Dallas, Tex., March 2006.

• "Establishing and Enforcing Graphic Standards: Case Study" Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Communications Conference, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Okla., June 2004.

• “Putting it Together: Print-on-Demand Case Study in Higher Education Marketing,” Stamats Seminar: Successful Direct Marketing Strategies, Boston, Mass. August 2002.

• “Integration of Print and Online Marketing Strategies,” Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Technology and Communications Conference, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Tex., March 2002. 

• "Internet Strategies for the Small Business", National Chimney Sweep Guild, Denver, Colo. (2001) and Indianapolis, Ind. (2002).

• "Convergence Marketing: Integration of Online Services with Traditional Marketing Media," IABC, Fort Wayne, Ind., October 2001.

• “Time Management for the Compact PR Staff,”  Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Annual Communications Conference, Chicago, Ill., March 2000

• “Media Relations Tips From Practitioners' Perspectives,”  Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Annual Communications Conference, Chicago, Ill., March 2000

• “World Wide WOW: Making Your Web Site Worth a Return Visit,” Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Annual Communications Conference, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, Wash. June 1999

• “Research-based Marketing,”  Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Annual Communications Conference, Regent University, Virginia Beach, Va., June 1998.

• “Toys or Tools: Are Online Technologies Worth the Effort?” Independent Colleges of Indiana Web Conference, Butler University, Indianapolis, Ind., March 1999.

• “Distributed Authorship: How the Web was Won on a Shoestring,” Independent Colleges of Indiana Web Conference, Butler University, Indianapolis, Ind., March 1999

• “WebFest,” Huntington County Community Network, multiple training presentations, Huntington College, Huntington, Ind. 1996-1998.

• “Business Uses of the Internet,” Huntington County Chamber of Commerce, Huntington, Ind.,  October 1997. 

Commitment to Community:
John Paff was the founding president of the Huntington County Community Network, an Access Indiana initiative. Originally funded by a state technology grant, HCCN brought Internet services to this rural community for the first time in 1996. The not-for-profit organization continued to maintain the most comprehensive web site serving Huntington County, Indiana until its dissolution in 2008.

In addition, Mr. Paff has offered leadership to several regional organizations, including:

• Dan Quayle Center and US Vice Presidential Museum, member, Board of Directors (1999-2004, 2008-present)

• Forks of the Wabash Historic Park, member, Board of Directors (2003-2005)

• International Association of Business Communicators - Fort Wayne Chapter, member, Board of Directors (2000-2002).

• Merillat Centre for the Arts Advisory Committee, member (1999-2002).

Honors and Awards

• Who's Who in American Higher Education

• Outstanding Young Men of America

• Outstanding Alumnus, Huntington County Leadership Inc.

• 1997 Huntington College Staff Member of the Year

Other Interests:
Mr. Paff has a life-long interest in natural history and ecological stewardship. He enjoys birding, camping, fly fishing, gardening, robotics, and vacationing in southwest Colorado. He resides in rural Huntington County with his wife, Jeanne, and their four young sons.