Leadership
The leadership team governing the University of Arizona central Marketing and Communications division.
Johnny Cruz
Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
Johnny Cruz is chief communications and marketing officer at the University of Arizona, leading the university’s central marketing and communications division.
Cruz has more than 25 years of communications and marketing experience at public research universities and global nonprofit organizations.
Most recently he served as chief communications and marketing officer at UC Riverside and has held prior leadership roles at Make-A-Wish America, World Vision, and the University of Arizona.
Cruz is a nationally recognized higher education leader and practitioner, speaking and moderating at national conferences on the topics of branding, marketing, communications, and talent management.
He is chair-elect of the Council on Strategic Communications executive committee for the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities.
In 2023, he was named one of the three finalists for national higher education marketer of the year by the American Marketing Association.
Christie Harper
Vice President, Marketing
Christie Harper serves as the university’s chief marketing officer, advancing the university’s brand presence, improving student enrollment and supporting institutional growth through strategic marketing initiatives. She leads all aspects of brand development, marketing strategy and enrollment marketing for the university. Harper’s prior positions at the university include Vice President for Campus Brand Engagement, and Associate Vice President for Enrollment Marketing and Communication.
Previously, she served as Assistant Vice President for University Marketing at California Lutheran University, where she led all marketing initiatives for enrollment, advancement, athletics and brand development. Seeking to make a more meaningful contribution, she shifted into the higher education marketing space after working for 20 years in advertising, corporate marketing and brand strategy consulting. She earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from UCLA, and an M.A. in Communication Management from The Annenberg School at USC.
Alixe Holcomb
Associate Vice President, Brand Development
Alixe Holcomb specializes in crafting high-impact strategies to elevate the university's reputation, visibility, and stakeholder engagement through strategic partnerships, innovative licensing, and robust trademark management. Previously, Alixe led the university's Trademarks and Licensing department, managing intellectual property, and trademark strategies, earning multiple industry accolades. She has served as President of the International Collegiate Licensing Association (ICLA) and is a respected member of the Worker’s Rights Consortium (WRC) Board. Alixe brings robust marketing expertise from her tenure as Director of Marketing with Arizona Athletics and her consultancy and industry authority offer invaluable support to other collegiate licensing programs.
An alumna of the University of Arizona, she is certified as a search and rescue scuba diver, holds a lifelong membership in Delta Delta Delta, and is dedicated to philanthropic endeavors, including her work with Angel Charity for Children.