Denise Groves

About Denise Groves

I am an experienced higher education technology and enrollment strategy leader in public higher education administration, including roles as Director of Admissions, University Registrar, Dean of Enrollment Management, and Vice President for Enrollment Management. This background grounds my work in a deep understanding of institutional operations, student needs, and the strategic levers that drive enrollment success. Today, as a Lead Application Consultant at Encoura, I specialize in CRM strategy, strategic enrollment planning, and student lifecycle optimization. I partner with colleges and universities to align their enrollment goals with data‑driven CRM capabilities that strengthen recruitment, admissions, and student success. I translate complex institutional requirements into actionable CRM solutions—ensuring teams have the insights, communication strategies, and operational workflows needed to make informed decisions. Through collaborative requirements gathering and rigorous quality assurance, I help institutions streamline processes, enhance engagement, and drive measurable enrollment outcomes. My career is dedicated to empowering institutions to use technology as a strategic asset. I am committed to advancing operational efficiency, improving the student experience, and supporting institutional priorities across the full enrollment funnel.

Experience

1. Lead Application Consultant

   Encoura

   Feb 2026 — Present · Palm Beach County, FL, US

   Lead Application Consultant – Reach CRM (Dynamics 365)Higher Education• Provide strategic leadership for managed services and continuous optimization of Reach CRM on Microsoft Dynamics 365, leveraging 20+ years in higher ed administration to align CRM strategy with institutional goals in enrollment growth, yield, and retention.• Strategic advisor drawing on prior roles as Director of Admissions, University Registrar, Dean of Enrollment Management, and Vice President for Enrollment Management• Orchestrate CRM optimization roadmaps that improve inquiry to enrollment conversion, reduce melt, and enhance first year persistence• Align executive priorities to D365 capabilities—automation, segmentation, workflows, dashboards—to drive faster decisions and higher ROI on recruitment• Govern a managed services model (backlog, release cadence, adoption) that sustains data quality, speed to lead, and proactive retention interventions

Education

• Ranger College

  Associate of Arts - AA, General Education and Computer Information Systems

  1990 — 1992

• Tarleton State University

  MEd, Education

  1996 — 1998

• Tarleton State University

  BA, English

  1992 — 1995

Skills

• Recruiting
• Staff Development
• Program Development
• Team Building
• Higher Education
• College Teaching
• Editing
• Retaining Customers
• Program Management
• Public Speaking
• Student Financial Aid
• E-Learning
• Educational Leadership
• Faculty Development
• Campus
• Academic Administration
• Adult Education
• Curriculum Development
• Event Planning
• Instructional Technology
• Marketing
• Higher Education Administration
• University Teaching
• Nonprofits
• Strategic Planning
• Leadership Development
• Student Affairs
• Curriculum Design
• Strategic Recruitment Planning
• Non-Profits
• Distance Learning
• Research
• Admissions
• Educational Technology
• Customer Retention
• Student Engagement
• Customer Service
• Teaching
• Academic Advising
• Strategic Communications