Trust at the Roots - 5 Tips to Build a Brand on a Budget
Date: 7/21/2026
Time: 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Room: Grand Ballroom C (Floor 1)
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.
ENGAGEMENT–Internal/external stakeholder engagement
Session Description
Building a strong, trusted school district brand doesn’t require a large budget. It requires clarity, consistency, and community ownership. This session focuses on practical, cost-effective strategies that help districts strengthen their brand identity while also creating pathways to grow revenue through trust-centered communication, family engagement, and strategic storytelling. Explore how grassroots communication that is rooted in staff recognition, parent partnership, and everyday service interactions can elevate perception, increase enrollment interest, improve community giving, and build long-term credibility. Participants will learn five scalable, low-cost strategies that strengthen brand presence and support revenue-positive outcomes.
Presenter(s)
Ashley Sukhu
Executive Director of Communications
St. Louis Park Schools
Ashley Sukhu serves as the Executive Director of Communications for St. Louis Park Public Schools, where she leads strategic communications, branding, and enrollment marketing efforts with a focus on equity, trust-building, and community partnership. This year, Ashley was named one of NSPRA’s Emerging Leaders. She is also deeply engaged in statewide professional leadership and currently serves as President of the Minnesota School Public Relations Association (MinnSPRA). In this role, she supports communications professionals across the state through professional learning and collaboration. Her work emphasizes grassroots communication, organizational storytelling, and aligning brand identity with lived experience to strengthen belonging, engagement, and trust across diverse school communities. LinkedIn Profile
Carlondrea Hines Dr.
Superintendent
St. Louis Park Public Schools
Dr. Carlondrea Hines is the Superintendent of St. Louis Park Public Schools and a nationally recognized education leader honored as an NSPRA Superintendent to Watch. With a leadership philosophy grounded in belonging, student voice, and cultural responsiveness, Dr. Hines focuses on building strong relationships, fostering community trust, and creating systems where each learner is seen, supported, and empowered to thrive. Throughout her career, Dr. Hines has led transformational work in instructional leadership, equity-driven improvement, and community engagement. She centers communication as a core leadership practice and recognizes that trust is built through transparency, collaboration, and authentic partnership with families, staff, and community stakeholders. Under her leadership, St. Louis Park Public Schools has advanced initiatives that strengthen culture, elevate student and staff achievement, and align organizational storytelling with shared district values. LinkedIn Profile
Trust at the Roots - 5 Tips to Build a Brand on a Budget
Category
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.