Rob Zinkan

Rob Zinkan, Ed.D., is founder and principal of Navigate Gray, an organization design firm dedicated to higher education marketing and communications. For nearly 30 years, Rob has worked in and alongside colleges and universities to elevate reputation, deepen constituent relationships, and grow resources. Recognized for his expertise in organization design and development, he founded Navigate Gray to help chief marketing and communications officers build future-ready organizations that advance institutional priorities. Previously, Rob served as vice president for marketing leadership at RHB, where he helped institutions sharpen their market position and strengthen organizational capability. He also spent nearly two decades at Indiana University in senior leadership roles, including campus vice chancellor and system-wide associate vice president. Rob is co-author of What Makes a Strategic Plan “Strategic”? and co-editor and contributor to Inside Higher Ed’s Call to Action column. He is a faculty fellow with Bay Path University’s Center for Higher Education Leadership and Innovative Practice and teaches in the university's doctoral program in higher education leadership and organizational studies.