Our team

Denise Keyes is the Senior Associate Dean of Georgetown University’s Division of Professional Communication, leading the professional master’s programs in Journalism and Public Relations and Corporate Communications. She founded the university’s graduate program in Public Relations and Corporate Communications in 2007, and has been responsible for its tremendous growth and continuing recognition within the industry. During her tenure at Georgetown she also founded and serves as executive director of the Center for Social Impact Communication (CSIC), the nation’s only academic initiative of its kind, educating and inspiring communications professionals who lead the way in creating positive social impact through their work.

Ms. Keyes’ own experiences in creating positive social impact through strategic communications span across sectors, including big corporate brands and government agencies, innovative nonprofits and large foundations. She has designed signature cause programs for Fortune 100 companies, developed award-winning social marketing campaigns, and crafted strategic corporate partnerships while serving in senior management roles in industry-leading agencies Cone and Fleishman-Hillard.

She is a frequent speaker at global conferences on CSR, branding and cause marketing, and continues to serve as a consultant and trusted advisor for foundations and nonprofits looking to build innovative fundraising strategies and strengthen their communications with stakeholders.

Julie Dixon is the Deputy Director of the Center for Social Impact Communication (CSIC) at Georgetown University. Prior to joining the university in 2011, Julie was the Assistant Director of the Center for Social Value Creation at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. She was responsible for building the center's reputation as a premier thought leader in responsible management education, developing and executing communications strategies aligned with its launch in 2009 and continued growth. In her role she also managed programs aimed at strengthening the social sector through the application of business principles and encouraging social entrepreneurship and cross-sector partnerships.

Julie completed a master's degree in public relations, with a focus on corporate social responsibility and sustainability, at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Prior to graduate school, she was the owner and director of communications of an independent record company in Boston, where her expertise in digital media and online engagement resulted in the successful release of two albums internationally and licensing and placements in high profile media including Viacom/MTV Networks, Clear Channel Radio, and The Boston Globe.

A native of Rochester, N.Y., Julie received a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Rochester and currently resides in Columbia, Md.