Below is the formal announcement from Syracuse University College of Law. I want to add as a personal note that Anna joined Spivey Consulting 10 years ago and has advanced incredibly from an intern and law school applicant to our Chief Operating Officer, responsible for the entire day-to-day operation of our firm, as well as co-authoring the upcoming (early November) Law School Admissions Bible published jointly with PowerScore by Barbri.
I used the word "advanced," but in reality, Anna has grown. It is my considered opinion having worked in legal education for 23 years (and higher education for 25+ years) that Anna could successfully lead any admissions or career services department in the nation (noting her additional experience at the University of Florida Levin College of Law). Anna is a consummate professional who possesses a rare combination of incredibly high IQ and EQ. She will do wonderfully in this position for Syracuse Law and then rejoin Spivey Consulting full-time in 2023.
As a firm, we strive to always be connected to the thinking and decision-making of law school admissions offices, as it helps us to be better at everything we do. But what is of the utmost importance to us is to always have an incredibly principled line in how we do so. What this means is that Anna will have no knowledge of the identities of any SCG clients applying to Syracuse Law, SCG will not actively send Syracuse Law any applicants outside of our normal scope of helping them decide where to apply relative to their goals and qualifications, SCG will not share confidential client information with Anna or Syracuse Law (or anyone else; we have a confidentiality agreement with every client), and Anna will not share any confidential Syracuse Law information with SCG. She will read all applications completely blind to the identities of Spivey Consulting clients, as have all of the law schools we have consulted for.
I have long had a professional relationship with Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud and with Syracuse Law Dean Craig Boise. It is because of my respect for them, and for the school, that we are willing to lose Anna for a short term so that her career can flourish under their mentorship and so that Anna can help guide the law school's admissions efforts.
Jayme McKellop, of our firm, will be taking on Anna's role of client interaction for Spivey Consulting, and Christian Panneck will take on additional responsibilities of supporting our leadership efforts and initiatives. You can view both of their bios here. My thanks to Jayme and Christian, and on a personal note, I am quite proud of and excited for Anna.
– Mike Spivey
Founding Partner, The Spivey Consulting Group
The announcement from Syracuse:
I am pleased to report that Anna Hicks-Jaco will serve as Interim Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management through the end of the current admissions cycle—in July 2023.
Anna is being seconded to us from her current role as Chief Operating Officer of the Spivey Consulting Group, the premier law school admissions consulting firm in the country. Anna has worked with over 20 law schools across the U.S. with a primary focus on admissions strategy. She has extensive experience in data analysis, social media strategy, and marketing, and she is a co-author of The PowerScore/Spivey Consulting Law School Admissions Bible. She has previously worked in data and research for the Office of Career and Professional Development at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where she served on the Dean's Leadership Council.
I am grateful to Anna and Spivey Consulting for their willingness to help us complete the current admissions cycle without interruption. I am also grateful for, and confident in, the superb team in our Enrollment Management office.