Marketing/Communications Team on Top Again
PARAMUS, N.J. – The Bergen Community College Office of Marketing and Communications has secured four National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) Medallion Awards, a bellwether recognition for communicators in a region that includes more than 650 colleges in the Northeast and Canada.
It marks the third consecutive year that Bergen has earned four Medallion Awards, bringing the institution’s total to 21 in the last 10 years. In the last two years, Bergen has also won three NCMPR Paragon Awards, a national recognition program that highlights excellence among community college communicators across the entire U.S.
“The continued recognized excellence of Bergen’s marketing and communication efforts has established the institution as a leader and innovator in the state and region,” Bergen President Eric M. Friedman, Ph.D., said. “I am very proud of the department and grateful for the creative initiatives they have developed to tell the story of our college, students and employees.”
Only four of New Jersey’s 18 community colleges earned at least one Medallion Award, with Bergen and the County College of Morris pacing the state with four awards each.
Awarded through NCMPR, an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges and judged by communication professionals from across the country, Bergen earned second-place silver honors in two areas (brochure and postcard) and third-place bronze honors in the other pair (brochure and video).
The awards in the brochure category recognized printed pieces promoting membership in Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society of community colleges, and NJ STARS, a tuition-free initiative in the state. The award-winning postcard encouraged previous students with a lapse in enrollment to return to Bergen to earn a degree. NCMPR judges recognized Studio Bergen: Remix, a five-minute digital news magazine, in the video category.
Vice President of External Affairs Suzanne Wetzel oversees the College’s overall marketing and communications strategy. Executive Director of Public Relations Larry Hlavenka, Ed.D., and Director of Marketing Kristy Italiano lead the marketing and communications team of Assistant Director of Public Relations Jessica Fargnoli, Ed.D.; Manager of New Media Services Tom DePrenda; Graphic/Web Designer Cristina Grisales; Web Developer Frank Hablawi; Public Information Assistant Presley DePugh; and Customer Service Associate Nancy McAllister.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 13,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.
Photo caption: Bergen continued its record of excellence in marketing and communications with four NCMPR Medallion Awards.
What's Related