College wins silver in national marketing competition
Meridian Community College won a Silver Paragon Award in the Social Media - Facebook
category from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations during the recent
NCMPR national conference in Denver, Colo.
NCMPR represents marketing and public relations professionals at community and technical colleges across the United States and Canada.
The national Paragon Awards recognize outstanding achievement in design and communication at two-year community and technical colleges. It's the only national competition that honors excellence exclusively among marketing and public relations professionals at two-year colleges.
The top three winners in the 52 categories were named during the conference. Nearly 1,719 entries from 232 community and technical colleges were submitted.
Lauren Pratt, marketing specialist in MCC’s College Communications Division, oversees social media for the College. She noted MCC’s institutional Facebook page had a total rebranding in mid-2018. In January 2019, MCC listed 8,259 followers; today, the College counts 17,497 followers on the social media site. “Our Facebook page has become an indispensable part of our overall marketing campaign. It is one of the most popular avenues we use to promote every aspect of our college. We are proud of our determination and the work we have put into it to make it what it is,” she said.
MCC President Dr. Thomas Huebner noted Pratt works exceptionally hard to elevate the College’s presence on Facebook and other social media platforms. “She made me proud when the award was announced. Success, of course, doesn't happen without help from the entire team. College Communications staffers Amy Miller, Matt Milner, Kay Thomas, Desi (Ross) Leeper, Tony Boutwell, Jet Scarbrough, Chris Haralson, and Joy Smith help make it happen every day. In addition, and as the architect of our strategy and the leader of the College Communications Department, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Leia Hill is instrumental in our success,” he said.
Hill said, “We are proud to be recognized among our peers on a national scale. MCC's College Communications is a unique mix of extremely talented individuals that work exceptionally well as a team. Lauren has excelled at leading our efforts and growing our engagement with Facebook.”
Hill was also one of seven community college communications professionals who was recognized as a finalist for NCMPR’s National Communicator of the Year. In November she was named Communicator of the Year for NCMPR’s District 2, which includes communications professionals from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, and The Bahamas.
NCMPR is one of the fastest-growing affiliates of the American Association of Community Colleges; it has more than 1,500 members from nearly 550 colleges.