ECC Marketing Team Recognized Nationally

East Central College’s Marketing team was honored with a prestigious national award for their postcard featuring photos of a local graduate taken during the College’s 2023 Commencement. The team clinched the 2023 Gold Paragon Award in the “Postcard” category from the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR) at the council’s annual conference in Seattle on March 15.

The award-winning postcard was mailed to potential students who had initiated the application process to ECC but had yet to submit their completed applications. It featured three photos of ECC graduate Carly Hamlyn as she crossed the stage to receive her diploma.

Hamlyn, an ECC Early College Academy and Washington High School graduate, symbolized the journey prospective students could embark on.

NCMPR judges praised the postcard with “Great photography! Strong message and visuals.” They particularly commended the call to action, emphasizing its role in motivating prospective students to take the next step toward their academic goals.

Gregg Jones, Director of Communications and Marketing, accepted the award at the NCMPR conference, acknowledging the collective effort of ECC’s communication and marketing team.

The 2023 Paragon Awards received over 1,500 entries from 210 community and technical colleges nationwide, highlighting the stiff competition.

ECC’s communication and marketing team includes:

• Cynthia Cubas, External Relations Executive Administrative Assistant
• Joel Doepker, Vice President of External Relations
• Gregg Jones, Director of Communications and Marketing
• Andy Kolb, Coordinator of Web Services
• Abby Stanfield, Multimedia Assistant
• Amanda Studdard, Multimedia Specialist

The National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR) is dedicated to communication professionals at two-year community and technical colleges, providing invaluable opportunities for professional growth, advocacy, and recognition of excellence.