The Marketing and Communications Department at Kellogg Community College has been awarded an incredible 15 prestigious Medallion Awards from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations for work promoting the College during the 2023-24 academic year.
The awards include eight first-place Gold Medallion Awards, three second-place Silver Medallion Awards and four third-place Bronze Medallion Awards. The totals are record highs for total awards and total Gold awards in a given year for the decorated KCC department.
Medallion Award winners were announced Sept. 26 during the NCMPR’s annual District 3 Conference, which this year was held in Cleveland. The NCMPR announced KCC won awards in the following categories.
Gold Medallion Awards (pictured above)
- Computer-Generated Illustration: For the centerspread map illustration in the College’s new “Blaze Goes to Camp” children’s book, illustrated by KCC Graphic Design alumna Sara Parks
- Flyer (Single or Series): For a postcard flyer promoting an employee Sojourner Truth Tour
- Government or Community Relations Campaign: For the College’s Spring 2024 series of “Blaze Goes to Camp” readings at area elementary schools
- Novelty: For custom pickleballs distributed to select donors as part of the successful KCC Pickleball Project community fundraising campaign
- Postcard (Single or Series): For a postcard promoting KCC’s Advanced Placement LPN to RN Program application deadline
- Poster (Single or Series): For a poster promoting the KCC Jazz Band’s spring “Swingo de Mayo” concert
- Print Wild Card: For the College’s new children’s book “Blaze Goes to Camp”
- Special Event or Fundraising Campaign: For the successful KCC Pickleball Project community fundraising campaign
Silver Medallion Awards
- Academic Catalog or Class Schedule: For a booklet schedule highlighting the KCC Lifelong Learning Department’s annual Bruin Youth summer camp offerings
- Magazine: For the June 2024 issue of KCC’s quarterly BruIN Magazine
- Print Wild Card: For a mini coloring and activity book/notebook promoting KCC’s Zen Den relaxation room on campus
Bronze Medallion Awards
- Annual Report: For the December 2023 issue of BruIN Magazine, which doubled as the College’s annual report
- Flyer (Single or Series): For a series of postcard flyers promoting the summer Landscape Photography exhibit of photos shot by KCC students in Iceland, with designs including student images from the exhibit
- Postcard (Single or Series): For a postcard promoting KCC Industrial Trades training offered at the Branch Area Careers Center in Coldwater
- Successful Recruitment or Marketing Program: For campaign materials promoting a Great Squishy Bear Hunt campaign initiative for students led by the Admissions Office
“We’re honored to receive such high-level recognition from our professional peers, who truly understand the unique opportunities and challenges we as higher-ed communicators face in working to engage with students, prospective students, community members and other stakeholders in the communities our colleges serve,” KCC Marketing Director Simon Thalmann said. “Our team at Kellogg Community College has the privilege day in and day out to highlight the amazing students, excellent faculty and impressive array of activities, events and initiatives – academic and otherwise – on offer at the College, and awards like these are a welcome validation of the superior caliber not only of our team’s efforts, but the initiatives they’re employed to promote.”
KCC’s Marketing and Communications Department provides a variety of in-house strategy development, marketing management, graphic design and print services under the leadership of Eric Greene, vice president for communications and advancement. The marketing team has won a total of 88 Medallion Awards since 2012, as well as 21 prestigious Paragon Awards – national honors bestowed by the NCMPR – over the same time period.
Department employees include Mackenzie Griffith, graphic design process specialist; June Lewis, print and document services senior process specialist; Mike Loader, print and document services process specialist; Cab Rininger, media design manager; Krissy Stolz, marketing and communications specialist; and Simon Thalmann, marketing director. The department also employs part-time student workers as an opportunity for KCC students to learn valuable, on-the-job marketing, communication and design skills.
The NCMPR represents marketing and public relations professionals at community and technical colleges across the United States and Canada. District 3 of the NCMPR includes schools in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Ontario. Gold, Silver and Bronze Medallion and Paragon honors are awarded annually in a variety of marketing and public relations categories.
For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.