Craven Community College (Craven CC) received a first-place Paragon Award from the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR), which was announced during the 2022 NCMPR national conference in Denver on March 25. The college received gold in the category of Digital/Electronic Media: Website.
“After spending nearly three years working on this project at the college, it’s a tremendous honor to see our work recognized on a national level,” said Craig Ramey, Craven CC director of communications. “To my knowledge, this is the first NCMPR Paragon gold award the college has ever received.”
The college’s website was recently redesigned and officially launched in August 2021. Redesign efforts consisted of a complete overhaul of previous site content and rebranding to accurately represent Craven CC. The site shifted directions to focus on content relevant to current and prospective students in an aesthetically pleasing format. In addition, nearly all page content was rewritten in a way to engage readers, and the layout was greatly enhanced to provide simpler navigation and a positive experience for site visitors.
Comments from NCMPR judges included: “Really good site design and navigation on both desktop and mobile. Calls to action and information are clear; photography and design are strong.”
The redesigned website was the result of collaborative efforts between Craven CC’s marketing and communications team, consisting of Craig Ramey, director of communications; Holly Desrosier, communications specialist; and Meredith Laskovics, marketing specialist, as well as Christina Sobrido, Office 365 Systems Administrator in the IT department. Continuous input throughout the process was also received from a Website Redesign Committee consisting of faculty, staff, and students.
“This was truly a team effort,” said Ramey. “We are all extremely passionate about helping our incoming students find the resources they need, and this award is reflective of the work we all put into that goal.”
The 2021 Paragon Awards drew 1,719 entries from 232 colleges across the country and was judged by nearly 70 professionals from the marketing and public relations industry. Entries stretched from coast to coast and from Vancouver, Canada, to Florida.
“We are honored to recognize the outstanding work of community colleges across the country,” says Debra McGaughey, NCMPR’s 2021-22 president. “The creativity and hard work displayed in these winning entries is a testament to the talent and dedication of our members.”
NCMPR’s prestigious Paragon Awards recognize outstanding achievement in design and communication at community and technical colleges. It is the only national competition of its kind that honors excellence exclusively among marketing and public relations professionals at two-year colleges.
NCMPR is an organization that represents the marketing and public relations professionals at community and technical colleges across the nation. Their mission is to provide professional development opportunities, advocate on behalf of the profession and the institutions it serves and recognize professional excellence.
By Craig Ramey, Director of Communications