JJC Marketing, Communications Receive Awards at District Conference

The Joliet Junior College (JJC) marketing and communications division recently won six Medallion Awards at the 2023 National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) District 3 conference in in St. Charles, Missouri. 

The College received awards in the following categories: 

  • Postcard (single or series) - Silver 

  • Social Media Page - Bronze 

  • Interior Signage/Displays (single or series) - Silver 

  • Communication Success Story or Crisis Communication Campaign - Silver 

  • Logo Wear – Silver and Bronze 

“Our team mixes creativity, skill and innovation to do what we do best: tell the story of JJC and its community,” said Kelly Rohder-Tonelli, executive director of strategic engagement. “The Medallion Awards are a unique and special recognition because they are voted on by those who work in our profession. It’s an incredible honor to receive that recognition from our peers.” 

The award-winning postcard was designed by JJC’s marketing department and printed and distributed by JJC’s print services department. The postcard was sent to all residents in Illinois Community College District 525 — about 260,000 people — and promoted the College’s academic offerings in addition to the various resources available to the entire District 525 community, such as the Library and Trackman Planetarium.

The marketing department also designed the award-winning graduation banners that debuted at the 2023 commencement ceremony.

The logo wear submissions included two T-shirts designed by the College’s marketing department. A “Hear the Howl” T-shirt took home the bronze while an “Ask Me Anything” T-shirt featuring Wiley, which was created for welcome week of the 2022-2023 school year, earned silver.

JJC’s Instagram page was submitted for the Medallion Awards in the social media page category and is managed by the communications and external relations department. The department also earned an award for its media coordination and coverage of Beny Bamburac becoming the youngest JJC graduate. The media pitch and press release resulted in local and national media attention, including TV stories on ABC7 Chicago and FOX 32. 

NCMPR District 3 includes community colleges in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and the Canadian province of Ontario. 

Nearly 540 submissions were considered for Medallion Awards in 47 categories. Award recipients are determined by judges, who are NCMPR members and/or industry experts. Judges vary from category to category. Submissions receive scores from 1-20 on various criteria, and the judges’ totals are averaged to determine the winners. The top three submissions in each category receive awards and are recognized at the district conference.

Photos of the winning submissions can be viewed in the gallery below.

For media inquiries, please contact Katherine Smith, communications and media manager: katherine.smith@jjc.edu.