Lethbridge College’s Advancement team was recognized for its outstanding work by winning six CASE District VIII 2019 Communications Awards at a ceremony today in Vancouver. The college received five awards for exemplary achievement in marketing and communications while senior communications specialist Paul Kingsmith received a Rising Star award.
The Communications awards included:
- A gold award in Branding and Image Development for the college’s new “Be Ready” brand campaign, a project coordinated by Marketing and Web Services manager Brian Freeman and Marketing supervisor Leeanne Conrad, and created by members of the Marketing team.
- A gold award for “Time” in the Editorial Shorts category for the 600-word editor’s message by senior writer and editor Lisa Kozleski that appeared in the spring 2018 issue of Wider Horizons.
- A silver award in the Marketing and Brand Video category for the “Be Ready” brand video, a project managed by marketing coordinator Kristy Clark and produced by Lethbridge-based Curtis Media, with support from members of the Marketing and Communications teams.
- A silver award in the Feature Writing category for the story “Time of His Life,” written by Kozleski for the spring 2018 issue of Wider Horizons.
- A bronze award in the Individual Illustrations category for the illustration “South of 60,” created by Lethbridge illustrator Eric Dyck for the spring 2018 issue of Wider Horizons.
“We rely on our Marketing and Communications teams to bring the essence of our college to life, and they did that and more with our new brand campaign,” says Dr. Paula Burns, Lethbridge College President and CEO. “The new brand campaign and our Wider Horizons magazine are two of our most important tools to tell the world why Lethbridge College is a tremendous place to study, work and research, and these awards help to confirm that these talented teams are doing a great job in raising our profile.”
CASE’s Rising Star award, presented to Kingsmith, honours individuals with three to five years of experience working in an advancement field “whose early success bodes well for future leadership and achievement.” Kingsmith joined the college three years ago after a distinguished career in television journalism and his portfolio has expanded rapidly in that time. He has implemented inventive practices to expand the college’s brand and media relationships, and his passion for storytelling earned a CASE VIII bronze award for feature writing in 2018.
“Paul has felt like a long-time colleague from the start,” says Sandra Dufresne, director of External Relations and Community Engagement. “He has proven himself to be a talented writer and storyteller, he is respected across campus and around the community, and he is a passionate advocate for Lethbridge College. We are so glad he is part of our team – and thrilled that our industry has recognized his contributions with this award.”
The CASE VIII Communications Awards included submissions of marketing and communications materials from colleges and universities of all sizes in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut as well as the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.
Between 2008 and 2018, Lethbridge College received nine CASE VIII awards – one gold, one silver and seven bronze. Of these awards, three were for Wider Horizons, two were for writing, two were for photography, and one each were for web design and the viewbook.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
While development of the campaign was led by Brian Freeman and Leeanne Conrad, with support from McKim Communications, the development of the brand involved work from the entire Marketing and Web Services team. The group was supported by colleagues in Communications, Development and Alumni Relations, as well as by insight and feedback from students, staff, alumni, faculty, Indigenous Elders, industry partners and community members. The campaign visually captures authentic moments reflecting academic excellence, innovative programming, student life, and varsity and academic success – moments that Freeman refers to as “the Lethbridge College experience – you get a real feeling of who we are when you see this campaign.”
The video, developed by marketing coordinator Kristy Clark and members of the Marketing and Communications teams supports this message by capturing authentic moments that speak to the Lethbridge College experience. The video was produced by Lethbridge College in cooperation with Lethbridge-based Curtis Media.
Lisa Kozleski’s two writing awards and Eric Dyck’s award for illustration all appeared in the spring 2018 issue of Wider Horizons, the college’s alumni and community magazine. Kozleski’s feature story profiled a Business Administration graduate who turned his lifelong love of watches into an innovative and inspiring career. Her editor’s message reflected on the variances of time over a life, including the special moment – graduation – that college grads were facing when the issue was first published. Kozleski previously won a CASE VIII feature writing gold award for the 2016 Wider Horizons cover story “Lost Boys, Found Men”.
Dyck’s creative illustration accompanied a feature story on the students who came to the college from the Yukon and Northwest Territories and the memories they retained of southern Alberta after returning home following their graduation. This illustration also received an “Opportunity and Inclusion Endorsement” for exhibiting visionary and insightful perspective about diverse populations and topics by showcasing individuals from under represented populations.