The Cherokee County School District earned top awards for communications and community engagement including “Best in State” honors.
The Georgia School Public Relations Association’s annual awards program recognizes outstanding work by public schools, school systems, post-secondary institutions, and educational agencies and associations. CCSD earned the most top honors presented at the association’s awards program held last month with five “Best in State” trophies and 14 Gold Awards.
“Providing outstanding communications and community engagement is a top priority for our school district, and these awards reflect our commitment to excellence and continuous improvement,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. “We’re proud of the work that earned these honors by our Office of Communications and our other honored divisions and staff. Last year, our School Board received the Georgia Leading Edge Award for innovation in communications, and these awards demonstrate how our staff carries out that vision daily.”
The district earned Gold Awards across the board in categories including annual report, crisis communications, excellence in writing, handbook, newsletter, photography, social media, special event, special publication and videography electronic media. CCSD won the “Best in State” award in crisis communications for strategies to correct misinformation including developing a Fact vs. Fiction website, excellence in writing for its Teacher of the Year winner profiles, newsletter for its monthly District Delegate magazine-style newsletter for employees (a second consecutive win), special events for its annual Support Staff Employees of the Year recognition program and special publication for its annual Class Act magazine.
Dr. Hightower noted that, while the awards reflect work primarily by the Office of Communications, other divisions also were honored for their contributions to communications and engagement. The Office of Technology & Information Services earned its third consecutive Gold Award for its monthly newsletter for CCSD employees, and the Office of Financial Management earned a Silver Award for its annual budget report.
The award-winning staff members will be recognized by the Cherokee County School Board and Superintendent of Schools at the School Board’s February meeting.
GSPRA 2023 Awards
BEST IN CATEGORY (& GOLD AWARD)
Category: Crisis Communications
• Barbara P. Jacoby, Chief Communications Officer
• Carrie McGowan, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Relations & Publications
Category: Excellence in Writing – Teacher of the Year profiles
• Barbara P. Jacoby, Chief Communications Officer
Category: Newsletter - District Delegate employee newsletter
• Penny Dempsey, Coordinator of Events and Recognition Programs
Category: Special Event – Support Staff Employees of the Year Awards Ceremony
• Penny Dempsey, Coordinator of Events and Recognition Programs
• Anne Reed, Administrative Assistant for Office of Communications and Chief of Staff
Category: Special Publication – Class Act magazine
• Carrie McGowan, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Relations & Publications
• Barbara P. Jacoby, Chief Communications Officer
GOLD AWARDS
Category: Annual Report – “10 Amazing Things We've Done in 2021”
• Carrie McGowan, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Relations & Publications
• Barbara P. Jacoby, Chief Communications Officer
Category: Handbook – “Ready to Learn”
• Carrie McGowan, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Relations & Publications
Category: Newsletter – 2 Gold Awards
- CCSD Connections parent e-newsletter
• Barbara P. Jacoby, Chief Communications Officer
- Connection Points employee newsletter
• Bobby Blount, Chief Information Officer
• Robby Carmichael, Executive Director of Student Information Services
• Brad Orth, Executive Director of Business Information Systems
• Chris Saxon, Director of Technology Field Services
• Karla Tipton, Director of Technology Support Services
• Dr. Shannon Carroll, Supervisor of Instructional Technology Services
• Matt Roper, Supervisor of Network and Security Services
• Jeremy Gravley, Manager of Technology Logistics
• Kaity Littlefield, Administrative Assistant for Office of Technology & Information Services
Category: Photography – “Celebrating Graduation”
• Carrie McGowan, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Relations & Publications
Category: Social Media
• Barbara P. Jacoby, Chief Communications Officer
• Carrie McGowan, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Relations & Publications
• Penny Dempsey, Coordinator of Events and Recognition Programs
• Anne Reed, Administrative Assistant for Office of Communications and Chief of Staff
Category: Special Event – Legacy Makers: Teacher of the Year Ceremony
• Penny Dempsey, Coordinator of Events and Recognition Programs
• Anne Reed, Administrative Assistant for Office of Communications and Chief of Staff
Category: Videography and Electronic Media – 2 Gold Awards for “Celebrating CCSD's 2022 Accreditation Renewal Review” and “Georgia Governance Team of the Year”
• Savannah Holcomb, Media Specialist, River Ridge HS
• Carrie McGowan, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Relations & Publications
• Barbara P. Jacoby, Chief Communications Officer
SILVER AWARDS
Category: Photography – “Governor Kemp at Ball Ground Elementary”
• Carrie McGowan, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Relations & Publications
Category: Special Purpose Publication - CCSD Fiscal Year 2022 Budget report
• Kenneth Owen, Chief Financial Officer
• Marjorie DeFrank, Executive Director of Financial Management
• Tina Farmer, Executive Director of School Nutrition and Procurement Services
• Connie Henderson, Director of Payroll Operations
• Jenna Williams, Supervisor of Financial Compliance & Reporting
• Mindy Woosley, Supervisor of Accounting & Budgets
• Tammie Hunter, Administrative Assistant for Office of Financial Management
Category: Website
• Carrie McGowan, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Relations & Publications
• Barbara P. Jacoby, Chief Communications Officer
• Penny Dempsey, Coordinator of Events and Recognition Programs
• Anne Reed, Administrative Assistant for Office of Communications and Chief of Staff
BRONZE AWARDS
Category: Marketing – CCSD Ed SPLOST Informational Campaign
• Barbara P. Jacoby, Chief Communications Officer
• Carrie McGowan, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Relations & Publications
Category: Photography – “Cherokee Teacher of the Year”
• Carrie McGowan, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Relations & Publications
Category: Special Purpose Publication – Blueprint Progress Report
• Carrie McGowan, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Relations & Publications
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