Harper College earns regional honors for marketing and communications excellence

Harper College earned five Medallion Awards and two individual Awards of Excellence from the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR), recognizing the creativity and leadership of its marketing and communications professionals. The honors were presented at the NCMPR Districts 3 and 5 Conference in Madison, Wisconsin.

The District 3 Medallion Awards recognize outstanding achievement in marketing and communications at community and technical colleges across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Ontario. Harper received four gold awards and one silver award:

• Gold, Excellence in Writing-Long Form: “Harper says goodbye to storied J Theatre”
• Gold, Television/Video Paid Advertising (series): “Find it”
• Gold, Social Media:Harper College’s Instagram account
• Gold, Notes/Cards/Invitations (single or series)
• Silver, Successful Recruitment or Marketing Program Campaign: InZone campaign

“These awards reflect the creativity and care our team brings to telling Harper’s story,” said Jeff Julian, chief of staff and vice president of external affairs. “Whether we’re helping someone discover a program, celebrating our students or preserving a piece of the college’s history, our goal is to help people connect with Harper and see the possibilities here. I’m grateful to work alongside such talented colleagues and proud to see their work recognized.”

Julian was named District 3 Communicator of the Year, an award recognizing leadership and achievement in community college communications. District recipients automatically qualify for consideration for NCMPR’s national Communicator of the Year award.

Julie DeMarco, Harper’s creative services manager, was named District 3 Creative of the Year. The award recognizes exceptional creativity, vision and excellence in communications and marketing, honoring professionals whose work strengthens their college’s brand and builds meaningful connections with audiences. A Harper alumna, DeMarco has spent her professional career at the college, developing visual identities and designs that tell Harper’s story across campaigns, publications and institutional initiatives.

NCMPR provides professional development and recognition for marketing and public relations professionals at two-year community and technical colleges.

Pictured above: Jeff Julian (left), chief of staff and vice president of external affairs, and Julie DeMarco, creative services manager, represent Harper College at the NCMPR Districts 3 and 5 Conference.