Marketing council honors Ivy Tech Kokomo with national award

Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo has received a 2021 Paragon Award from the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR) at the council’s recent national conference in Denver.

The award, in the fundraising category, celebrates the college’s resource development and marketing teams for their work on the three-year #THETIMEISNOW campaign to raise $3 million to complete the campus’s $43 million transformation. More than 250 donors from throughout the Ivy Tech Kokomo Service Area – individuals, families, businesses, civic organizations, and governmental units – came together in support of the campaign, which wrapped up last year.

On hand to accept the national NCMPR award on behalf of Ivy Tech Kokomo were Kelly Karickhoff, executive director of resource development; Bri Shafer, marketing director; and Linda Ferries, media relations coordinator.

“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.”

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.

NCMPR’s Paragon Awards recognize outstanding achievement in design and communication at community and technical colleges. It's the only national competition of its kind that honors excellence exclusively among marketing and public relations professionals at two-year colleges.