EUGENE, Ore. — Lane Community College (LCC) is celebrating an exceptional year of recognition for excellence in marketing, public relations and creative strategy with 23 regional and national awards. The college’s Marketing and Public Relations team, alongside student collaborators and agency partners, has been honored for campaigns that promote access, transformation and student success.
“This incredible year of recognition is a testament to the creativity, collaboration, and strategic focus of our marketing team, student designers, and agency partners,” said Brett Rowlett, Executive Director of External Affairs. “Together, they’ve not only elevated Lane’s story but helped inspire students to take bold steps toward their futures. I’m proud to work alongside such a talented group that consistently delivers impactful, student-centered work rooted in our mission of access, transformation, and success.”
Paragon Awards – National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR)
At NCMPR’s 50th anniversary national conference, LCC received two prestigious NCMPR Paragons: Silver in the Magazine category for Bleed Magazine, produced by graphic design students in the Design and Media Center, and Bronze in Digital Advertising for the Make Courageous Change campaign, developed with Epicosity, LCC’s marketing agency and growth partner. NCMPR’s Paragon Awards are the only national honors recognizing excellence in marketing and public relations exclusively at two-year colleges. This year’s competition included 1,570 entries from 205 colleges across the country. Earlier this year, the team and students brought home 13 district awards from NCMPR District 7.
Public Relations Society of America - PRSA Oregon Spotlight Award
The PRSA Oregon Spotlights recognize campaigns and tactics that exemplify excellence and leadership in public relations, digital media and integrated communications. Entries scoring between 53 - 60 earn a Spotlight Award. These awards were given high marks by the judges for exceptional campaigns and tactics that exceeded goals, got noticed and measured much success. LCC earned a Spotlight Award from PRSA Oregon in the Reputation/Brand Management category for the campaign Unlocking Opportunities: Promoting Lane Community College’s BAS Program. This strategic campaign addressed misconceptions about community college while highlighting career-ready education and affordability. It was a collaboration between marketing faculty Marci Hansen, the LCC Marketing team, Epicosity, and Motimatic, a tech-enabled solution that helps higher education leaders reach, engage, and motivate learners .
Collegiate Communications Awards
The college was also recognized with two wins in the Collegiate Communications Awards, a national program honoring excellence in higher education marketing: Gold for Radio Advertisement Campaign for Open House 2024 and Gold for Make Courageous Change at Lane Community College in the TV/Video Advertising/PSA - Series category. These awards celebrate creativity, impact, and execution in marketing, and entries were judged by professionals in education, design, and advertising.
40th Annual Educational Advertising Awards
Among more than 2,000 national entries for the EduAd Awards, LCC was honored with Gold for Online Display Ad – Make Courageous Change, Gold for Radio Advertising Series – Open House: Open Doors, Open Possibilities, and Silver for Total Public Relations Campaign – Bachelor of Applied Science at a Community College: Pathway to Success.
12th Annual Education Digital Marketing Awards
LCC also earned two distinctions at the Education Digital Marketing Awards: Gold in Digital Advertising for the Make Courageous Change campaign with Epicosity and Bronze in Social Media for LCC’s engaging and student-centered Instagram content.
“These awards reflect the creativity, strategy and passion of our team and partners,” said Rebecca Long, Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications. “From digital storytelling to student-designed publications, every piece we create is grounded in a goal to empower people and transform lives through education.”
The college’s marketing team is led by Rebecca Long, Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications, under the supervision of Rowlett, Executive Director of External Affairs, and Jenna McCulley, Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications, and consists of Kyle Schmidt (Web and Digital Development Lead), Claire Graman (Digital Content Specialist), and Nadia Lutje Tort (Events and Special Projects Coordinator). The department collaborates closely with growth marketing agency Epicosity and the LCC Design and Media Center (DMC), supported by graphic design students guided by faculty Tom Madison and Liza Burns from the Media Arts department.
The DMC is a unique studio setting within Lane Community College where graphic design students work alongside faculty, learning how to navigate client relationships and deadlines just as they would in a professional design agency.
Lane Community College educates over 15,000 students annually at six locations across Lane County and online. Students and alumni from all 50 states and 79 countries create more than an $675 million dollar impact on the local economy, helping to support more than 8,900 local jobs. Lane provides affordable, quality, professional technical and college transfer programs; business development and employee training; academic, language and life skills development; and lifelong personal development and enrichment courses.