The SC/NSPRA Administrator of the Year Award recognizes the exemplary leadership of one of South Carolina’s public school administrators who demonstrates commitment to the enhancement of communication and relationships between public schools and the students, families and communities they serve. The award recipient must be a practicing superintendent of a public school district or CEO/executive director of an education agency/association in South Carolina. The recipient should not be in an official PR position, but be employed by an institution that has a member of SC/NSPRA.

Award deadline 

Nominations must be submitted on or before March 1, 2024. The award winner will be notified by March 22, 2024, and recognized at the SC/NSPRA Rewards for Excellence Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 26, 2024.

Criteria

The nominee:

• Demonstrates support for the communication function by maintaining or establishing a communications program, position or department.
• Ensures communication components are included in the district/organization’s strategic plan and are focused on supporting student achievement goals.
• Is a proponent of open and transparent communication and integrates communication into decision making processes.
• Provides financial resources for communication, marketing and engagement efforts.
• Embraces and incorporates new and innovative communication tools and strategies.
• Provides communication training opportunities for administrators, the board and staff.
• Practices strategic communication management and effective public engagement processes.
• Demonstrates excellent personal communication skills and ethical leadership.

Nomination Process

Nominations for the Administrator of the Year Award may be made by any SC/NSPRA member. The award selection committee will be made up of the awards program coordinator (designated by the SC/NSPRA president) and at least two community representatives working in public relations appointed by the program coordinator.

To nominate someone:

1. Submit an application packet using the Official Nomination Form as the cover sheet.
2. Include a narrative, no longer than 500 words, outlining how the person has met the award’s criteria.
3. Attach a brief biographical vita (limited to one page) of the nominee.
4. The submission may also include up to five pages of supporting documentation including, but not limited to, data demonstrating the nominee’s effectiveness in meeting the award criteria, samples of the nominee’s communications work, measures of effectiveness and letters of support.
5. Each nomination should be sent to SC/NSPRA by email to Judy LeGrand at jlegrand@scsba.org on or before February 23, 2024, as a PDF file. There is no fee to nominate someone for the SC/NSPRA Administrator of the Year Award.

Link to Official Nomination Form