IOLA — Allen Community College’s Marketing and Communications Office earned its first-ever honors, receiving Gold and Silver Medallion Awards at the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations District 3 and District 5 Conference.
The conference, held Oct. 5-7 in Madison, Wisconsin, brought together community college marketing and communications professionals from across the Midwest and Canada. Allen received gold in Original Photography (Unmanipulated) and silver in Miscellaneous (Logo Wear).
Established in 2025, Allen’s Marketing and Communications Office consists of Executive Director Brad Henderson, Sports Information Director Mason Hart and Marketing Coordinator Emilee Luedke.
“Receiving recognition from our peers across the region is an incredible honor, especially for a department that is just over a year old,” Henderson said.
Henderson credited the college’s faculty, staff and students for providing the stories behind the department’s work, along with the marketing staff’s efforts to share them.
In addition to accepting the awards, Henderson presented a professional development session on research-based marketing strategies in higher education. His presentation highlighted Allen’s work to strengthen its brand, communicate the value of community college education, use data-driven messaging and improve visibility through search engine and artificial intelligence optimization.
The NCMPR Medallion Awards recognize outstanding achievement in design, communications, marketing and public relations among community and technical colleges. Communications professionals and industry experts evaluate entries for creativity, quality, effectiveness and overall excellence.
Founded in 1974, NCMPR serves more than 1,600 members from nearly 600 institutions across the United States and Canada and is an affiliate council of the American Association of Community Colleges.
