Grads and Faculty Represent at CPRS Manitoba Awards
At this year’s Manitoba Communicator of the Year (MCOY) awards by the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) there was a clear representation from Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech).
Of the five award categories this year to recognize individuals and organizations, four were won by RRC Polytech grads and teams they worked on, and one by a current program chair. They were presented during the annual MCOY event at the Qualico Family Centre on the evening of Thursday, April 4.
The awards have celebrated excellence in the communications industry in Manitoba each year since they were first introduced in 2008. The 2024 award winners demonstrate the impact that RRC Polytech grads and faculty have in the communications industry here in Manitoba.
Cleo Curtis, a 2015 Creative Communications graduate and Director of Communications at Brandish Agency, took home the Communicator of the Year award.
“I point to CreComm as the launching pad for my career. I’ve met and continue to meet so many wonderful, kind, smart and creative people through this program. It’s surreal to win this award,” said Cleo. “CreComm helped me discover that I really like people! And then the skills I learned in the media production major helped me tell people’s stories in multifaceted ways—photos, video, audio and more. This skill not only translated into filmmaking successes, it also translated very well into the evolving PR climate.”
Hannah Pratt, a 2012 grad and now instructor at RRC Polytech, nominated Melanie Lee Lockhart, Chair of Creative Communications, for the Mentor of the Year award and attributes her 12 years of career success to Melanie, saying there is no one more deserving of the award.
“She taught most of the students working in communications today who graduated from CreComm,” said Hannah. “The communications industry in Manitoba has been fundamentally shaped by her ability to teach and mentor students. Under her leadership, I was able to thrive and find the confidence to pursue leadership positions, create new projects, volunteer on boards, and win awards.”
The Emerging Communications Leader award presented by RRC Polytech’s Communication Management Program, was awarded to Stephanie Fung, Director of Public Relations at Uphouse. Stephanie took the Project Management certificate program in 2020.
“I was excited to be recognized by my peers for this year’s MCOY Emerging Communications Leader award. It’s gratifying knowing that everything I’ve learned in my academic and professional career, including the processes and tools I picked up in the RRC Polytech Project Management Certificate program, have helped get me to where I am today. And the cherry on top is the incredible people I’ve been able to work with in the marketing and communications industry, without them every project would fall flat. They make this industry a great one,” said Stephanie.
RRC Polytech’s goal is to prepare students to become leaders in their fields. These awards are a shining testament that RRC Polytech grads and their mentors make a large impact in their industries and communities. Success stories from grads are not hard to find. Many from programs across the college are also being shared in the Polytechnic Proud campaign too.
Learn more about the 2024 MCOY Awards: Manitoba Communicators of the Year Awards Nominations – Canadian Public Relations Society Manitoba (cprs.mb.ca)
(Photo credit: Prairie Digital Agency and Sonia Stevens)