The University of Hawaiʻi Community College (UHCC) marketing team was nominated as UH Team of the Year as part of the Govenor’s Awards for Distinguished State Service. The award is designed to honor the state’s executive branch employees and managers who exemplify the highest caliber of public service and dedication to serving the people of Hawaiʻi.
The team consists of marketing and community relations personnel from each community college campus along with the UHCC marketing and communications director and web developer and UH System government relations director. The team was formed to create a public event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the UH Community Colleges at the UHCC Day at the Capitol on March 18, 2014.
Team members
- Bonnie Beatson, marketing and communications director, Windward CC
- Nicole Beattie, marketing and community relations director, UH Maui College
- Kathleen Cabral, marketing and communications director, Leeward CC/a>
- Gary Ellwood, enrollment and marketing specialist, Kaua'i CC
- Susan Lee, marketing and communications director, UH Community College
- Billie Takaki Lueder, executive assistant to the chancellor and communications director, Honolulu CC
- Thatcher Moats, external affairs/relations coordinator, Hawaiʻi CC
- Louise Yamamoto, community relations director, Kapiʻolani CC
- Paul Sakamoto, UH Community College web developer
- Stephanie Kim, director of government relations, UH System
Most memorably, the team was responsible for designing the “open door access” display which consisted of eight doors each representing a UH community college. The display was a powerful visualization of UH Community Colleges System’s goal of welcoming all students to the opportunities of higher education.
The UH Community College’ marketing team was also awarded the prestigious Gold Paragon in the government and community relations category given by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations for their work on the event.
- More on the Gold Paragon award: “UH Community Colleges marketing team wins national award,” March 31, 2015
- More on the event: “50 years of accessible, affordable higher education,” March 18, 2014
- Event photos: UH Community College, Leeward CC and Honolulu CC Flickr albums
The team planned activities, interactive displays and performances as a social media campaign in hopes of further promoting not only the 50th anniversary celebration but the overarching mission of the UHCC System. More than 50 hands-on activities and interactive displays were presented by faculty and students from all seven community colleges.
Said UH System President David Lassner, “This team exemplified the spirit of collaboration and working together as a system by sharing resources, budgets and talents in order to achieve a common goal.”
All the state nominees will be recognized at the Governor’s Awards for Distinguished State Service ceremony on Friday, October 2 at the State Capitol House Chamber.
50 years of accessible, affordable higher education.
—By Kapiʻolani Ching
