Can You Make It Pretty?

S4, E1: For the first time in three full seasons, we're talking exclusively about ourselves. Natalie Daggett, NCMPR's associate director of district operations, details the ins and outs of the org: the best ways to get involved, how the board of directors works, and what keeps members coming back year after year. Plus, she and co-hosts Jeff Julian and Stephanie Reyna share how they got involved in...

S3, E12: The LGBT+ Club at Inver Hills Community College in Minnesota wrote a letter to the administration with four requests to improve the LGBTQ+ resources on campus. Club sponsor, Dr. Amy Zsohar, made it her personal mission to ensure all four asks were granted. It took four years, but she succeeded. Zsohar shares the importance of persistence -- and identifying the right people on campus who c...

S3, E11: More than 95% of the population in Laredo, Texas, is of Mexican descent, and Spanish is the dominant language. Obed Guerrero, the community and media relations director at Laredo College and former radio DJ, chatted with Peer and Simple cohost Stephanie Reyna – live at NCMPR's District 4 conference in Houston – about how to produce a successful radio spot in Spanish and in English. ...

S3, E10: Mike Barzacchini, the director of marketing services at Harper College in Illinois, learned a lesson during the heart of the pandemic, and it's something he brings to his team daily: The importance of self-care at work. At NCMPR's District 3 conference in Chicago, Mike chatted with Peer and Simple co-host Jeff Julian –who's also a longtime friend – about how he prioritizes his employ...

S3, E9: Elissa Kojzarek, the communications and social media manager at Elgin Community College in Illinois, never thought she'd find herself in social media: She rarely got on Facebook and used Instagram only sometimes. Now, she's leading breakout sessions on TikTok for her peers and has her eye set on hitting 1,000 followers for Elgin's account. Elissa, who is this year's NCMPR national Rising S...

S3, E8: The new president at Langara College in British Columbia, Canada, began on June 6, but the marketing office started prepping for Dr. Paula Burns' arrival back in January. Langara's public affairs manager Mark Dawson shares why preparations kicked off so early, plus the steps they've taken to ensure employees, students, the community and key stakeholders get to know their new leader. He als...

S3, E7: Data Dig 2022 reveals the issues we face in the field, the racial and ethnic makeup of NCMPR membership, and the staffing areas most lacking on our teams. NCMPR worked with Graduate Communications to conduct this first-of-its-kind survey of community college marketers. Cheryl Broom, its CEO, chats about some of the survey's findings and shares ideas about how NCMPR can best help our member...

S3, E6: Oakton Community College in Illinois recently received a $1.5 million grant to help support its Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students, who make up about 23% of Oakton's student population. Dear Aunaetitrakul, the grant's senior program manager, shares how Oakton promotes the grant and supports Oakton's large AAPI population – including some thoughts about why it might be time...

S3, E5: COVID-19 information fatigue is real, but Northern Essex Community College in Massachusetts was determined to inform their employees and students about the college's coronavirus safety measures. When presented with a budget to make a video, Allison Dolan-Wilson, vice president of institutional advancement, and creative director Trevor Stair knew they had to do something memorable. They sha...

S3, E4: NCMPR's new president takes the reins each March at its national conference. Meet the org's new leader, Jeff Ebbing, who chats about visiting THE Joshua tree, mediocre sushi and how he went from NCMPR blogger to 2022-23 president of the board (and how you can do the same). Plus, host Jeff Julian welcomes cohost Stephanie Reyna, a long-time NCMPR member, recent Leadership Institute graduate...

S3, E3: The first cohort of NCMPR's 10-month Leadership Institute graduated in March. Three graduates discuss what they learned, how the Institute is helping them do their jobs better, and why you should be a part of the 2022-23 cohort. This episode's guests are Leslie Ouellette, associate director of integrated marketing and communications at Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts; David...

S3, E2: At Norwalk Community College in Connecticut, 7% of the student population was born in Ukraine. To craft NCC's response to the conflict in Ukraine, marketing and the diversity and inclusion committee are working together. Committee chair Pracilya Titus and Mario Haimindra, the marketing and PR associate, chat with Peer and Simple about NCC's programming so far, the importance of both active...

S3, E1: Season 3 of NCMPR's Peer and Simple podcast kicks off with Dr. Kevin Christian, the director of diversity, equity and inclusion at the American Association of Community Colleges in Washington, D.C. Community colleges started to contact him about their chief diversity officer positions back in 2017, but the push grew after George Floyd's murder. Christian discusses the importance of a DEI t...

S2, E12: "What happens when you go to Washington is, you get recruited." After serving as a press secretary under President Bill Clinton, Kerri Glover was recruited by a PR firm repping "pretty much every education association you have ever heard of." Then she worked for a tech firm. And Ogilvy. And the Sierra Club. Glover shares how that resume informs her decisions  and work as Asheville-Bu...

S2, E11: Dr. Joshua Fredenburg – or Dr. J, as he likes to be called – is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, TEDx speaker and leadership and diversity consultant, as well as the president/founder of the Circle of Change Leadership Experience for students. A keynote at NCMPR's District 1 conference in October, Dr. J shares some leadership tips, how he gets motivated when he's just not fee...

S2, E10: Katie Norris' path to Ozarka College in Arkansas, where she serves as director of public relations & marketing, started when she enrolled as an Ozarka student. And Kim Lessner came to her role as vice president and chief operations officer at Tyler Junior College in Texas after she retired. As District 4's Rising Star and Communicator of the Year, respectively, Norris and Lessner chat...

S2, E9: What lessons from journalism inform community college marketing? How can young professionals assure they have staying power at a new gig? North Dakota vs. South Dakota? Erin Wood, director of college relations at Lake Region State College in North Dakota, chats live at District 5's conference in Omaha, Nebraska, on Oct. 11, 2021, in this special episode of Peer and Simple. Wood shares insi...

S2, E8: Steve Jessmore and Mark Carriveau have a combined 55+ years of photography experience. Jessmore, a Michigan-based freelance photographer, and Carriveau, who shoots for Elgin Community College in Illinois, discuss their careers, what community college marketers can learn from photographers and easy-to-follow tips for non-photographers to capture great art. This episode of Peer and Simple wa...

S2, E7: Finding the right music for your video promotions or commercials can be tricky. How can you find a tune that fits with your college's branding? Where can you find a clip that's affordable? Bret Figura, graphic designer at Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois, is also a drummer, and he talks about the importance of your institution's audio brand and how he wrote and performed the sc...

S2, E6 – Marketing fails: We've all faced them. Sometimes, no matter how many eyes study a project, a typo or an unfortunate photo still gets through. Or no matter how many times you host an event, you miss how much a factor like the weather can affect turnout. Four marketing professionals share some of their biggest marketing fails in this special video episode of Peer and Simple. View some of th...

S2, E5 – Dr. Toya Webb is a life coach, a TEDx and motivational speaker, and NCMPR's district 3 director. She discusses the importance of vulnerability in the workplace, plus some findings from her doctoral research, about the impact of microaggressions on Black women in leadership. This is Peer and Simple's first podcast recorded in-person – at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center i...

S2, E4 – Sally Chapman Cameron spent more than three decades at Bristol Community College in Massachusetts. Though she's retired from the college, she's still active in NCMPR, presenting at conferences, writing for Counsel magazine and dropping in for a Peer and Simple interview. Chapman Cameron is 2021's Petrizzo Award winner, which recognizes a career of accomplishments. In this episode, she tal...

S2, E3 – Minneapolis College is just down the street from the spot where George Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020. As the community responded and the city became a center of the nation's social justice movement, the college had to figure out the best way to craft its messaging to the campus and larger community. Deanna Sheely, the college's vice president of advancement and marketing communications...

S2, E2 – Meet Debra McGaughey, NCMPR's 2021-22 president. She chats with host Jeff Julian about how she got involved with NCMPR, why she wanted to move up to the executive board and her experience so far on the council's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Plus, she shares her experiences as a professional journalist and gives a peek into the memoir she's writing.

S2, E1 – Three community college marketers who are still working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic chat with host Jeff Julian about how their year has been going, what they miss about working in an office, and how they've stayed connected to colleagues. Guests are Greg Harris from Portland Community College in Oregon, Lisa Brosky from Pima Community College in Arizona and Shannon Rooney from C...