2023 - ECC President wins National Pacesetter Award, highlighting awards by ECC marketing team

Earlier this year, the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) recognized Elgin Community College President David Sam, PhD, JD, LLM, with the National Pacesetter Award. The Pacesetter of the Year Award recognizes a community college president or CEO who has demonstrated special leadership and support in college communications and marketing. In the fall of 2022, Sam was recognized as the District 3 Pacesetter at the NCMPR District 3 conference held in Chicago, Illinois. He was named the National Pacesetter during the 2023 NCMPR National Conference, held this past spring in Orlando, Florida.

“Marketing and communications are central to what we do,” said Sam. “I’ve always known the value of communication, and no president would be able to lead an institution without the marketing and communications department. I am humbled to receive such wonderful recognition, and I share this recognition with all the people at Elgin Community College.”

Additionally, NCMPR recognized the ECC Marketing and Communications team with national Paragon Awards for its work in Print; Photography/Illustration; and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Marketing. The Paragon Awards recognize outstanding achievements in design and communication at community and technical colleges. It is the only national competition that honors excellence among marketing and public relations professionals exclusively at two-year colleges.  

During the academic year, the team won over 30 awards from NCMPR, the Educational Advertising Awards, and the University Photographers of America Association for work done in marketing, communications, web design, graphic design, and photography.

“It is gratifying to be honored by our peers for the work that we do,” said Toya Webb, EdD, chief marketing, communications, and government relations officer. “This well-deserved recognition is a testament to the passion and dedication that the marketing and communications team demonstrates each day; I salute each of them for the work they do to creatively impact enrollment, increase brand awareness and advance our mission to improve people’s lives through learning. This level of recognition would not be possible without the encouragement and support that the team receives from Dr. Sam — ECC’s most dedicated brand ambassador. ”