Members of the BOCES 2 Office of Communications were selected as winners in the 45th Annual New York School Public Relations Association (NYSPRA) Communication Awards. The group won a total of 20 awards this year.
“I am incredibly proud of our remarkable team,” said BOCES 2 Communication Director Steve Dawe. “Their relentless dedication, creativity and attention to detail set a high standard. To see their efforts recognized by experts in our field reinforces our belief in the work we do on behalf of our districts and our BOCES.”
Award winners include Assistant Communications Manager Jennifer Merkel; Communications Specialists Amanda Dedie, Christine Klem, Danielle Lorenzo, Nicole Mauro, Beth Nash, Abbey Noble and Gretchen Spittler; Communications Support Specialists Jada Atwood and Ashley Roys; and Graphic Designers Lisa Constantine and Allison Mason. Many of the publications that were honored in other school districts across the state were produced with the help of BOCES 2 Printing and Graphics Services.
NYSPRA accepts submissions in 13 distinct categories, and the entries are judged by communication professionals across the country. In 2024, 430 entries were received, with approximately 35% receiving awards. There are three levels of distinction: Excellence is the highest, followed by Honor and Merit, respectively.
The winning submissions and the BOCES 2 staff involved are:
- Budget Newsletter
- Excellence, The Chronicle – Budget Issue (Kendall), Amanda Dedie and Allison Mason
- Community Newsletter
- Excellence, The Chronicle (Kendall), Amanda Dedie and Allison Mason
- Honor, Gates Chili CSD District Newsletter (Gates Chili), Abbey Noble, Ashley Roys, Lisa Constantine; Iva Petrosino, APR, Director of Communications
- Excellence in Writing
- Honor, Behind the Scenes in Preschool (BOCES 2), Christine Klem
- Honor, Byron-Bergen Drama Club Breathes New Life into a Tale as Old as Time (Byron-Bergen), Gretchen Spittler
- Honor, Staff Spotlight: From Big Rigs to Big Yellow Buses (Gates Chili), Abbey Noble
- Merit, A Fruitful Pair: CTE and Cornell Cooperative Extension (BOCES 2), Jennifer Merkel
- Merit, Byron-Bergen Basketball Coach Makes Section V History (Byron-Bergen), Gretchen Spittler
- Merit, Decker is Kendall’s First Master Teacher (Kendall), Beth Nash
- Photograph
- Excellence, Roaring with Excitement (Kendall), Amanda Dedie
- Honor, Field Day Delights (East Rochester), Danielle Lorenzo
- Honor, Pre-K Students Turn 100? (East Rochester), Danielle Lorenzo
- Honor, A Warm Welcome (Kendall), Amanda Dedie
- Merit, Under Pressure (BOCES 2), Jennifer Merkel
- Merit, Hands-on Learning in Progress (Holley), Nicole Mauro
- Merit, Students Construct Barn (Holley), Beth Nash
- Poster
- Excellence, Cybersecurity Awareness (Gates Chili), Jada Atwood
- Social Media
- Merit, East Rochester Union Free School District Inside the Classroom Facebook Reels (East Rochester), Danielle Lorenzo
- Strategic Campaign
- Excellence, Phishing Awareness (Gates Chili), Jada Atwood
- Video
- Honor, Cadet Cornerstones (Hilton), Amanda Dedie