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Melinda Eddleman I first became involved with NCMPR nearly 10 years ago when another community college in the area agreed to host a district conference in my Texas coastal city of Corpus Christi. Little did I know how involved I would become with NCMPR – first volunteering to assist with that conference and then moving on to become a state representative, District 4 director, and then a member of the Executive Board. As your 2008-2009 NCMPR president, I am truly honored to not only serve our membership but to also work with an exceptional board of directors. Like you, these hard-working individuals encompass a group of professionals involved with marketing, public relations, enrollment management, advancement and other issues at their respective institutions. Additionally, “your” board of directors has dedicated much time and effort to make NCMPR one of the best organizations that meets the professional development needs within the community college environment. At the same time, the board continues to employ forward thinking to ensure our organization stays germane as your needs change. While the board lost two excellent members at the close of the 2008 national conference, we gained three new district directors who bring their own capable and unique talents to the organization – both at the district and national levels. I look forward to working with them as the board continues moving forward with new initiatives, which you’ll hear more about after our summer board meeting. I firmly believe NCMPR offers – at our national and district conferences and the summer institute – our members many professional development opportunities unique to community colleges. As marketing, public relations and advancement professionals, we’re asked to accomplish more projects with less funding compared to many of our counterparts at four-year institutions. We’re also expected to stay in line, if not ahead of the curve, as technology and marketing strategies change. I’d like to paraphrase what our 2008 National Pacesetter of the Year, Dr. Daniel M. Asquino, president of Mount Wachusett Community College, pointed out about professional development. Not only did Dr. Asquino recognize the importance of professional development and the role that NCMPR plays to keep our members’ knowledge and skills current, but he also lamented the fact that during times of economic challenge, travel and professional development budgets tend to be the first line items cut. Some are saying that the next 12 months may prove to be economically challenging. If so, I encourage you to start now to continuously promote NCMPR to your college’s president or your supervisor. Be sure to talk about the value of our organization, particularly when it comes to professional development. You may want to begin by taking advantage of our upcoming Summer Institute 2008, “E-MERGENCE: The Growing Importance of Digital Marketing,” scheduled June 17-18 in Kansas City, Mo. This intensive, one-and-a-half day workshop will examine the latest e-marketing strategies for attracting new students, engaging current students, building donor bases and much more. I look forward to connecting with NCMPR’s members during the Summer Institute and your district conferences this fall. I especially look forward to sharing ideas and strategies that set us apart as marketing and PR professionals in higher education.
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Melinda Eddleman About NCMPR
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