District Winners

2020 District 1 Communicator

Ernie Greenslade
Public Relations Director
Northern Essex Community College
Haverhill, MA

For more than 34 years, Ernie Greenslade has served as Northern Essex Community College’s (NECC) public relations director with diplomacy and direction, carefully considering how her decisions affect the college’s reputation and the lives of faculty, staff and students.

Her rapport with the local press is what stands out most. Having established herself as a reliable source of information, Greenslade has earned the respect of the media, which helps advance the college’s mission. When she calls members of the press with a story idea, they know it’s worth listening to what she has to say. Her reputation speaks for itself, as does her résumé. The number of news stories featuring NECC programs, students and faculty members are too numerous to count, but, since May, dozens of articles she has pitched have appeared in the local press.

As the leader of a small but mighty public relations department, Greenslade’s commitment to keeping NECC on the cutting edge of technology has brought the college’s marketing to new heights. She is always thinking about the future while living in the present, and she oversees the arduous tasks of operating the department and plotting the next step to keep the department running efficiently. For example, Greenslade led the initiative to move NECC’s annual report to a digital format, which not only is efficient and cost-effective but also gives the college the ability to collect valuable analytics.

Her vision and team-building skills are truly valued, and she is a leader among her peers. She has spent several stints as the annual conference chairperson for the local Winning Opportunities for Women Conference. She is also a regular committee chairperson on several key Northern Essex committees, including those for commencement, homecoming and fundraising events.

Outside of NECC, Greenslade dedicates her time to public relations, which has been a true passion throughout her career. Greenslade regularly advances her profession through her connections to the local community, most notably by forming an NECC speakers’ bureau that connects the college with its community by securing speakers to present at various community events. She recently earned her master’s degree in communications from Southern New Hampshire University.

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