District Winners

2017 District 2 Communicator

Christine Payton
Communications and Marketing Director
South Louisiana Community College
Lafayette, LA

When Christine Payton joined South Louisiana Community College in 2012 the institution did not have a marketing department, and they had just merged with seven technical colleges in the region. Christine's first task was to build a public relations and marketing office from the ground up and bring together two disparate identities under one brand. Christine hit the ground running. Within five years she grew a department of one to a department of four. Her sharp branding and media relations skills helped make SLCC known in the community and the media. Handling everything from re-branding and website redesign to building a strong social media presence to developing an internal employee engagement campaign, Christine has made a tremendous impact on her institution. Most recently, she brought together her team to ensure all facets of the college’s strategic enrollment management plan were driven by strategic brand messaging. In the short time the initiative has been implemented, Christine's team has developed direct mail and digital collateral resulting in unprecedented increases in attendance at college open houses and subsequent increases in enrollment upwards of 180 percent at SLCC campuses.

Christine is a true ambassador in her career field and demonstrates her passion to advance the profession through her activities. As the current president-elect of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana – Acadiana Chapter, she shares her knowledge and creative ideas with colleagues across the state. Christine is a founding member and current Communications Chair of the Acadiana Press Club and is a regular presenter at the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) annual conferences. Additionally, she has served as a guest blogger for NCMPR, served on the NCMPR District 2 executive council and as this year’s District 2 Scholarship Committee co-chair.

Congratulations to Christine Payton on becoming the 2017 NCMPR District 2 Communicator of the Year.

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