2026 District 2 Communicator
Holly Trotter-Appleton
Director of Communications
Cleveland State Community College
Tennessee
Share an accomplishment you’re especially proud of from the last year.
One accomplishment I’m especially proud of is completing Phase 1 of Cleveland State Community College’s campus signage project. It was a large, collaborative project that required a lot of planning, problem-solving and attention to detail; but at its heart, it was about making our campus easier to navigate and creating a better experience for our students, employees and visitors.
I’m proud that we were able to take a project that had been talked about for a long time and actually move it forward. It also gave me an opportunity to bring together different departments, balance a lot of opinions and details, and make sure the final product reflected our brand and the image we want to present as a college.
On a personal level, being named Cleveland State’s 2025 Distinguished Staff Award recipient was also incredibly meaningful. To be recognized by the college where I started my career more than 20 years ago was a special reminder that the work we do in communications really does make a difference.
Marketing and communications professionals have to wear a lot of hats. Tell us about an area in which you particularly excel.
I think one of my strongest skills is taking something complicated and making it simple and understandable. I’m good at taking a big idea or complicated project, connecting the dots between departments, and finding the message that will make the most sense to the audience while still meeting the college’s goals.
As my role has grown, I’ve learned to look beyond just what we want to say and think about why we’re saying it, who needs to hear it, where they’ll see it and what we want them to do next. Whether it’s an enrollment campaign, campus project, crisis communication or simple announcement, I try to make the communication clear, purposeful and relatable.
Who is a leader you admire and try to emulate?
Jim Cigliano, or “Mr. Cig” as we all knew him, was a leader I have always admired and tried to emulate. He was one of Cleveland State’s original employees and the vice president who hired me early in my career. What stayed with me most was how strongly he advocated for students. He believed they should be at the center of every decision because, as he often reminded us, they are the reason we all have jobs.
He was also incredibly loyal to his staff and the college. He cared about his people and wasn’t afraid to speak up for what he believed was right. I try to carry those same values into my own work—to keep students at the center of what we do and make sure my team knows I have their backs. Ultimately, we’re all working toward the same goal: doing what is best for our students and our college.