Advertise on podcast: Can You Make It Pretty?

Terri Giltner is NCMPR's 2025 Petrizzo Award winner, which recognizes a career of achievement in community college marcom and PR. Terri was CMO at the Kentucky Community & Technical College System for nearly 20 years, and she discusses the importance of data-driven marketing and how to market your marketing department to ensure it has a seat at the leadership table.

Self-care has become such a buzzword in recent years, it's tough to look at the concept beyond drinking enough water and going for a walk. But in the last year, it’s become even more important for higher ed employees, who’ve seen their industry get really complicated: With the dismantling of the DOE and the canceling of billions in funding for research and key programs that support students, colleges are left vulnerable. Dr. Lindsey Nemcek, public relations manager at the College of Lake County in Illinois, regularly presents at NCMPR conferences about mental health, happiness and self-care. She shares real ways higher ed marcom and PR employees can take care of themselves. She gets a little honest and vulnerable with episode host, Beth Jendro Noël, NCMPR's director-at-large (DEI) and the director of communications & creative services at Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts.

How do you know when to jump on a trending audio? How can students help with a college's social media strategy? What happens when colleagues can't understand why you don't want to put their flier on Instagram? Sarah Hernandez Herman, NCMPR's 2025 national Communicator of the Year winner and Arizona Western College's director of content strategy and development, shares tips, tricks and how-tos to help your college's social media presence grab just the right audience. She chats with guest host Stephanie Reyna, new media and marketing specialist at Saddleback College in California.

Patrick Stone remembers feeling a little out of his depth when he attended his first NCMPR conference in 2011. He was new to the field and attending with two long-time industry pros. Fourteen years later, he is president of NCMPR. In this episode of "Can You Make It Pretty?", Patrick discusses being new to the industry, the importance of new members to NCMPR, why marketers need to make time to see their college's big picture and a whole lot more. Patrick is from Cape Cod Community College in Massachusetts; and this episode's host is Patrick's fellow board member Matt Radcliffe, from Pikes Peak State College in Colorado.

For the last two years, South Puget Sound Community College in Washington has won District 7’s gold Medallion Award in Government or Community Relations Campaign. Kati Sagawa, SPSCC’s director of marketing & communications, discusses their most recent win, for the Billy Frank Junior Statue Project. The artist made the statue on campus, and it will be displayed in Washington D.C.

Marcom and PR is an industry full of creatives, and District 6 member David Steiman – who worked in the film industry before winding up at Pasadena City College in California – talks about his path to marketing director. He chats with guest host Andrea Rangno, director of marketing & public relations at Golden West College in California. This episode was taped live at the District 6 conference in Tucson, Arizona.

How can managers keep small teams engaged? How can they help staff avoid burnout? Dana Shaffer, senior creative manager for Purell, chats about leading small teams, plus how to oversee a major marketing plan pivot. This episode was recorded live at NCMPR's District 3 conference in Cleveland on Sept. 27, 2024; and it features guest host Jeff Julian, NCMPR's 2023-24 president.

The College of Lake County in Illinois won Best in Show at the 2023 Paragon Awards with “The Path to Better Care,” a graphic novel that promotes CLC’s healthcare programs. Marketing analyst Jessey Prugh and graphic designer Maddy Asma – who wrote and designed the novel, respectively – share how they did it and the community’s response. NOTE: CLC's enrollment in PATH-eligible programs saw a 36% increase after the graphic novel was distributed, and PATH programs saw a 30% completion rate.

Dr. Keith Curry, president and CEO of Compton College in California, discusses why DEI is everyone's job on campus, how to work with employees who don't want to take on the task -- and why it was so great for students when Kendrick Lamar popped up at this year's graduation ceremony.

Lisé Freking oversees the marcom staffs at two different Minnesota colleges: Dakota County Technical College and Inver Hills Community College. She's also NCMPR's 2024 national Rising Star of the Year. Lisé shares project management and multitasking tips, and how to get a seat at your college's leadership table. We also meet the new cohost of "Can You Make It Pretty?", Emily Ray, with Hopkinsville Community College in Kentucky.

St. Philip's College in Texas is the nation's only Historically Black College and Hispanic-Serving Institute. Adrian Jackson, St. Philip's director of marketing and strategic communications, shares how the college stays prepared to deal with a crisis – and how it jumped into action when it received a racially motivated bomb threat last year.

Virginia Moreland has been with Tennessee Board of Regents – The College System of Tennessee since 2012, and she attended her first NCMPR national conference the following year, in New Orleans. In 2025, the conference will return to New Orleans, for NCMPR's 50th anniversary – with Virginia as NCMPR president. In this Meet the President episode, Virginia shares why she's focused on getting new members involved, her love of pop culture ... and that time she was a McDonald's mascot.

One way Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) in New Jersey is keeping employees engaged and boosting morale is through its annual report. It’s an important document, but not always the snazziest. Greg Volpe—RCBC’s executive director of strategic marketing and communications—discusses why the college has turned its annual report into a puzzle ... and tarot cards ... a calendar ... a cassette tape ...

Community colleges are full of great stories that represent a diverse student body. How can the college's marcom team find those stories? How can they tell those stories without falling back on tokenism, tropes or stereotypes? Sally Cameron, an NCMPR president emeriti and former vice president of college communications at Bristol Community College in Massachusetts, and Liz Cooper, associate director of public relations at MassBay Community College in Massachusetts, share how they do it. They'll also present on this topic at NCMPR's national conference in Seattle this March.

Chelsea Hayes is the marketing communication specialist at New Mexico State University Alamogordo, and she's a staff of one. She shares her tips for small teams, including how to set boundaries and advocate for more help.