This year, SUNY Broome won a bronze Circle of Excellence award from the Council for Advancement & Support of Education (CASE) and six SUNY Council for University Advancement (SUNYCUAD) Awards for Excellence.
On June 26, 2024, CASE announced SUNY Broome as one of the winners in the 2024 Circle of Excellence Awards Winners in the Magazines: Alumni/General Interest (Two-Year Institutions) category. The bronze award was given for the two editions of the 2023 BROOME Alumni magazines – which featured retiring SUNY Broome president Dr. Kevin E. Drumm in the spring and incoming College president Dr. Tony D. Hawkins in the fall. The judges commented, “Pictures were effectively used in the magazine, providing varied focal points without overwhelming the stories. The Foundation team’s involvement was evident, with integrated asks and annual report data. The magazine encouraged readers to engage with online content, achieving its digital engagement goal. The themed editions’ designs were also well executed, striking a balance between familiarity and freshness. Overall, the magazine’s visual and interactive elements were great.”
Receiving a Circle of Excellence Award is quite prestigious as they are peer-selected from educational advancement professionals worldwide. In 2024, 4,223 entries from 600 organizations from 28 different countries were submitted to the varied 93 award categories. 486 of the entries won bronze, silver, gold, and Grand Gold recognition. SUNY Broome competes in the largest district, District II, in CASE, covering Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Ontario, Canada.
BROOME’s team in 2023 consisted of Editor Cathy Abashian Williams, MPA, Assistant Editor & Designer Erin Merritt (ARTS’ 13), Staff Writer Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart, Staff Photographer Matthew Ebbers (MUSS’ 15), and editorial committee members from the Office of Marketing and Communications (MarCom) and the SUNY Broome Foundation: Ashley Blackwell Kemak (LAGS ’04; ISAT’ 10), Silvia Briga (LACM’ 07), Justine Dadamio (LAAA’ 12), Valerie Pitcher, Lisa Schappert & Jesse Wells.
On June 6, 2024, SUNY Broome won six SUNYCUAD Awards for Excellence at the annual SUNYCUAD Educational Conference.
Matt Ebbers (MUSS ’15), Staff Associate for Video & Photography in MarCom, earned a Judges’ Citation Award in Excellence in Photography – Photo Series. The six photo series was titled “SUNY Broome Welcomes First Black President.” Matt also made his first presentation at the conference, speaking on “Creativity for So-Called ‘Non-Creatives.'”
The Mobile Enrollment Vehicle Wrap design won a Judges’ Citation Award in the Excellence in Design category. Technical Assistant IIA Sara Forbes (ARTS ’17), an experienced graphic designer in MarCom, designed the vehicle wrap. She traveled to her first SUNYCUAD conference to attend the award ceremony.
Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart, PT Staff Assistant in the Office of Marketing and Communication, was awarded for writing the Feature Article “Of the Community, By the Community, For the Community” in BROOME Fall 2024. She received a Judges’ Citation Award for Excellence in Writing.
The SUNY Broome Foundation won three awards as well.
The Alumni Direct Mail 2023 Campaign — two different fundraising letters with a student story and a tear-off coupon sent out in the spring and fall — won a Judges’ Citation Award in the Excellence in Strategy – Annual Giving category. The strategy was to include a robust student information section and a shorter “ask” section than previous letters. This effort has significantly increased the number of donors, and 2023 saw an $11,000 increase in donations compared to last year’s direct mail. Lisa Schappert, Senior Director of Development & Alumni Relations, and Communications Specialist Erin Merritt (ARTS ’13) shepherded the project.
The Foundation received a Judges’ Citation for the BROOME Magazine Spring 2023 – SUNY Broome’s Alumni Magazine in the Excellence in Creativity Design category. This magazine featured the SUNY Broome career of former College president Dr. Kevin E. Drumm and the highly popular article on former local news anchor and alumni Scott Sasina. This edition of BROOME was crafted by the editorial team of Cathy Abashian Williams, Editor; Erin Merritt, Assistant Editor & Designer; Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart, Staff Writer; Matthew Ebbers, Staff Photographer; and various Foundation and MarCom staff members.
The SUNY Broome 2024 Mousepad Calendar won a prestigious Best of Category in the Excellence in Creativity: Design – Multi-page Publication category. The calendar, which shared student profiles, information about programs and events on campus, alumni events, and scholarship information, came in two variations. One, with a winter cover, was used for the Foundation’s holiday “card” mailing to donors, and the other cover version — with a photo from commencement — was used more broadly for various audiences. Designed by Erin Merritt, the calendar repurposes numerous photographs, stories, and materials created by the Foundation and MarCom teams.
CASE is an association for advancement professionals – such as those in marketing or alumni and development – in the education field. CASE has over 3,600 members, from elementary and high schools to colleges and non-profits. CASE has annual awards for individuals and projects that “showcase outstanding work in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing.”
SUNYCUAD, an organization for advancement and communications professionals who work in the SUNY system, recognizes excellence with annual awards in multiple categories—marketing, print and web design, photography and video, writing, fundraising campaigns, and more.
