2025 National School Communicator of the Year

Press Release
Contact:
Sarah Loughlin, Communications Manager
National School Public Relations Association
301-519-1221 | sloughlin@nspra.org

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NATIONAL SCHOOL PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES
CINDY WARNER, APR, NAMED 2025 NATIONAL SCHOOL COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR

Award honors Alabama school PR veteran for advancing family engagement, mental health and strategic communication in public education

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 13, 2025) – The National School Public Relations Association has named Cindy Warner, APR, public relations and community education supervisor for Shelby County Schools in Alabama, the 2025 National School Communicator of the Year.

Presented in partnership with Finalsite, the award recognizes an outstanding school communication professional whose leadership, service and strategic impact have strengthened school communities and elevated the profession. Warner was announced as the winner in July during the annual NSPRA National Seminar in Washington, D.C.

“Cindy’s work shows what happens when communication is treated as mission-critical to public education,” said NSPRA Executive Director Barbara M. Hunter, APR. “She’s helped transform her district’s communications and inspired professionals across the country with her mentorship, leadership and care.”

Over the past two decades, Warner has shaped public relations, crisis response and family engagement efforts for one of Alabama’s largest school systems, serving more than 21,000 students and 2,800 employees. Her work reflects national trends in school communication, from prioritizing student mental health and attendance to incorporating research-based messaging strategies and inclusive, multi-platform engagement.

Warner’s work exemplifies the power of school communication to build trust and support student well-being, outcomes backed by decades of research showing that active family engagement leads to higher grades, better attendance and improved emotional health.

“Having a strong communications leader is essential to building a trusting, thriving community,” said Finalsite Chief Marketing Officer Risa Engel. “Cindy's leadership proves how strategic communication can engage families, unite stakeholders, and drive stronger outcomes for public schools.”

Notable highlights from Warner’s career in school communications include:

Led development and rollout of a districtwide strategic plan through a multi-phase communications effort. The initiative earned a 2024 NSPRA Gold Medallion Award, the association's top honor for outstanding school communication programs, for its success in engaging stakeholders and reinforcing the district’s shared vision.

Helped launch the Shelby Cares mental health initiative, a strategic effort to reduce stigma and promote proactive care through student-led messaging, educator training and in-school services. The communications campaign earned a 2019 NSPRA Golden Achievement Award.

Proactively strengthened the district’s brand through nationally recognized initiatives that celebrated student and staff achievements across digital, video and print platforms.

Led media relations and crisis communication for the district for more than two decades, managing thousands of media inquiries and coordinating responses to major events, weather emergencies, student safety, legal challenges and more.

Modernized internal and external communication tools, implementing a unified school-home platform to strengthen staff engagement and streamline parent communication across 31 schools.

Launched a districtwide social media campaign, “Missing School is Missing Out,” to address post-COVID chronic absenteeism. The campaign used grade-specific videos and FOMO-inspired messaging to reach more than 15,000 users and generated over 9,600 video views. The district’s most recently reported chronic absenteeism rate has since shown a downward trend, decreasing from 13.84% in 2022-23 to 13.53% in 2023-24, well below the current national average of approximately 19 percent.

Mentored more than 30 candidates for accreditation in public relations and co-founded NSPRA’s APR Cohort program, supporting 75+ participants nationwide through the accreditation process.

Warner is also a three-time president of the Alabama School Public Relations Association, a former Southeast Region vice president for NSPRA and a dedicated volunteer and board member for multiple community nonprofit organizations

“Cindy Warner is a trusted member of my executive cabinet and a confidant,” said Dr. Lewis Brooks, superintendent of Shelby County Schools. “She is a reliable presence in times of (both) celebration and crisis…(and) our ability to effectively communicate has gotten exponentially better under her direction.”

In her acceptance remarks at NSPRA 2025, Warner shared her gratitude and reflected on the educators, mentors and students who shaped her journey.

“Thank you for letting me represent you as Communicator of the Year,” she said. “I promise to continue doing everything I can to elevate public education because I’m proud to be a product of it.”

In addition to Warner, three other finalists were recognized as part of this year’s national award program:

Donnie Belcher, executive director of communications and engagement for the Minneapolis Public Schools in Minnesota and nominated by the Minnesota School Public Relations Association
Anakaren Cárdenas Ureño, director of communications for the Laguna Beach Unified School District in California and nominated by the California School Public Relations Association
Arianna Vazquez-Hernandez, APR, executive administrator for partnerships, marketing and communication for the Region One Education Service Center in Texas and nominated by the Texas School Public Relations Association

Each of the finalists were nominated by their local state chapter of NSPRA and first recognized at the chapter level as its Communicator of the Year. National nominees were then evaluated by a panel of judges based on the following criteria:

Communication: Exceptional skill in crafting and delivering clear, compelling messages that engage school communities and build trust across platforms.

Professionalism: Ongoing commitment to advancing the field of school communication through mentorship, continued learning and professional service at the local, state or national level.

Community Involvement: Active leadership and meaningful engagement in the broader community, demonstrating a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing public education.

A $1,000 scholarship will be donated in the name of the 2025 National School Communicator of the Year to an education foundation or school of the honoree’s choice.

You can view a full list of all state/regional chapter nominees at https://nspra.co/4fljR8c.

IMAGES FOR DOWNLOAD:

IMAGE FOR DOWNLOAD Caption: Cindy Warner, APR, public relations and community education supervisor for Shelby County Schools in Alabama, was announced as the 2025 National School Communicator of the Year at the NSPRA National Seminar in Washington, D.C.

IMAGE FOR DOWNLOAD Caption: Cindy Warner, APR, public relations and community education supervisor for Shelby County Schools in Alabama, was announced as the 2025 National School Communicator of the Year at the NSPRA National Seminar in Washington, D.C. Warner was one of four finalists selected from a pool of 26 exceptional professionals nominated by their state or regional NSPRA chapters for the national honor.

IMAGE FOR DOWNLOAD Caption: Cindy Warner, APR, public relations and community education supervisor for Shelby County Schools in Alabama, was announced as the 2025 National School Communicator of the Year at the NSPRA National Seminar in Washington, D.C.

IMAGE FOR DOWNLOAD Caption: A $1,000 scholarship will be donated in the name of 2025 National School Communicator of the Year Cindy Warner, APR, to an education foundation or school of her choice. Pictured at the NSPRA 2025 National Seminar in Washington, D.C. (L-R): Finalsite Chief Marketing Officer Risa Engel, 2025 School Communicator of the Year Cindy Warner, APR, and NSPRA Executive Director Barbara M. Hunter, APR.

IMAGE FOR DOWNLOAD Caption: Pictured at the NSPRA 2025 National Seminar in Washington, D.C. (L-R): Finalsite Chief Marketing Officer Risa Engel, 2025 School Communicator of the Year Cindy Warner, APR, and NSPRA Executive Director Barbara M. Hunter, APR.

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About NSPRA
As the leader in school communication, NSPRA serves more than 2,900 members, who work primarily as communication directors in public school districts and education organizations throughout the United States and Canada. NSPRA provides high-quality professional development through on-demand learning, an annual National Seminar, webinars, online forums and resources. Learn more at nspra.org.

About Finalsite
Finalsite is the first community relationship management platform built for K-12 schools. The company’s people, products and services transform how schools connect and engage with their community, recruit students and staff, and fundraise; while managing the complex requirements around data privacy, accessibility, hosting and security. Finalsite products and services include award-winning websites, communications tools, mobile app, enrollment management, and marketing services. With a 96 percent retention rate year-over-year, Finalsite is the preferred provider of over 5,000 school districts and 700 NAIS member schools in the U.S. and international schools in 120 countries. Finalsite is headquartered in Glastonbury, Conn. with a global workforce located across the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit finalsite.com.

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