School Communicator of the Year Award

Congratulations to Cindy Warner, APR

2025 NSPRA National School Communicator of the Year

School Communicator of the Year

Each year, the National School Public Relations Association, in partnership with Finalsite, honors one outstanding professional whose leadership, service and strategic impact have strengthened school communities and elevated the field of school communication. In 2025, the honor belongs to Cindy Warner, APR, public relations and community education supervisor for Shelby County Schools in Alabama, who was recently presented with the award at the NSPRA 2025 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 celebrate 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% to 13.53%, well below the current national average of approximately 19%.
Supported the professional growth of more than 30 candidates for accreditation in public relations through direct mentorship, panel service and program leadership. Co-founded NSPRA’s APR Cohort program, which supports 200+ participants annually on their path to accreditation.

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.”

Read a full recap of the 2025 School Communicator of the Year Award presentation at the NSPRA National Seminar in the July 22 issue of the Seminar Scoop newsletter.

Explore Cindy Warner’s 2025 School Communicator of the Year finalist profile to learn more about her career, leadership and lasting impact on school communication.

In addition to Warner, finalists for the award were also recognized as part of this year’s national award program:

Donnie Belcher

Executive Director of Communications and Engagement
Minneapolis Public Schools

Minneapolis, Minn.

Minnesota School Public Relations Association

Read more about Arianna.

And, congratulations to the following school communicators who were submitted as nominees for the national award from their state or regional chapter:

Natalia Baage Public Relations Specialist Southern Westchester BOCES Harrison, N.Y. New York School Public Relations Association	Jacqueline Brawley Executive Director of Communications and Community Relations Bellingham School District Bellingham, Wash. Washington School Public Relations Association	Jill Browning, APR Chief Communications Officer Community High School District 99 Downers Grove, Ill. Illinois School Public Relations Association
Mindy Burbach Executive Director of Communications Lincoln Public Schools Lincoln, Neb. Nebraska School Public Relations Association	Yándary Chatwin Executive Director of Communications and Community Relations Salt Lake City School District Salt Lake City, Utah Utah School Public Relations Association	Christine Corliss Public Information Officer Ridgewood Public Schools Ridgewood, N.J. New Jersey School Public Relations Association
James Evans, APR Chief Communications Officer Rutherford County Schools Murfreesboro, Tenn. Tennessee School Public Relations Association	Tracy Habisch-Ahlin Director of Community Relations Hudson School District Hudson, Wis. Wisconsin School Public Relations Association	Scott Howat Chief Communications Officer Orange County Public Schools Orlando, Fla. Sunshine State School Public Relations Association
Tim McAvoy Director of School Community Relations Utica Community Schools Auburn Hills, Mich. Michigan School Public Relations Association	Regina McMillan Director of Public Information St. Charles Parish Public Schools Luling, La. Louisiana School Public Relations Association	Kristen Miller Assistant Director of Communications Shaker Heights City School District Shaker Heights, Ohio Ohio School Public Relations Association
Joseph Ortiz Director of Public Relations and Marketing Tolleson Union High School District Tolleson, Ariz. Arizona School Public Relations Association	Kendra Pannell Executive Director of Communications Dalton Public Schools Dalton, Ga. Georgia School Public Relations Association	Stephanie Pool Director of Marketing and Communications Central Technology Center Drumright, Okla. Oklahoma School Public Relations Association
Andy Pruitt Director of Communications Charleston County School District Charleston, S.C. South Carolina Chapter of NSPRA	Melissa Reese Communications Manager Allentown School District Allentown, Pa. Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association	Christie Scott, APR Board of Education Communications Coordinator Montgomery County Public Schools Rockville, Md. Chesapeake School Public Relations Association
Sue Scott Communications Coordinator Tippecanoe School Corporation Lafayette, Ind. Indiana School Public Relations Association	David Smith Chief Communications Director Shawnee Mission School District Shawnee Mission, Kan. Kansas School Public Relations Association	Tahira Stalberte, APR Assistant Superintendent of Communications and Community Relations Union County Public Schools Monroe, N.C. North Carolina School Public Relations Association
	Hillary Wright-Kaufman Coordinator of Communications and Public Relations, Assistant to the Superintendent Washington County Schools Louisville, Ky. Kentucky School Public Relations Association

Eligibility for Nomination:

To be eligible for the National School Communicator of the Year Award, candidates must first be selected by their chapter as its Communicator of the Year based on their chapter’s selection criteria. This chapter award may be branded by another name but should reflect the highest award a school communicator can receive. In addition, candidates should be a current member of their chapter, hold a professional membership in NSPRA and plan to continue working in the profession.

This program is designed to recognize the outstanding leadership and contributions of active, front-line school communicators who work full-time in school districts or education service agencies. It is not designed to be a recognition of service at retirement. Current members of the NSPRA executive board are ineligible to receive this award.

For the first three award years (2024, 2025 and 2026), chapters may submit a past winner to allow the alignment of the chapter and national award cycle and criteria. By 2027, chapters should submit their current awardee.

Chapter leaders may complete a nomination form for their chapter nominee. Chapter leaders may also opt to have their nominee complete the application. No other person(s) should complete a nomination.

Judging Areas:

The nomination form includes the submission of one essay of up to 300 words for each of the four judging areas: Leadership, Communication, Professionalism and Community Involvement (four essays total with each individual essay no more than 300 words in length).

Nominations may include supporting documentation of up to three supplemental items for each section. Each nomination must also include two letters of recommendation:

One letter should be from the nominee's supervisor, superintendent or school board member.
One letter may be from a chapter leader, such as the president or executive director.

Nominations must also include the updated résumé of the nominee as well as a professional headshot of the nominee.

Each judging area will be scored from 1 to 5, for a maximum of 20 points.

Leadership: Describe how the nominee demonstrates leadership in successfully meeting the communication needs of their school system or educational service agency. Examples may include leading successful communication campaigns, overcoming an internal communication challenge or creating a robust strategic communication plan. Examples should include data-driven research, planning elements, implementation of strategies and tactics and evaluation measures showing outcomes.

Communication: Describe how the nominee demonstrates their strength in both personal and organizational communication. Examples may include evidence of persuasion, public speaking, the power of engagement or influence in decision making. Examples should include why the nominee’s communication strengths made a positive impact.

Professionalism: Describe how the nominee demonstrates a consistent effort toward increasing their knowledge and skills, providing professional development opportunities or being a mentor to others. Examples may include achieving accreditation in public relations (APR), participating in NSPRA’s Mentor Match program or serving as a speaker at the chapter or national level.

Community Involvement: Describe how the nominee demonstrates active participation in their local community and an understanding of regional, national and international issues. Examples may include going above and beyond their daily work commitments by volunteering in their local community, organizing a fundraising event for their community or writing an article that demonstrates broad knowledge of the complexities of public education.

All activities or accomplishments must have taken place within the previous five years. Additionally, the nominee must have the ability and skills necessary to represent school communications in a professional manner, including but not limited to high-quality written communication and public-speaking skills. The nominee should maintain the highest standards of personal conduct and recognize that their personal conduct is held up to public scrutiny.

Award Benefits:

All nominees and finalists will be recognized individually on stage at the NSPRA Seminar during the first General Session. The SCOY awardee will be a surprise announcement and receive a physical award.
The four finalists will be asked to provide a panel presentation at that same Seminar.

The winner will receive:

National recognition through NSPRA publications, website and social media.
Notification of the winner’s local media outlets, superintendent and school board
Free registration and travel expenses for the subsequent NSPRA Seminar (expenses include airfare, four nights at the conference hotel and per diem for meals).
Listed as a national speaker on the NSPRA website for one year.
Represents NSPRA at national events such as serving as an exemplar on the LFA Public Schools Week panel.
A $1,000 scholarship donation to their choice of an education foundation or school.

Judges:

A blue-ribbon panel of judges who are NSPRA’s past winners of the Presidents Award, the Barry Gaskins Mentor Legacy Award, Bob Grossman Leadership in School Communications Award and the current NSPRA president.

Timeline:

January: Nomination form opens
April: Deadline for chapter leaders to complete the application to submit their respective nominees for the National School Communicator of the Year Award. Chapter leaders may also opt to have their nominee complete the application.
May 1: Four finalists are selected and announced.
June 15: Four finalists submit responses to a prompt question related to the school communications profession.
July: The National School Communicator of the Year is announced and all chapter winners are honored on stage at the NSPRA Seminar during the first General Session.

Questions? Contact NSPRA Executive Director Barbara M. Hunter, APR, at bhunter@nspra.org.

Previous Recipients

2024 National School Communicator of the Year

In 2024, Dirk Tedmon, APR, executive director of marketing and communications for Eden Prairie Schools in Eden Prairie, Minn., was named the inaugural recipient of the National School Communicator of the Year Award.

Awards Nominate a Colleague School Communicator of the Year Award