News
October 29, 2020Capital Region BOCES Communications Service Earns National Industry Award
The Capital Region BOCES Communications Service is being recognized alongside some of the best and brightest marketing and communications agencies in the United States.
The service this week received a Silver Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for an internal communications campaign created, launched and overseen by the BOCES’ corporate communications team.
Winners were announced on October 27, during the virtual PRSA #ICON2020 ceremony. Capital Region BOCES joins the ranks of other notable organizations, including Weber Shandwick, American Heart Association, American Airlines to name a few.
“Our philosophy is that communications efforts should be strategic and aligned with organizational goals. To win an award on this level and to see Capital Region BOCES listed alongside much larger, internationally-recognized organizations validates our approach and our commitment to excellence,” said Capital Region BOCES Director of Communications and Public Relations Adrienne Leon, APR.
The award-winning ‘One BOCES’ campaign was designed to unify Capital Region BOCES employees through a culture of engagement. With nearly 1,500 employees in five divisions, nine buildings, and hundreds of satellite school sites statewide, communication is no easy feat. Creating a campaign that engaged everyone from teachers to technology experts at locations as varied as Sullivan County, Syracuse and Plattsburgh was complex.
Through the ‘One BOCES’ campaign, the corporate communications team supported the following initiatives to foster internal communication:
• Developed strategic ‘One BOCES’ messaging to symbolize unity among all divisions under a renewed mission statement and commitments that more accurately represents the scope of the organization’s work.
• Improved engagement through a three-tiered employee recognition program.
• Implemented the first-ever BOCES-wide annual employee engagement survey.
• Increased intranet usage organization-wide to foster communication.
“This is truly a testament to the cooperative nature of our BOCES and is the reason our Communications Service is seen as a leader in school and industry public relations,” said Capital Region BOCES Senior Executive Officer Joseph P. Dragone, Ph.D. “While improving internal communications is a continual goal, we are proud of our efforts, and, for being recognized with this award for how far we have come in just a few short years.”
