Marketing and Communications Recognized by NCMPR
TMCC’s Marketing and Communications team was recognized by the National Council for Media and Public Relations (NCMPR) in their National Paragon Awards. The awards ceremony, hosted at the National Conference in Denver, awarded the MCO team across multiple marketing and communications categories, including social media and graphic design. NCMPR’s prestigious Paragon Awards recognize outstanding achievement in design and communication at community and technical colleges. It’s the only national competition of its kind that honors excellence exclusively among marketing and PR professionals at two-year colleges.
Specifically, the team received Silver Awards for its original and creative TikTok content and colorful yet on-target poster designs, and a Gold distinction for its booklet outlining logo use guidelines, a document that explains TMCC’s unique branding standards that blend form and content into a compelling, easy-to-understand illustrated design.
“Our Marketing and Communications team continually strives to deliver accurate, concise, and compelling messages to students, faculty and staff. This is by no means an easy task, and that requires fast-paced attention to detail and dedication to their jobs that often goes above and beyond what can be expected of them. Of this group of communications professionals, I could not be more proud,” said Associate Vice President of Institutional Research, Marketing and Communications, Web Services and Information Technology Elena Bubnova.
Vice President of Student Services and Diversity Recognized with National Award
From left to right: AAHHE Chair-ElectPatrick Valdez, AAHEE Chair Dr. Victor B. Sáenz, TMCC Vice President Estela Gutierrez, TMCC President Dr. Karin Hilgersom and TMCC Executive Director of Retention Support, YeVonne Allen.
Vice President of Student Services and Diversity Estela Gutierrez was awarded the 2022 American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) Community College Award for her demonstrated excellence in advocacy, teaching and leadership. Gutierrez, who received the award at the AAHHE Awards Luncheon on March 10 hosted at Nevada State College, was recognized for over 32 years of service to higher education and dedication to student achievement.
As TMCC’s Vice President of Student Services and Diversity, Gutierrez leads a vital division of our institution that develops programs to support student success. She has worked tirelessly to shepherd TMCC from an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution to a Designated Hispanic Serving Institution, a distinction we earned in 2017, which was largely a result of Gutierrez’s outstanding leadership over the course of a decade. She has also worked to close achievement gaps for our population of Hispanic students, with 37% graduating compared with 30% of their white peers. In 2019 for the first time in the 50-year history of TMCC, Hispanic students surpassed their white peers in choosing to major in science and engineering and succeeding in these rigorous fields.
Gutierrez has also served on the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees and co-founded the Mariposa Dual Language Academy in Reno. When she was elected as president of the WCSD Board of Trustees in 2010, she became the first minority to lead an elective entity in Washoe County. Gutierrez currently serves on the Northern Nevada Medical Center Board of Governors, NASPA Latinx Task Force and United Way Board. Gutierrez has worked to promote educational reform at the state level. In November 2010, she was named to Governor Brian Sandoval's transition team comprised of various leaders around the state to help the governor—this included a subcommittee on education. As a Latina in her leadership roles, she stresses strong collaboration between the community and the institutions of education. She promotes student success for all, with a specific lens for the Latinx population and their families.
The AAHHE is a national, educational and non-profit 501©3 organization dedicated to enabling Hispanic professionals to fully participate in a diverse society. AAHHE works collaboratively with all sectors of education, business, industry as well as community and professional organizations to enhance the educational aspirations and to meet the needs of a significantly increasing Hispanic population.
Student Government Association Returns to On-Campus Events
Students who attend the Pasta with the President event are treated to a free lunch and the opportunity to ask campus leadership questions.
TMCC’s Student Government Association (SGA) returned to one of its longest-standing traditions after a nearly 3-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic: once again students at TMCC’s Dandini Campus can look forward to free pasta and open conversations with the TMCC President Dr. Hilgersom and the SGA at the “Pasta with the President” event, which was held on March 24.
Students from TMCC High School and across all divisions from TMCC’s academic divisions—from radiologic technology to education to architecture—joined in the lunchtime discussion facilitated by TMCC President Dr. Hilgersom and SGA President Darian Richards to ask questions that ran the gamut of concerns from the rising cost of food items in Café Verde, continuing online course offerings, and how to best manage the work-life balance even as a leader of the student body and a large institution.
While the discussion is certainly worth the cost of admission, a free pasta lunch is hard to turn down and is provided to everyone who attends. This is one of many food-friendly campus events organized by the SGA and which give you, our students, the opportunity to be heard. Learn more about the SGA and how you can get involved!