Three area college students have been awarded scholarships from North Dakota Professional Communicators to assist in their academic endeavors in the future.

Anna Dragseth, a junior at North Dakota State University; Erick George, a junior at Minnesota State University Moorhead; and Marissa Shiock, a junior at Minnesota State University Moorhead, each received a $500 Marion J. Piper Scholarship. The award is named in honor of a longtime NDPC member who died in 1969.

Dragseth is majoring in broadcast journalism with a minor in political science. She worked as the NDSU University Relations student writer, is involved with KNDS Radio and serves as the communications coordinator for Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow. She also works as the assistant manager at Bison Information News Network, a student-run campus news organization. Dragseth is originally from Watford City, North Dakota.

"Thank you so much for choosing me as the 2021 NDPC scholarship recipient," Dragseth wrote in her thank you note to the scholarship committee. "I am beyond honored to receive this prestigious scholarship. I will be interning at RFD-TV this summer and Nashville and plan on putting the scholarship money towards living expenses."

George is majoring in broadcast journalism and multimedia journalism with a minor in mass communications and political science. For two years, he has been involved with the student-run Campus News program, serving as anchor this past year. He is originally from Battle Lake, Minnesota.

"This generous gift will be a great financial support toward my higher education. It is a great blessing and honor to have you give so generously and value my education," George wrote. "By awarding me the Marion J. Piper Scholarship, you have allowed me to focus my attention on my education without financial stress. Your generosity is an inspiration to me. I hope one day to help future students achieve their goals with a charitable spirit just as you have helped me."

Shiock is majoring in multimedia journalism, photojournalism and broadcast journalism with a minor in media analysis. She is involved with the student-run Campus News program, serving as head producer and news photographer, and also shoots photos for the MSUM Go!Team and the Dragon football team. She is originally from Bismarck, North Dakota.

North Dakota Professional Communicators announces the winners of the 2021 NDPC Communications Contest. Thirty-one NDPC members earned 145 awards for their work in writing, editing, photography, graphics and design, advertising, web and social media, communication programs and campaigns, public relations, information for the media and speeches. Read more>>

Tammy Fogle, digital marketing specialist for North Dakota State College of Science, has been selected as the 2021 Communicator of Achievement by the North Dakota Professional Communicators. The COA is the highest honor NDPC can bestow upon one of its members. It is presented annually to a member of NDPC and the National Federation of Press Women who has distinguished him or herself within and beyond his or her profession. Read more>>

Let's spruce things up!

With all the improvements we’ve made throughout the past year, it’s time to spruce up our brand too. The NDPC logo should be more modern and inviting. It should be professional and edgy, but communicators should feel welcomed to our organization when they see our logo. That’s where you come in. You are invited to participate in the NDPC Logo Design contest!

Here is the information you will need:

Name: North Dakota Professional Communicators (NDPC)

Industry: Non-profit organization supporting North Dakota communicator professional development

Audience: North Dakota communicators of all ages. Our membership is made up of men and women from college students all the way to retirement.

Color and Type Choice: Up to you! Flex your creative muscle.

How to submit: Please package all the above materials into a zipped folder and send to aboutndpc@gmail.com Feel free to send using file-sharing sites like Dropbox or Google drive.

Deadline to submit: April 21 at Midnight CST

Prize: a $250 Visa Gift Card

Questions: Feel free to email Sadie Rudolph, NDPC President.

 

Rules and Requirements

1. The entrant must be an NDPC member.

2. The entrant must submit two versions of the main logo.

• One logo should spell out North Dakota Professional Communicators
• One logo can be the NDPC acronym

3. The entrant must create four district logos that complement the NDPC logo. The four districts are: 

• Fargo-Moorhead Professional Communicators
• Minot Area Professional Communicators
• Prairie Communicators
• Valley MarComm

4. All assets should be submitted as both:

• PNG (for online applications)
• PDF (for print applications)

5. The logo(s) should work well on apparel, merchandise, digital and print platforms, including:

• Merchandise (mugs, T-shirts, etc.)
• Digital (website, ads, social media)
• Print (business cards, letterhead, brochures)

6. The entrant must submit a branded document or booklet that contains guidelines on logo usage. It should include basic standards for use of the below identity elements.

• NDCP Logo
• District Logos
• Color Palette
• Typography

7. The contest winner must release the logo rights to NDPC and agree to receive no additional compensation.

• NDCP Logo
• District Logos
• Color Palette
• Typography

8. If any of the above rules are not followed or requirements are not met, your entry will be disqualified.

 

Logo Contest Submission Checklist

• North Dakota Professional Communicators Logo PNG
• North Dakota Professional Communicators Logo PDF
• NDPC Logo PNG
• NDPC Logo PDF
• Fargo-Moorhead Professional Communicators Logo PNG
• Fargo-Moorhead Professional Communicators Logo PDF
• Minot Area Professional Communicators Logo PNG
• Minot Area Professional Communicators Logo PDF
• Prairie Communicators Logo PNG
• Prairie Communicators Logo PDF
• Valley MarComm Logo PNG
• Valley MarComm Logo PDF
• Logo Usage Guidelines PDF

 

The NDPC board will vote on entries at the Spring Board Meeting on April 22. The winner will be announced at the end of the NDPC Conference on April 23. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to seeing your entries! 

North Dakota Professional Communicators is again offering area college students the opportunity to apply for the $500 Marion J. Piper Scholarship. Any student enrolled in at least a two-year college or university in North Dakota, or at Minnesota State University Moorhead or Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn., is eligible to apply. 

The scholarship honors Marion Piper Sullivan, a former NDPC member and noted North Dakota writer, editor and historian. She died of cancer in 1969.

Learn more about the scholarship and download an application at https://www.aboutndpc.org/page-18079.

It’s time to start thinking about the work you've created this year as entries are now being accepted for the 2021 NDPC Communications Contest! The NDPC Communications Contest is a great way to showcase your best work. 

You will be recognized at the NDPC Spring Conference and all first-place winners will advance to the NFPW National Communications Contest. 

The contest is open to writers, authors, copy editors, public affairs professionals, photographers, publishers, and others in the communications field. 

Click here to see the list of categories: https://nfpwcontest.secure-platform.com/a/organizations/nd/home

Deadlines:
Early Bird Deadline is January 27, 2021
Book Final Deadline is February 3, 2021
Final Deadline for all other entries is February 10, 2021

Fees:
Entries submitted before January 28: $25 for first entry, $5 for each additional entry

Entries submitted after January 28: $50 for first entry, $5 for each additional entry

Eligibility:
All work must have been created or published in 2020 to be eligible.

According to NDPC bylaws, you must have a NFPW membership to enter the Communications Contest.

- Patience Mosbrucker, NDPC 2nd Vice President

NDPC will offer virtual sessions until the COVID-19 situation improves. The goal is to offer approximately two sessions per month until it is safe to meet in person. The first few virtual sessions will be free for ALL NDPC members at the national, state and local levels. After that, you will be required to hold at least a state level membership ($30 per year) to attend for free. Local and non-members will be required to pay a registration fee. Registration instructions will be emailed from District Directors prior to each session. 

If you would like to upgrade your membership, you can do so online at http://www.aboutndpc.org/join.html. You will receive the remainder of 2020 for free and your payment will be applied to your 2021 membership.

One of the benefits of doing professional development this way is being able to tap into the talented communicators from across the entire state. NDPC is grateful to all the speakers who have agreed to present to our membership. 

Congratulations to NDPC members who won awards in the 2020 NFPW Communications Contest on June 6. NDPC had another great showing in the first-ever online 2020 NFPW contest awards ceremony themed, “Where Diamonds Shine.” Recipients will receive their certificates via mail in a couple weeks. NDPC will recognize all of our winners on our social media platforms in the coming weeks.

NFPW will honor Communicator of Achievement nominees at a virtual ceremony on Saturday, June 20, at 6 p.m. Eastern. Please consider attending to honor our COA, Danielle Teigen! To RSVP, email NFPW headquarters at info@nfpw.org by June 12. They will send you a link and password.

​Two area college students have been awarded $500 scholarships from North Dakota Professional Communicators to assist in their academic endeavors in the future. Kali Berlinger, a junior at Minnesota State University Moorhead, and Micayla Bitz, a sophomore at Concordia College, each received a $500 Marion J. Piper Scholarship. The award is named in honor of a longtime NDPC member who died in 1969. Berlinger is majoring in integrated advertising and public relations with a minor in media analysis and mass communications. Berlinger is actively involved in the MSUM chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, and she plans to use her degree in a communication role that allows her to use new and emerging social media platforms to connect effectively with audiences. She is originally from Morris, Minn. Bitz is a member of Lambda Pi Eta, a communicator honor society, and she serves as president of the Concordia chapter of College Democrats. She’s also putting her communication skills to use as a fundraising assistant with the community engagement team of a local nonprofit organization. Bitz is majoring in communication studies with a minor in English and political science. She plans to use her degree in a communications career that allows her to “make a difference” and help “make the world a better place.” Bitz is originally from Mandan, N.D. The Marion J. Piper Scholarship is open to any students enrolled at a North Dakota college or university, or Concordia College or Minnesota State University Moorhead in Minnesota.

March is upon us and that means the 2019 NDPC Spring Conference will be here before we know it!

We have finalized our speaker list, and we are excited to have four fantastic presentations to offer attendees. As a reminder, our speakers include:

• Kimberly Jondahl, who will present "Enhancing Mindfulness in the Workplace" with tips for practicing mindfulness at work, as well as provide real-life professional examples of how to incorporate mindfulness into your programs, customer service, marketing, word choices, and public spaces.
• Monica Hannan will discuss “Authenticity: The Key to Communication”. There are all kinds of ways to get your message across. You can go the formal route, which is safe, or you can go out on a limb and let your personality and life story come into play. Hannan is an Emmy-Award-winning news manager, television anchor and talk show host at NBC affiliate, KFYR-TV, in Bismarck, N.D. ​
• Rob Keller will present "How to Survive a Media Crisis … When You (Or Your Agency) Become the Story?" His presentation revolves around three major themes: planning, preparation, and execution. When you set the conditions early it can lead to not only individuals thriving in chaos, but organizational resilience after the fact.  
• Ed Sargeant, Steph Scheurer, and Derek Milner from Agency MABU will present  "What's in it for me?” Understanding Your Audience. In a world with instant-everything and short attention spans, how can you capture your audience’s attention to deliver your message? will guide you through our strategic marketing process, help you decipher the tools, and provide examples to help you achieve purposeful communication.

Before our speakers share their knowledge, we will hold our annual membership meeting at 9 a.m. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about the organization, who serves in various roles and elect officers for 2019-2020. Our first speaker will begin at 10 a.m. and we will be wrapped up around 3:30 to allow people time to travel. A full schedule has been posted on the conference page. 

Your conference registration also includes the banquet on Thursday night. The banquet is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Radisson, and the event will highlight member milestones, our communicator of achievement as well as the results of the communications contest. We will be sending an email to all attendees after registration closes on March 8 to ask for a headcount regarding the banquet because it is a plated meal (which is included in the registration cost). 

If you have any questions regarding the upcoming event, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at danielle.teigen@gmail.com. 

As a reminder, our conference is possible due to the generosity of our sponsors: Forum Communications, Bell Bank, MDU Resources Group, The Skrive, Click Content Studios, Odney and Lou Richardson.

-Danielle Teigen, NDPC President