The Champion for Communications Award recognizes an education leader for outstanding support of school public relations and communications. The award highlights the importance of a leader’s role in implementing and supporting an effective communications program. 

The award is open to any person employed in a school or district leadership role (who is not considered an organization's communications professional), which could include a superintendent of schools or CEO of an education agency, service center, or intermediate unit. Nominees are not required to be MinnSPRA members.

The review committee will consider selection criteria that includes how the nominee:

• Demonstrates the value of an ongoing, comprehensive and effective communications program;
• The nominee works closely and in a strategic way with the organization’s communications professional(s);
• Practices good communications management techniques, such as empowering staff, working with stakeholders, interacting with the media and building partnerships;
• Demonstrates excellent personal communications skills, such as ethics, honesty, openness and good listening skills;
• Commitment to the continuation of developing their own communications skills and support communications within their organization; and
• Shows evidence of use of effective tools and strategies to carry out a quality communications program (such as having a marketing/ communications plan based on the district’s strategic goals, providing regular communications to key stakeholders, ongoing community engagement).

The nomination period for MinnSPRA's 2026 Champion for Communications Award is now closed. The winner will be announced at the 2026 Spring Conference, held April 29-30 at the Hanifl Performing Arts Center in White Bear Lake. Register for the conference today!