Mary Marks, Public Information Consultant for the Jericho School District recently received significant professional recognition for her communications and community relations efforts as an award recipient in the 23rd Annual Communications Contest of the New York School Boards Association (NYSSBA) held in Syracuse.

Marks, representing Jericho School District, won seven awards in the contest, which involved 691 entries from 129 school districts across New York State.

"This year's winners should feel especially proud of their awards," said Patricia Bugio, NYSPRA president and Community Relations Coordinator for the Lancaster School District, Lancaster, NY. "Entries were judged by a distinguished panel of professionals from around the country. The judging was very competitive, and only one-third of the entries received awards."

Categories in this year's contest included Annual Report/School Report Card, Budget Bond Newsletter, Calendar, Community Newsletter, In-House Production, Internal Newsletter, Overall Graphics & Design, Photography, PR Marketing Campaign, Video and Website.

Marks won awards for the district newsletters, photography, and graphics and design for the calendar and the newsletter.

NYSPRA connects individuals with a professional network to share ideas, information and support regarding school public relations. NYSPRA also offers workshops at meetings and conferences that help members broaden their networking base and professional skills by interacting with some of the best and most innovative communicators in the state. Awards in the annual contest are a symbol of such quality and innovation.