A Colorado State University graduate and the Division of External Relations took home high honors from the Colorado Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America at its annual Gold Pick Awards ceremony.
CSU graduate Nicole Yost received one of the top awards – PR Person of the Year – and the Division of External Relations won two Gold Pick Awards and one Silver Pick Award at the ceremony in Denver on May 2.
Yost, founder and chief communicator at Fyn Public Relations in Loveland, was recognized as PR Person of the Year for her successful media campaigns and passion for public relations and digital storytelling. She also has worked at PR agencies in Denver and was one of 30 PR professionals to coordinate media at the 2012 Presidential Debate in Denver. Yost is a long-time advisor for the Journalism and Media Communication Department’s Public Relations Student Society of America club, and taught for the department this spring.
Yost, who earned a bachelor’s degree from CSU’s Department of Journalism & Media Communication, has generated coverage for her clients from outlets such as The New York Times, the TODAY Show, USA Today and The Washington Post, among others.
“The sheer joy of loving your career and loving what you do is something that drives every day,” Yost said during her acceptance speech.
Division of External Relations
Colorado State Magazine, the university’s premier magazine published each fall and spring, won the Gold Pick in the Magazines category.
Executive Editor Coleman Cornelius accepted the honor at the ceremony on behalf of the leadership team, which also includes Publisher Cara Neth, Deputy Publisher Kathy Phifer and Art Director and Designer Mary Sweitzer.
“The magazine is a tremendous team effort that connects a core constituency of more than 110,000 alumni, donors, and friends to the University – and encourages our readers, through great content and inspired design, to consider the many ways this institution improves our lives and our world,” Cornelius said.
Mary Guiden, science writer and senior public relations specialist for CSU’s Public Relations Team, received the Gold Pick in Media Relations for her work with the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Guiden won the award for coordinating media coverage of the college’s high-tech veterinary heart surgery, which was featured on the weekend edition of NBC’s TODAY Show.
Dr. John Torres, medical correspondent for NBC News, did a story spotlighting a new high-tech operating room at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital featuring part of a cardiology procedure performed by Dr. Brian Scansen at the college.
The Social and Digital Media Team in External Relations won the Silver Pick Award in Best Use of Social Stories for #CSUMyAlmaMater, a video featuring CSU a capella group The Ramblings singing the university’s Alma Mater across campus as they prepare for graduation.
Jen Smith, assistant director of social and digital media, accepted the award on behalf of the team, which also includes Director Kimberly Stern, Coordinator Chase Baker and Coordinator Ashley Manweiler.
