Efforts
Recognized
Celia Longoria, front row, second from left, flanked by
staff members, including Priscilla Garcia, left, and Isabel González,
right, and KSBG-TV 17 crew members Patti Perales, Roger Torres, and Sergio
Garcia, has been awarded this year's National School Public Relations
Association scholarship. The district's communications team plays an integral
role in the success of San Benito CISD's internal and external communication
efforts. --SB CISD Photo
AUSTIN – Celia Longoria, Director of Communications
& Marketing for San Benito CISD, has been selected to receive a national
scholarship for this year’s National School Public Relations Association
Conference being held July 10-13 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Longoria was selected by the Texas School Public Relations Association
Scholarship Selection Committee for this national honor and was in competition
with other school public relations professionals from across the state
of Texas. This year’s scholarship recipient said she is honored
and excited about the opportunity to join other school PR Professionals
from throughout the nation at this year’s conference entitled, “Strong
Schools, Strong Communities: Advancing Reliable, Credible and Accountable
Communication.”
Longoria was selected based on her extensive school PR experience and
her commitment to the school public relations field through her service
at the state level, chairing various committees, including serving as
chairperson of the Texas Public Schools Week Campaign, where she worked
hand-in-hand with her San Benito staff. She has also served as a presenter
at state school PR conferences and she and her staff have garnered numerous
state and national recognition, including receiving the highest print
honor for designing and implementing the district’s Mold Remediation
Communications Plan. At the local level, Longoria and her team have been
responsible for spearheading communication efforts related to the district’s
two previously successful bond elections–in 1999 and in 2004.
Longoria, a school public relations professional for 14 years, has been
employed with San Benito CISD for seven years, having previously held
a similar position for seven years with the Pharr-San Juan-Independent
School District.
“I am extremely honored to have been selected as this year’s
winner. This training serves as a tremendous investment and will help
me continue fulfilling my duties of building community support for our
San Benito schools for years to come,” she said. “I believe
that all school public relations professionals must take the initiative
to continue learning and growing in their field. I am excited about this
wonderful opportunity.”
Article taken from Valley Morning
Star on June 6, 2005