National School Communicator of the Year Finalists Panel Discussion
Date: 7/20/2026
Time: 2:15 - 3:15 PM
Room: Grand Salon 21 & 24 (Floor 1)
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.
LEADERSHIP–Leadership, strategic counseling, management, mentorship in communications and public schools
Handouts (if provided):
Session Description
The four finalists for NSPRA's 2026 National School Communicator of the Year Award, presented in partnership with Finalsite, will participate in a panel discussion about their work in the areas of leadership, communication, professionalism and community involvement. Find inspiration for your own school communications career as they share professional stories and personal experiences that led them to this new top national honor.
----------
ABOUT THE AWARD
The National School Communicator of the Year Award is among the highest national honors in the profession, recognizing front-line communicators whose strategic leadership and dedication have made a lasting impact on their schools and communities. This year, 29 exceptional professionals were nominated by their state or regional chapters for the national honor. Each nominee had previously been recognized at the chapter level as a Communicator of the Year or equivalent award recipient.
The following four finalists were selected by a blue-ribbon panel of judges in recognition of their exemplary leadership, professional excellence and contributions to the field of school communication.
Holly Brooker, Director of Community Relations, Ulster BOCES, New York School Public Relations Association
Celi Haga, APR, Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Strategic Communications, Eastern Carver County Schools, Minnesota School Public Relations Association
Lori Perlow, Public Information Officer, Communications Consortium, Haddon Township School District, New Jersey School Public Relations Association
Tove Tupper, APR, Chief Communications Officer, Highline Public Schools, Washington School Public Relations Association
More: https://www.nspra.org/News/meet-the-2026-nspra-school-communicator-of-the-year-finalists
Presenter(s)
Cindy Warner APR
2025 National School Communicator of the Year
Cindy Warner, APR, public relations and community education supervisor for Shelby County Schools in Ala., was named recipient of the 2025 National School Communicator of the Year Award. LinkedIn Profile
Holly Brooker
Director of Community Relations
Ulster BOCES
For more than three decades, Holly Brooker has helped school districts across Ulster County navigate some of their most important moments with clarity, strategy and compassion. As director of community relations for Ulster BOCES, Brooker has built one of the region’s most respected and comprehensive school communication services, transforming what began as a small tactical department into a full-scale communications enterprise supporting every school district in Ulster County.
Brooker’s influence extends far beyond communications products and campaigns. Colleagues, superintendents and community leaders consistently describe her as a trusted advisor, crisis communicator, mentor and advocate for public education; someone districts call when the stakes are highest and the path forward is uncertain.
Under Brooker’s leadership, the Ulster BOCES Community Relations service has grown dramatically, expanding from 2.5 staff members into a 17-person team supporting communications, digital media, accessibility, video production, branding and strategic planning efforts across the county. She has intentionally created a team culture focused on mentorship, collaboration and continuous learning, including immersive “Huddle” professional development experiences where staff learn from one another through real-world problem solving and strategic communications exercises.
Brooker is also recognized for her strong commitment to accessibility, equity and authentic engagement. Colleagues note her advocacy for ADA compliance, timely translation services and communication practices that ensure all families feel informed and included. Her work consistently centers listening first, building trust and helping districts communicate with transparency and empathy.
Beyond her professional role, Brooker is deeply engaged in her community through the Highland Rotary Club, where she has helped expand the organization’s visibility, membership and service efforts. She volunteers with Junior Achievement programs in local schools, supports community outreach initiatives and was recognized as both Highland Rotary Club Rotarian of the Year and Rotary District 7210 New Rotarian of the Year in 2024.
A longtime leader within NYSPRA and NSPRA, Brooker is widely respected for generously sharing her expertise, mentoring emerging professionals and strengthening the school communication profession through collaboration and service. Her work has earned numerous honors throughout her career, including NSPRA’s Gold Medallion Award for her leadership on a countywide opioid and heroin crisis awareness initiative that brought together educators, families and community agencies to address a growing public health challenge. LinkedIn Profile
Celi Haga APR
Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Strategic Communications
Eastern Carver County Schools
With more than 25 years of experience in communications and public affairs, Celi Haga, APR, is known throughout Minnesota and across the school communication profession as a leader who brings strategy, empathy and action together in powerful ways. As chief of staff and executive director of strategic communications for Eastern Carver County Schools, she serves as a trusted advisor to district leadership, guiding communications, community engagement and organizational strategy while helping strengthen trust, transparency and connection across the communities the district serves.
In 2021 and 2025, Haga led successful district referendum campaigns that engaged communities around important decisions impacting local schools. Most recently, she developed and executed a comprehensive communications strategy focused on transparency, community engagement and understanding. As part of that effort, she created The ECCS Difference, a campaign highlighting what sets Eastern Carver County Schools apart while serving as a foundation for future enrollment marketing and community engagement efforts. The 2025 referendum was approved in all four communities served by the district with 62% voter support, reflecting the effectiveness of the district's outreach and engagement efforts.
Haga’s leadership has also helped shape how the district responds to complex issues. She played a key role in developing Eastern Carver County Schools’ Identity Harm Protocol, a framework designed to support students, staff and families while strengthening transparency and trust. Haga's leadership was especially evident during a period of significant uncertainty for many students and families across Minnesota. As school districts worked to understand and respond to evolving federal immigration enforcement actions, she helped guide her district's communications and operational response, ensuring families and staff had access to timely information, resources and support. Recognizing that school communicators across the state were facing similar questions, she also convened peer discussions through MinnSPRA, bringing together more than 100 communications professionals to share information, exchange strategies and support one another during a rapidly changing situation.
Her commitment to service goes well beyond her professional role. As chair of the Carver County Community Development Agency, Haga helps oversee affordable housing and economic development initiatives that support residents throughout the county. She has also applied her communications expertise to strengthen community outreach and engagement efforts across the organization.
Haga is equally passionate about creating opportunities for young people to feel connected and supported. She founded Chaska Pride, a family- and youth-focused community event designed to create belonging and visibility for LGBTQIA+ youth and families that has grown into a thriving annual tradition and a model for other communities. She also stepped in to lead Chaska High School's competitive one-act theater program when it faced possible elimination, helping students build confidence, creativity and connection through the arts.
Her influence extends into the profession itself. As president of the Minnesota School Public Relations Association (MinnSPRA), Haga has helped grow membership to the highest level in chapter history while strengthening partnerships with education organizations across the state. She is also a sought-after presenter at NSPRA, AASA and PRSA conferences, frequently speaking on topics related to crisis communication, leadership, trust-building and equity-centered communications. LinkedIn Profile
Lori Perlow
Public Information Officer, Communications Consortium
Haddon Township School District
Lori Perlow has spent her career helping school districts communicate with greater clarity, strategy and authenticity while also helping elevate the profession of school public relations across New Jersey and beyond. As founder and leader of New Jersey’s only public shared-service communications consortium, Perlow provides strategic communications support to more than a dozen school districts, helping communities strengthen trust, improve engagement and navigate increasingly complex communications challenges.
A nationally recognized communications professional, Perlow has built a model that allows districts of all sizes to access high-level communications leadership and strategic counsel. Through the Haddon Township School District Communication Consortium, she leads branding, communication planning, crisis communication and media relations efforts tailored to each district’s unique culture and community needs. Since launching the consortium model, she has partnered with more than 40 school districts throughout New Jersey.
Her work is deeply rooted in research and strategic planning. Perlow frequently uses surveys, focus groups and stakeholder feedback to guide communication action plans and long-term engagement strategies. She has also helped districts successfully navigate major funding and referendum efforts through transparent communication and extensive community engagement. In both Haddon Township and Readington Township, her work helped districts secure voter approval for major school funding initiatives while strengthening community understanding and trust.
Perlow’s leadership extends far beyond the districts she serves. A past president of the New Jersey School Public Relations Association (NJSPRA) and former NSPRA Northeast Region vice president, she has helped expand professional development opportunities and strengthen recognition of school communications throughout the region. During her six years leading NJSPRA, she helped forge partnerships with state education organizations, launched the chapter’s School Communicator of the Year Award and helped professionalize the organization’s long-term structure and operations.
She is also passionate about mentoring and developing future leaders in education communications. For more than a decade, Perlow has led communications training through the New Jersey Association of School Administrators’ New Superintendent Academy, helping nearly 1,000 new and aspiring superintendents better understand communication planning, media relations and crisis response.
In addition to her work in school PR, Perlow is actively involved in community leadership efforts throughout New Jersey. She currently serves on the board of the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey and has helped lead regional initiatives focused on school funding advocacy, legislative engagement and community partnership-building. LinkedIn Profile
Tove Tupper
Chief Communications Officer
Highline Public Schools
For more than a decade, Tove Tupper, APR, has helped shape the voice and strategic direction of Highline Public Schools, championing transparent, student-centered communication and serving as a key strategic partner to district leadership. As chief communications officer, she leads districtwide communications efforts, guiding messaging, engagement and communications strategy across the organization.
Tupper’s work is grounded in strategy, research and trust-building. She leads the development and execution of Highline’s annual strategic communications plan, aligning communications with the district’s strategic priorities and using scientific community polling, staff and family surveys, and engagement feedback to guide messaging and outreach. Under her leadership, community confidence in Highline has strengthened significantly. In 2025, 80% of polled residents said Highline’s goals aligned with their own priorities, up from 69% the previous year. Satisfaction with educational quality also reached its highest level since tracking began.
In 2024, Tupper helped guide district communications during a major technology disruption that shut down district systems for six weeks and closed schools for three days. With critical systems offline, she played a central role on cabinet, helping lead both response and recovery efforts while coordinating a multi-channel communication strategy built around transparency, empathy and clarity. Even without access to many digital tools, she coordinated communication through in-person briefings, printed materials, robocalls, text alerts and media outreach to keep staff, families and the community informed.
Tupper has also led strategic communications efforts related to school funding, levy communications, student voice storytelling, crisis response and district redesign initiatives. Her work has earned national and state recognition, including multiple Washington School Public Relations Association awards and NSPRA Gold Medallion recognition for communications campaigns focused on crisis communication, strategic communications and school funding.
Beyond her district, Tupper is widely respected as a leader and mentor within the profession. She serves on NSPRA’s Accreditation Committee, Universal Accreditation Board committee and WSPRA’s APR Committee, helping support and guide future accredited professionals. A frequent presenter at NSPRA and state chapter conferences, she has led professional learning sessions on topics including crisis communication, trust-building, leadership communications and strategic planning. LinkedIn Profile
National School Communicator of the Year Finalists Panel Discussion
Category
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.