Trinity Valley Community College is celebrating two of it's own after receiving prestigious recognition from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR). Joanna Fritz, Associate Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Advancement, has been named the NCMPR District 4 Communicator of the Year, while Dr. Jason Morrison, President of TVCC, has been named the NCMPR District 4 Pacesetter of the Year.
These awards recognize exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact within the nation's community college sector. Following a competitive nomination process, both leaders were selected from nominees representing community colleges across Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming.
Their district-level honors now place them among just seven finalists for each category nationwide for NCMPR's national awards competition, with winners to be announced in March 2027 during the NCMPR national conference in Chicago. On Oct. 20 at the NCMPR District 4 Conference in Oklahoma City, Fritz and Morrison were recognized at the NCMPR Awards of Excellence Luncheon
For TVCC, the recognition reflects more than individual achievement. It highlights an institutional culture centered on excellence, student success, and inspiring others to achieve more.
Since becoming president in May 2023, Dr. Jason Morrison has championed a leadership philosophy built on visibility, service, and creating opportunities for others. Rather than leading from behind a desk, he believes leadership happens wherever students, employees, and communities are gathered.
That philosophy has helped shape what has become known throughout TVCC as the Home of Champions mindset.
Under his leadership, enrollment has continued to grow, graduation records have been surpassed, new bachelor's degree opportunities have expanded access for students, and the college has earned recognition through initiatives including Aspen Prize eligibility, Phi Theta Kappa honors, nationally recognized student organizations, and outstanding academic and athletic achievements. During his tenure, TVCC Athletics has captured 13 national championships while the institution has continued expanding educational opportunities and investing in its campuses.
Yet those who know Morrison understand that accolades and statistics are not what motivate him.
Whether serving breakfast in the cafeteria, working cattle alongside agriculture students, participating in student organization fundraisers, volunteering for mental health awareness initiatives, celebrating student achievements, or representing the college at community events, Morrison consistently prioritizes relationships over recognition.
His leadership has also resulted in significant institutional growth, including more than $30 million in facility improvements, program enhancements, fundraising initiatives, and workforce development investments. Among those projects are a new softball facility, the Kevin and Jeaneane Lilly Music Education Center, expanded welding and production education opportunities, athletic facility enhancements, fine arts improvements, and the development of a TDCJ Training Center.
In the nomination letter, TVCC Director of Marketing and Communications Shaydi Clary explained the impact of Dr. Morrison’s vision of TVCC.
“When asked about his vision for TVCC, he rarely talks about buildings or rankings,” Clary noted. “Instead, he talks about people. He wants students to know they belong. He wants faculty and staff to know their work matters. He wants the surrounding communities to see TVCC as their college. And he wants every person who walks onto campus to believe they can become a champion.”
In his own words, Morrison believes success begins with students.
"I don't start with the institution,” Dr. Morrison shared. “I start with the student. When a student earns a credential, transfers to a university, enters a career, or becomes a leader in their community, we have advanced the community college mission."
For Dr. Morrison, the Pacesetter of the Year Award represents far more than a personal accomplishment. It reflects the collective efforts that have helped shape TVCC into the institution it is today.
“It is an honor to be recognized, but more importantly, this recognition is a reflection of Trinity Valley Community College and the incredible strides our team has made over the years,” Morrison said, “It represents the barriers that have been broken down and the work that has been done to elevate the standing, reputation, and brand of our college. Together, we have reimagined the identity of higher education at The Valley and demonstrated what is possible when an entire college is committed to moving forward.”
While his leadership has helped guide that progress, Dr. Morrison emphasized that the recognition belongs to the entire college community.
For Joanna Fritz, the Communicator of the Year recognition celebrates a career dedicated to helping organizations tell their stories and connect with the people they serve.
When Fritz joined TVCC in late 2022 as Director of Marketing and Communications, she quickly recognized opportunities to modernize and expand the college's communications strategy. Drawing upon more than 30 years of experience across industries ranging from higher education and banking to architecture, insurance, and economic development, she introduced a more strategic, data-driven approach to marketing.
Under her leadership, TVCC's communications efforts evolved beyond traditional advertising into a comprehensive integrated marketing strategy that combined digital advertising, audience segmentation, targeted outreach, keyword marketing, movie theater advertising, and robust analytics with traditional community engagement efforts.
Just as importantly, she ensured every communication reflected a clear and consistent TVCC identity.
Her vision strengthened the college's brand while helping students, employees, alumni, and community members better connect with the institution's mission and values.
But those closest to Fritz often point to another quality that has defined her leadership: mentorship.
“While Joanna's accomplishments as a marketing leader are significant, her greatest impact may be the investment she makes in people,” Clary expressed in her nomination letter. “I joined Trinity Valley Community College in 2023 as the Marketing Communications Specialist, eager to learn and contribute but unsure of what my future in higher education marketing would become. Joanna immediately recognized strengths in me that I had not yet fully recognized in myself. She challenged me, trusted me with meaningful responsibilities, and created opportunities for me to grow both professionally and personally.”
Throughout her career, she has intentionally invested in developing future marketing and communications professionals, empowering team members to grow their skills, embrace innovation, and pursue leadership opportunities of their own.
“Great leaders build successful campaigns,” Clary shared. “Exceptional leaders build successful people. Joanna is an exceptional leader. To me, Joanna is more than a supervisor. She is the mentor every young communicator hopes to find. She has shaped not only my career but also my confidence, my leadership philosophy, and my understanding of what it truly means to serve an institution through strategic communication. The Communicator of the Year Award recognizes individuals who elevate their institutions, advance the profession, and inspire others through their leadership. Joanna embodies each of those qualities. Her vision has transformed marketing at TVCC, her leadership has strengthened our institution, and her mentorship has changed the trajectory of countless careers, including my own.”
That commitment to professional development helped elevate the Marketing and Communications Department while also creating a culture where people feel supported, challenged, and inspired to succeed.
Her impact led to her promotion in January 2026 to Associate Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Advancement, a role in which she continues to guide strategic communications, institutional advancement, enrollment marketing, and community engagement initiatives across the college.
For Fritz, receiving the Communicator of the Year Award is also an opportunity to recognize the team whose dedication and creativity have contributed to TVCC’s growing success.
“They say that good teams will make you look good and I must say that the Marketing Team is not a good team, it is a GREAT one,” Fritz said. “I am humbled and honored to receive this award. It is not just my award; it belongs to the Marketing Team as well.”
Her words reflect the same commitment to collaboration and empowering others that has defined her leadership throughout her career.
While their awards recognize different aspects of leadership, both honors share a common theme: investing in people. After all, champions don't just compete. They inspire others to become champions too.
Next step for them, the national stage.