At the Tuesday, June 27 meeting of the Board of School Directors of the Abington School District, Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Fecher was recognized as the recipient of the 2023 Key Communicator Award from the Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association (PenSPRA).
The association’s first-ever Key Communicator Award was presented during the Board honors portion of the meeting by Christa Fazio, President of PenSPRA, and Tonia Farnum, a Communication Manager with the Chester County Intermediate Unit who helped to select this year’s Key Communicator Award winner.
The Key Communicator Award honors an education professional in Pennsylvania who has successfully contributed to the field of school communications. Nominations were open to legislators, superintendents or professionals in any field who have improved school communications, or to a member of PenSPRA who has contributed outstanding service to the profession of school communications.
Dr. Fecher was recognized for the number of initiatives he has spearheaded in his leadership role to enhance Abington School District’s communications, including the debut of the District’s first Instagram account, the introduction of a quarterly, digital newsletter called ASD Highlights & Happenings, and the implementation of a Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council—among other efforts, such as ongoing student and community meetings.
"We are proud to recognize Dr. Fecher as a true champion of education communications in Pennsylvania,” Fazio said. “The PenSPRA Key Communicator Award is a testament to Dr. Fecher's unwavering commitment to open and transparent communication and meaningful engagement.
“His commitment to empowering and engaging the education community through innovative communication strategies has clearly contributed to Abington School District’s success. We are so grateful for educational leaders like Dr. Fecher who support the critical need for effective communications within education,” she added.
The Key Communicator Award is part of PenSPRA’s annual Excellence in Education Communications Contest, which provides an opportunity for school district communication professionals to be recognized for their projects and broad scope of work.
“Communication has been one of the prime areas of focus in my leadership since I presented my 90-day entry plan before becoming Superintendent in November of 2018,” Dr. Fecher said. “To be recognized for these efforts, especially from an organization that specializes in this ever-important area of school communications, reassures me that we are on the right path as we work to strengthen relationships between our District team, our students, their families, and the community at large.”
PenSPRA was chartered in 1969 and is an organization of school public relations professionals whose goal is to improve educational communication and support student achievement through systematic, proactive, and responsible public relations programs. For more information about PenSPRA and the Excellence in Education Communications Contest, click here.