“My Awesome Empire,” a Cal State San Bernardino radio show about the inland region, nabbed first place in the Locally Produced Radio or Television Show of the Year category, while CSUSB’s Jacob Poore was named the best agency professional of the year at the Second Annual Inland Empire Media Awards.
Part of the American Advertising Federation’s Western Region conference, the awards event was held at the Mission Inn in Riverside earlier this fall.
“The Inland Region has so many amazing media professionals who promote the well-being of our community,” said Poore, marketing coordinator for CSUSB’s Coyote Advertising. “Among such an impressive display of talent, I’m humbled and honored to receive the Agency Professional of the Year award.”
Poore was one finalist among six, and “My Awesome Empire” was one among five as the winner for the locally produced radio or television show of the year honor.
“To be recognized six times in two years feels so rewarding for all of us,” said Lacey Kendall, executive producer for the show. “But for My Awesome Empire – a completely student-produced program – to beat out great commercial programs produced by veteran professionals, well, that says a lot about the students at CSUSB.”
One of those CSUSB students is Chelsea Galvez, who won a $1,500 scholarship from the AAF Inland Empire chapter for academic achievement. Among other materials, entrants had to submit an essay on the positive effect advertising had on society.
From Hesperia, Galvez is an integrated marketing communication graduate student, “and honestly it was the best decision I have ever made,” she said. “The cohort of students that I get to work with are incredible and they are extremely supportive.” Galvez plans to graduate in fall 2017 and then will pursue work in the field of public relations and marketing.
Several CSUSB alumni were finalists in two other IE Media Awards categories. Nominated in the media talent of the year category was Anthony Donatelli, a communications graduate now working at KFRG Radio 95.1.
And CSUSB alumni took three of the six nomination spots in the young achiever of the year category. They were Gabriela Rubio and Victor Suarez, both art graduates from the university, and Brenda Toro Quintana, a communication studies alumna.
For more information, call the CSUSB Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 or visit news.csusb.edu.