Congratulations to 2025 NJSPRA COTY Winner - Christine Corliss from Ridgewood Public Schools!

The New Jersey School Public Relations Association (NJSPRA) announces Christine Corliss, Public Information Officer at Ridgewood Public Schools, as their 2025 Communicator of the Year. The prestigious award recognizes exemplary leadership and commitment to enhanced communication and relationship-building between public schools and the stakeholders they serve. This distinguished annual honor celebrates individuals who redefine the landscape of school communications, elevating stakeholder engagement to unprecedented levels. 

In a ceremony held during the NJSPRA Spring Workshop on March 13th, Corliss was presented with the accolade by NJSPRA President Maren Smagala, herself a 2021 Communicator of the Year, and 2024 recipient, Heather Daniel, underscoring the award’s legacy of recognizing exceptional talent.

“Given the robust criteria for this award, Christine stands out as one of the best of the best in the field of school communications here in New Jersey,” notes Smagala. “In addition to executing a comprehensive communications program for Ridgewood’s stakeholders, she also leads many district initiatives and maintains close ties with the community,” Smagala explains. Corliss's achievements include a strategic redesign of the district website, yielding a staggering 1600% surge in monthly site visits, a comprehensive rebranding initiative that will unify the district’s visual identity, an exponential expansion of social media engagement, and strengthening the district’s ties to the community using surveys, focus groups, social media engagement, and public meetings. These initiatives represent a paradigm shift in how Ridgewood Public Schools engages with its stakeholders.

In addition to her work in her district, Corliss supports the school communications profession through active involvement in NJSPRA. As of July 1, 2024, she began her term as the President-Elect/Vice President of Programming overseeing three full days of professional development for her colleagues across the state. She previously served on the NJSPRA Membership and Advisory Committees.

Corliss was nominated by the superintendent of Ridgewood Public Schools, Dr. Mark Schwarz. In his nomination, Dr. Schwarz stated, “In addition to bringing excellent work quality, Christine’s responsiveness is unparalleled. Whether addressing community concerns, coordinating with media, or supporting district staff, Christine is always available, ensuring that Ridgewood’s communications remain proactive and professional.”

Three veteran school communication professionals from across the country served as judges for the Communicator of the Year award and unanimously agreed Corliss should be the 2025 recipient from among those nominated. As this year’s NJSPRA winner, Corliss now becomes eligible for the National School Communicator of the Year Award from the National School Public Relations Association to be announced in July 2025 at its National Seminar.