College Announces 2012 Audio Visual Award Winner
Posted on Friday, May 11, 2012
Kelly Matune, a junior public relations major, received the Westminster College 2012 Audio Visual Award.
Matune is a daughter of Frank and Doreen Matune of Hermitage and a graduate of Kennedy Catholic High School.
Gary Swanson, Westminster College director of Audio Visual Services, said, "The award was created in 1999 to provide public recognition of the exceptional work provided to the campus through AV's work-study students. An annual ballot of nominees was reviewed by a panel of current faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni. Kelly's nominated work was selected as ‘most outstanding.'"
Matune began with AV Services as public relations manager and was promoted to operations manager. According to Swanson, Matune has consistently been recognized by faculty, staff, and her peers for her considerate, competent, and collaborative approach to her work.
"Kelly has regularly demonstrated her proficiency in creative problem-solving and has been instrumental in fostering and developing a number of significant on-going relationships with our department," Swanson said. "Nominations consistently recognized her as professional, inventive, driven, and technically savvy. Her orchestration and leadership for AV Week, our volunteer Green AV crew and e-recycling drives, and numerous other outreach programs has been especially impressive. I'm delighted that our panel of judges selected her as this year's award winner."
In 2011, Matune participated as the only student panelist in a national web conference sponsored by InfoComm International, a leading nonprofit association serving the professional AV communications industry worldwide, to discuss planning ideas for AV Week.
She was awarded the Pennsylvania Communication Association (PCA) Voice of Tomorrow College Communicator of the Year Award at the PCA conference in October.
Within AV Services, Matune created the monthly TimesAVer electronic newsletter that generates awareness for AV news and events to campus audiences. She has been instrumental in outreach to alumni, serving as the liaison for the department's alumni council, and coordinating two very successful Homecoming gatherings for AV alumni to celebrate traditions and further develop networking opportunities.
She has been involved in continuing Westminster's e-recycling events, researching current state laws, vendor policies, and business practices, and coordinating campus details. Each event has been well received and more successful than its predecessor: the most recent collection netted over 13,000 pounds of outdated electronics.
As operations manager, Matune has regularly demonstrated her competence in working directly with management to help others overcome obstacles, shoring up all roles and responsibilities as they relate to the department's goals and the individuals involved. She has worked to redesign the department's website, Facebook pages, and employment handbook wiki; made improvements to on-going staff training and "boot camp" training day; and continued to improve on the AV curriculum and training processes.
Matune serves as public relations chair for Lambda Pi Eta communications honor society and volunteers as a food distribution worker for a local church.
Matune received a framed certificate and bookstore gift certificate. Her name will be added to the permanent award plaque on display in the audio visual department.
Contact Swanson at (724) 946-7188 or email for additional information.
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