By Staff
special to The Star
Sept. 11, 2003
A veteran Mississippi State University employee recently received statewide recognition for excellence in her field from the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi.
Linda Butler, public relations and marketing professional at Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus for 15 years, garnered the most awards of any single individual in the senior division.
In the annual competition, Mississippi's top university and community/junior college professionals had their work judged against that of their counterparts throughout the state.
Mississippi State University came away from the statewide competition with more awards than any other senior institution.
Its agricultural communications team captured 13. The Meridian Campus won seven awards and the university relations department received two awards.
Butler's award-winning work included projects in the following categories: feature stories, tabloid publication, admissions/recruitment publication, advertisements, exhibits and creative partners.
Butler said she shares the credit for the award in the creative partners category with The Meridian Star.
While Butler competed in the senior division, which consisted of senior colleges, universities and other educational agencies, a junior division was open to community and junior college professionals in the field.
Butler's professional credentials include positions as director of community relations and marketing for Riley Hospital in Meridian; associate director of personnel and administration for the national headquarters of The Nature Conservancy in Rosslyn, Va.; field representative for The University of Mississippi Medical Center; freelance work for the American Diabetes Association and an advertising agency in Tampa, Fla.
Butler holds a bachelor's degree in business administration/marketing and a master's degree in educational leadership. She is the daughter of Arthur Ray and the late Emma Jewel Butler of Petal.