Each year, the United Methodist Association of Communicators (UMAC) holds an Awards Contest to recognize excellence in communication. Communicators from around the denomination are invited to submit work from the previous 12 months, covering various categories and disciplines. Print and digital media, video and audio, photography, and visual design are among the 10 categories available for submissions. The North Carolina Conference has won awards for various submissions over the years. Recent award-winning submissions include the “Women In Ministry” video in 2020 and the “40 Days of Reflection” Lenten coloring book in 2019.
This year’s awards were presented on Wednesday, March 10, with the theme “Embracing Hope.” Members of UMAC tuned in on the UMAC Facebook page to watch and see if their submissions won while cheering on their fellow communicators. Both competition and camaraderie are strong among this community of talented individuals and teams. This is the second year the event has been held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After presenting the awards for submitted work, UMAC ended the evening by recognizing the Communicator of the Year. The Communicator of the year is chosen from those who their fellow communicators or conference leadership nominate. We are excited to share that the 2021 UMAC Communicator of the Year is our very own NC Conference Director of Communications, Derek Leek! In this week’s Connections video from the Bishop, you can see the presentation of Derek’s award, along with words of congratulation from Bishop Ward, Steve Taylor, and Rick Wolcott (UMAC Chairperson).
Please join us in congratulating Derek Leek on receiving this well-deserved honor from UMAC. We are grateful for all of the work done by Derek and the Conference Communications Team as they help share the Good News of the gospel and the work of the North Carolina Conference.