Volunteer with CMA | Advisers Award | Pinnacle Awards | Member Training
Would you like to get more involved with CMA? Volunteer with us by joining a committee and helping advance our mission! Committees offer a great opportunity to share your skills, connect with fellow members, and make a meaningful impact throughout the year. Complete this form to indicate your interest, and we will follow up with available opportunities. Committee descriptions are included on the form.
Click here to volunteer
Nominations are now being accepted for CMA’s annual Adviser Awards. Distinguished Adviser awards honor accomplished CMA members with five or more years of experience in college media advising. Emerging Adviser awards recognize the outstanding work of CMA members with fewer than five years of advising experience.
CMA members may also submit nominations for various special honors for service and outstanding achievements.
The adviser award nominations deadline is Friday, May 29. Nominate yourself or another member adviser here.
Click Here to Nominate a CMA Member
The 2026 Pinnacle Awards are open, and entries will be accepted via BetterBNC until midnight ET Wednesday, June 17. Finalists will be announced in August, and winners will be announced at the CMA/ACP joint Fall National Convention Nov. 4-7 at the Westin Kansas City Crown Center.
The Pinnacle College Media Awards are a national contest, recognizing excellence in student-produced college media. The contest honors overall excellence in student work on college newspapers, websites, magazines, yearbooks, radio and television stations, produced during an academic year.
Complete information regarding categories, rules and instructions, and entry guidelines can be found here.
CMA is also looking for member volunteers to help judge this year’s Pinnacle Awards. If you are interested and available to judge, email [email protected].
 |
 |
 |
| Ashley Caudill | Rob Steedley | Brianca Fruscello |
“Creating an Effective Ad Sales Strategy” (two sessions)
2 to 5 p.m. ET Monday, May 11, and Tuesday, May 12
Cost: $200 for members; $350 for non-members
Developing an effective advertising strategy can be one of the key components for any adviser, but it can be an especially challenging part of the role if you’ve come from the editorial side. In this two-day, in-depth training, you’ll learn skills to develop your team from the ground up or enhance your existing framework.
Topics will include:
- Sales cycle
- Pricing structures: frequency & bulk discounts; CPM, CPC
- Organizing an effective small sales force
- Job descriptions: responsibilities & duties
- Setting goals
- Working with agencies
- Digital metrics
- Ad processing & procedures
- Documentation: trade-outs, make-goods
- Compensation: hourly, stipend, commission
Presented by Ashley Caudill, programming & marketing manager at flytedesk, and Rob Steedley, business manager for The Signpost at Weber State University
(Topics are subject to change)
ASHLEY CAUDILL is the programming and marketing manager at flytedesk, the largest campus advertising network in the country. She is also a Kent State Student Media alum with over five years of experience in student media advertising sales. She is dedicated to supporting college media organizations, helping them build strong, lasting businesses by providing the necessary resources and tools.
ROB STEEDLEY is the business manager for The Signpost at Weber State University and serves as the awards and recognition director for College Media Business and Advertising Managers. CMBAM is a nonprofit membership organization for university student media groups that connects sales, marketing, design and management students — and advisers — to support independent student journalism.
BIANCA FRUSCELLO is the program coordinator for Niner Student Media Advising and Support at University of North Carolina at Charlotte. A 2022 graduate of UNC Charlotte, she serves as secretary to the Student Media Board, provides support to the media advisors, and assists in training and development of media marketing students responsible for Student Niner Media revenue.
