Gathering from far and wide, our team united for JPL Day, where we discussed strategic initiatives, team building and personal and professional development. The result was an inspiring event, capped off by our Impact Awards Show, which celebrated the accomplishments of our all-star team.
What is the Impact Awards Show, you ask? It’s our spin on the Academy Awards, minus the acting and over-the-top speeches. We celebrate and recognize team members who have made important contributions to our culture, processes and our clients’ success. JPLers nominate the contenders for each category, with the winners receiving a trophy and a monetary award.
Curious to discover who won an Impact Award? Here’s the big reveal of the deserving winners and the details why they were selected:
Client Whisperer Award
For those providing a consistent, outstanding experience to JPL’s clients – making their lives easier and helping to drive results.
Shaun Fitzpatrick, Senior Digital Content Writer
Shaun is pure magic with our clients. They ask for her by name. Not only do they love working with her, but the subject matter experts she interviews have also come to value and trust her. She also easily builds a strong rapport with new client teams and has helped relationships grow by championing high-caliber content that gets results. Even when she isn’t interacting with clients directly, Shaun prepares thoughtful notes and rationale for account managers to share that demonstrates we are a creative partner. Shaun’s ability to connect with people goes a long way toward cultivating trusting, strategic relationships. Her content always makes our clients shine.
Bottom Line Award
For improving JPL’s financial performance through our practices, accounts, projects or internal processes.
Andrew Dailey, Technical Project Manager
Bottom lines love Andrew because of his relentless focus on growth. And this goes way beyond his organizational skills, accountability, gift for client communication, the masterful way he orchestrates internal teams and his willingness to get his hands dirty and do the job himself. His focus on growth is measurable. Andrew jumps on change orders, discusses timing and project expectations and protects JPL’s profitability while delivering projects on time and up to expectations. Andrew’s commitment to delivering for our clients and working smarter created a big impact on our bottom line in 2024.
JPL Experience Award
For living up to the JPL Promise and embodying JPL’s culture.
Bri Piccari, Associate Creative Director, Visual & UX Design
If we were to create a word cloud about Bri, the big, bold word in the center would be “inspiring.” Bri inspires clients and our team alike in her belief in pushing oneself while collaborating and supporting others. We are moved by her passion and commitment to accessibility and inclusivity and the knowledge that she’s always working towards a greater good. She brings a moral clarity to her work that elevates the efforts of everyone around her. Plus, she’s an incredible designer, UX whiz and an AI Pioneer who has embraced our POVs around DEI and JPL’s Creative Manifesto, our commitment to delivering inspiring and innovative creative that delivers meaningful business results. Altogether, it’s no wonder we all want to “Be like Bri.”
Trailblazer Award
For courageously taking on a new role, breaking down barriers or leading growth opportunities to advance JPL.
Kelly Kautz, Lead UX Strategist
Kelly’s research on first-generation college students has been making waves at Paskill, JPL’s higher education division, and in the industry. She enlightened our team and opened new doors with valuable insights no one else had. She’s been able to leverage her research into speaking engagements that promote Paskill while also promoting equity and inclusivity in the higher education industry. Kelly also helped build a template for higher ed program pages and is currently working on developing a content scorecard and content governance guidelines for our clients. Her unique combination of thoughtfulness, inventiveness, poise and perseverance makes her a trailblazer. She’s an inspiration and a true treasure to both JPL and Paskill.
Behind the Scenes Award
For the steadfast work that happens behind the scenes to make JPL successful with our clients.
Bob Wolfe, Lead Project Accountant
Bob personifies the Behind-the-Scenes contributor. Bob helps us be more efficient every day—through paid media estimation, reconciliation and billing, reports and projections. In his “spare time,” Bob provides even more support through MSA negotiations with procurement and legal departments and contributes to Business Development efforts. One nomination perfectly captured Bob’s impact, “There would be no scenes if Bob wasn’t behind them.”
Rookie of the Year Award
Recognizing a new team member, hired since July 1, 2022, who made an immediate impact and contribution in their role.
Trell Frey, Art Director, Experience Design
Rarely does one jump into the Experience Design team and create an immediate impact. But Trell was a force right out of the gate. From her first assignment, she hit the ground running, becoming an integral part of the events team in record time. Trell has all the tools – she’s dependable, organized, a great team player and highly creative. But she also goes above and beyond with any task she’s given, and she is a font of great ideas, making her a valuable brainstorming participant. Perhaps most impressive is her willingness to learn and grow her skills. The highest compliment? It’s like she’s been with the team for years.
Platypus of the Year Award
The Platypus Award celebrates innovation and creativity at JPL. We recognize different teams and projects throughout the year with monthly Platypus Awards at our staff meetings. We then vote live at the Impact Awards to select the Platypus of the Year.
Awarded to the Hersheyland Website Team for Accessibility Crafts (Research & Ideation)
Pictured Left to Right: Malia Balas (Senior Content Studio Producer), Bri Piccari (Associate Creative Director, Visual & UX Design) and Jill Sailer (Lead Account Manager).
There is limited craft, recipe and activity content online for non-neurotypical, non-nuclear kids and their parents, teachers and families. The team saw this as an opportunity for the Hersheyland website to positively contribute to the online conversation. Step one was research.
Bri worked with a team to conduct first-person interviews and deep research into what accessibility truly means for this audience. The interviews were thought-provoking and insightful. Not only did they help inform crafts and activities, but they also changed the way we spoke about and approached the work.
With this inspiring research in hand, Jill expertly facilitated a brainstorming session for content ideas and presented the ideas to the client. Once the ideas were selected, Malia jumped in to lead the prototyping and testing of the new crafts and activities.
The resulting work became directional for new content on Hersheyland: a perfect embodiment of Milton Hershey’s legacy in making moments of goodness for all. Not only did this change the course of Hershey’s shareable content, but it also showcased JPL’s research-ideation-execution chops in inclusive and accessible creative.
And now, let’s give a round of applause to our fabulous group of brilliant, driven and awe-inspiring award winners who have risen to the top in 2024! We hope you enjoyed getting to know the faces and names behind our clients’ success and ours. We’re beaming with pride for each one of them and are already counting down the days until we do it all over again at JPL Day 2025.
