Grand Forks' Amanda Kosior, Pamela Knudson earn top places at ND Professional Communicators Contest

Apr. 21—Two Grand Forks women took first- and second-place honors in the sweepstakes category at the North Dakota Professional Communicators Contest.

Amanda Kosior, marketing director at JLG Architects, won the sweepstakes competition, and Grand Forks Herald reporter Pamela Knudson was second. In third place was West Fargo resident Tracy Frank, of CCRI Communications.

According to a release from the NDPC, sweepstakes winners are determined by a weighted point system based on place and the number of entries in each category of the Communications Contest. The NDPC is the state affiliate of National Federation of Press Women, an organization of communication professionals from across the United States. NDPC is an organization of women and men employed in all aspects of communication, including newspapers, public relations, education, magazines, television, radio, publishing, advertising, photography and freelance.

Also at the contest, Heather Syverson received the Communicator of Achievement award. According to the release, the award was "for her more than 20-year career that includes her current role as a communication strategist at AE2S, as well as previous experience as an Executive Producer at KVLY and KXJB TV in Fargo."

Knudson's awards included: First: Specialty Articles-Travel; First: Specialty Articles-Style; First: Specialty Articles-Religion; First: Specialty Articles-Physical Health; First: Video for Web-Obituary; First: Specialty Articles-History; First: Specialty Articles-Education; First: Specialty Articles-Food; First: Specialty Articles-Agriculture; First: News Story- Print-Based Newspaper; First: Specialty Articles-Sports; Second: Specialty Articles-Social Issues; Second: Specialty Articles-Government or Politics; Second: Specialty Articles-Business; Third: Specialty Articles-Science or Tech; Third: Feature Story-Print-Based Newspaper.

Kosior finished second in the category of Interview-Television. Also, the team of Kosior, Tracy Nicholson, Kate Ankrom, Amanda Sather, Haley Darling, Madyson Lueders, and Catherine Dorsher, of JLG Architects, won a number of awards, including: First: Specialty Articles-Sports; First: Publication Regularly Written by Entrant — Newsletter-Corp or For-Profit; First: Advertising Campaign; First: Specialty Articles — Science or Tech; First: Media Pitch; First: Social Media Campaign — Corporate or For-Profit; First: Video for Web- Special Interest; First: PR Materials-Brochure-Corporate or For-Profit; First: Graphics; First: Podcast; Second: Feature Story-Magazine, Newsletter, Other; Second: Specialty Articles-Physical Health; Second: Specialty Articles-Agriculture; Second: Page Design-Newsletter / Other Publication; Third: Specialty Articles-Business; Honorable Mention: Specialty Articles-Business.

Also, Alizjah Swenson, of Grand Forks, earned several awards, including: First: Social Media Presence, Non-Profit, Government or Education; Third: Video for Web, Special Interest; Third: Social Media Campaign, Corporate or For-Profit; Third: Single Advertisement; Third: Graphics.