SMPS Recognizes Carolyn Ferguson With the 2020 Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award


Distinguished SMPS member accepts the Society’s highest honor.

 

SMPS Recognizes Carolyn Ferguson With the 2020 Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award

Alexandria, VA (October 9, 2020) – The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) is pleased to announce Carolyn Ferguson, FSMPS, CPSM, has been honored with the 2020 Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award (MAA). Ferguson, a member of SMPS Dallas, accepted her award during Build Business: Pivot & Focus, the virtual SMPS annual conference, on Thursday, October 8, 2020, during The Evening of Excellence.

Ferguson joins a distinguished group of accomplished members who embody the mission and spirit of SMPS and are valued advisers to the organization. She is the 29th recipient of the award, named in memory of marketing pioneer, SMPS founder, and past honoree Weld Coxe. Watch the full tribute video to Ferguson.

Ferguson’s recognition incorporated both her family and colleagues in a virtual manner due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Family has always been a priority, so being able to celebrate with her husband Rob and daughters Savannah and Faith made the recognition special yet bittersweet. Before Build Business went virtual, the award was originally to be presented in Austin, TX, where she had received the SMPS Chapter President of the Year award 20 years earlier.

For the past 25 years, Ferguson has made an impact on individuals, clients, the A/E/C industries, and the Society. After graduating from Texas Tech University with a degree in communications, she worked for a printer and taught herself graphic design. Through mutual connections, she met Kay Lentz and started working at The Lentz Group. Passionate about helping clients, she started learning how to run a business to elevate her ability to serve. More than 13 years ago, Ferguson launched her business, WinMore Marketing Advisors. As president of her firm, she’s a communicator, strategist, facilitator, coach, and trainer.

Ferguson’s accomplishments have touched nearly every facet of the A/E/C industries. Always a trailblazer, she was named to the Building Design + Construction (BD+C) magazine’s “40 Under 40” list and is currently the first non-technical woman serving on their editorial board. Recently, she’s extended her reach outside the A/E/C world, working on an ongoing facilitation and training project with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to create a hand-crafted program with business partner Joe Takash.

An active member of SMPS for 25 years, Ferguson has made countless contributions at the chapter, regional, and local levels. She became an SMPS Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) in 1999 and a Fellow of the Society in 2005. She was named the Society’s Chapter President of the Year in 2000 for her service as SMPS Houston president. She’s been inducted into both the SMPS Dallas and SMPS Houston Halls of Fame and honored by SMPS Houston with numerous awards. Ferguson served on the Society board beginning in 2005, becoming president in 2010. She next turned her attention to the SMPS Foundation, where she still serves on the board of trustees. In 2016, she became foundation president.

A mentor, educator, and communicator, Ferguson has garnered 49 national and regional design awards, including a “Best of Show” in the SMPS Marketing Communications Awards. As trainer and coach, Ferguson has helped her clients secure interview-driven wins totaling more than $5.8 billion over the years. She’s presented at more than 70 conferences and seminars and has trained and coached an estimated 12,000 A/E/C professionals.

In her acceptance speech, Ferguson acknowledges, “Honestly, I will never be able to give back what I’ve received. I will always be a go-giver when it comes to SMPS. I’m truly honored to be recognized.” She thanked the many people who have helped her, from Kay Lentz at her first job, to board members who served with her when she was SMPS president, to her best friends, business partners, and SMPS colleagues. She also sent a special thank you to each family member for their support.

She ended her speech quoting Audrey Hepburn’s “The only thing worth holding on to is each other.” Ferguson added, “This is such a true statement, especially at this moment. So—at this moment, at my special moment, I’ll hold on to her beautiful words until I can hold each of you.”

The Society’s highest honor, the Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award, salutes a remarkable marketing or business development professional whose career achievements, leadership role, and lasting contributions to the A/E/C industries are exemplary.

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Business Transformed Through Marketing Leadership: The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) is the only organization dedicated to creating business opportunities in the A/E/C industries. With almost 7,000 members, SMPS provides leadership and professional development programs, industry research, business-building events, and vital marketing resources. Through SMPS, A/E/C professionals in North America tap into powerful networks to form project teams, secure business referrals and intelligence, and benchmark performance. The Society is committed to validating the practice of marketing and business development as essential to the success of all professional services firms. Learn more about SMPS at smps.org.

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