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• JULY 23, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal
Class Intercom shares firsthand stories for school social media accounts by Brooke Strickland
Each school has a unique story and culture, and Class Intercom is doing its part to help share those with the local community, and the world. The business was born in 2016 in Lincoln, when practicing high school principal Ben Pankonin
Class Intercom Phone: 402-413-7114 Service: social media management for schools Founded: 2016 Goal: To support schools in creating engaging and secure social media content to student and educator collaboration. Industry outlook: The education industry is rapidly changing with the pace of technology and communication mediums. The next generation of jobs depends on our ability to help students understand the direction of digital communication and provide them with the skills to be successful content creators. Website: https://classintercom.com
learned that he had some students at the school who wanted to create social media content for the school. All of the school’s social media usage was managed via sticky notes and it wasn’t long
President Dr. Jill Johnson giving platform to schools to connect with students and educators. (Photo by David Kubicek) before Pankonin thought that there should be a helps schools or entire school districts create, safer, more secure way to manage things. collaborate, and communicate safely on social Today, Pankonin works as the founder and media, while administrators maintain control of CEO at Class Intercom and its related compa- the posts from draft to approval. The company ny, Social Assurance. Class Intercom serves also helps secure social media data and limit as a social media management platform that third-party access to protect school, student, and
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Curtis (Curt) Field Principal/Architect, Prochaska & Associates Associations/Titles: American Institute of Architects (AIA), Registered Architect in Nebraska Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska Education: At UNO, Bachelor of Fine Art studies; at University of Minnesota, Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Master of Architecture studies, minoring in Urban Planning multiple Special Projects team opportunities How I got into the business: I loved art since I was a child, and was an Art Major at UNO, there on a Regents Scholarship. I changed my major to Mechanical Engineerschooling at the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis), and looked unsuccessfully for work there during an economic slowdown, so came back to Omaha, and started work at Leo A. Daly in 1983. Accomplishments or milestones: My only son, Andrew, was born while I was in college in 1980. I was successfully self-employed as “Curtis Field, Architect” for seven years, then hired at Prochaska & Associates in First job: I was hired as an Intern Architect at Leo A. Daly Company in 1983. Biggest career break: I was assigned to
The toughest part of the job: This busimultiple, simultaneous project commitments, all balanced with proper attention to family obligations. It is very helpful to love one’s career. The best advice I have received: Adequate preparation is key, or “Architecture is a service profession, as much as it is an art form.” About my family: I have a son, Andrew, now aged 41, and my wife, Launie and I have now been happily married for 16 years. Something else I’d like to accomplish: As part of a military family, I lived in Munich, Germany, as a small child, and would love to travel more extensively to European cities and absorb the different cultures there. How my business will change in the next decade: I am not sure — I have no intentions of retirement at present. Architects typically work later into life than do those in other careers.
Mentor who has helped the most in my career: George Douglas at Leo A. Daly, who got me involved on Special Projects Teams there. Don Prochaska was a close second, and we worked together extensively on Alaska projects. Outside interests: I really enjoy home improvement, and lawn and landscaping projects. I also love [modestly-priced] sports cars. Favorite vacation spots: My wife and I enjoy California Wine Country, and also the northeast oceanside communities, like Martha’s Vineyard. Other careers I would like to try: Industrial Design, or Urban Planning and Design. Favorite cause or charity: I believe in environmental stewardship, and I have been closely involved in the past in the local Sierra Club. I am also involved in my church. Favorite apps: Solitaire; Spotify; BIG 10 Network.
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staff information. To date, there are subscribers in over 30 states and 10 countries. “The educational focus, with a scalable, centralized management platform, allows for systematic growth within a school district without increased costs,” said Dr. Jill Johnson, Class Intercom president. “The platform is easy to use and collaborative in nature, which allows school leaders to safely manage all social media accounts while saving time and increasing security.” While there are several other social media management platforms out there today that could pose as competitors, Class Intercom has some things that set it apart from the others. First, Class Intercom offers unlimited users for a school. “This strategic difference encourages more student involvement without the school incurring additional costs,” Johnson said. In addition, the social media posts are viewed as public record and archived for open records requests. Last year, the pandemic changed how education was done. Because of this, educators students, parents, and the community. Social media was one of the best ways to do this, which allowed Class Intercom to stay busy. “We invested much of 2020 and 2021 in connecting with schools to assist them in executing best practice social media communications and guidelines in communicating on social media during the pandemic,” Johnson said. “As schools move forward, we are sharing the stories of the schools who leveraged our platform to help other educators build safe and robust social media content and communication practices.” Looking at the future, Class Intercom plans on staying up to date with the rapid changes happening in education right now. It will also continue to encourage students to become content creators.
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