The National Association of County Information Officers (NACIO), an affiliate of the National Association of Counties (NACo) with members from more than 3,000 counties, parishes and boroughs across the United States, hosts its annual Awards of Excellence to recognize excellence in public information and community outreach efforts by local governments in a variety of categories including: Annual Reports, Audiovisual Productions, Brochures, Community Engagement, Electronic Communications, Graphic Design, Publications and Writing.
Once again, Broward County has topped the nation when it comes to the quality of its public information and public education outreach campaigns with 24 NACIO Awards of Excellence in the 2023 competition - more than any other county in the nation. Here are the winners in each category:
Seven Best in Category Awards
Animal Care: Kitten Care Program is an interactive experience bringing dozens of kittens to Broward County libraries to interact with children, teachers and families to encourage kitten fostering and adoptions. (Campaigns - Community Engagement category)
Broward County Transit: Late Shift Connect Program subsidizes rides for late shift commuters who are not able to utilize bus service during the late night or early morning hours. (Social Media - Multi-Platform Campaign category)
Cultural Division: South Florida Cultural Consortium Exhibition Catalogue “New Art: South Florida" showcases the artistic achievements of 13 preeminent South Florida artists and celebrates the diverse range of creative talents and provides an opportunity for the artists to gain exposure and recognition for their work. (Printed Publications - Multi-Page Education Booklet category)
Office of Public Communications: Message from the County Administrator Video Series updates employees on topics relating to the County's goals and values, along with current news and activities within the County. (Video Series category)
Resilient Environment Department (three awards): Broward County Resilience Newsletter and Resilient Environment Email Bulletin informs staff, partners, Commissioners and stakeholders of the Department's activities, achievements, latest research, commentary and events. (Printed Publications Newsletter and Electronic Communications -Email Newsletter categories) and Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit Graphic is a well-designed logo that includes the host organization's main logo and the 2022's “Connect. Commit. Act." tagline and was designed in several layouts to use in promoting the summit on various pieces. (Graphic Design - Special Graphics)
Three Superior Awards
Building Code Division: HB375 Website provides useful information and clarifies questions and concerns for licensed contractors with regards to changes to the Florida Legislature House Bill (HB735). (Electronic Communications – Websites category)
Cultural Division: Dania Beach Public Art Plan outlines goals and objectives based on themes emerging from public input collected through outreach activities, giving the community access to the arts. (Campaigns - Quality of Life category)
Port Everglades: Wonder of the Seas Arrival Campaign brought recognition to Port Everglades as the host port for the Wonder of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world. (Social Media - Single-Platform Campaign category)
Six Excellence Awards
Animal Care (two awards): Pet Press Newsletter is an informative monthly email newsletter connecting the community to the vital services that Animal Care provides. (Electronic Communications - Email Newsletter category) and We're Here to Help Series provides important information about caring and handling of lost and surrendered pets in the County. (Printed Publications - Short One-Page/Trifold category)
Human Resources: The Wellbeing Buzz Logo was created to represent the County's WellBeing Program newsletter, an internal communication piece for employees featuring County benefits and programs, and to stand out from regular County business emails and messaging. (Graphic Design – Logo category)
Office of Economic and Small Business Development: Florida International Trade and Cultural Expo is a unique annual gathering designed to engage high-level government leaders, international trade experts, and delegations from around the world in dialogues relating to international trade, foreign direct investment, and culture towards the enhanced development of South Florida's diverse economic ecosystems. (Campaigns - General Information category)
Resilient Environment Department (two awards): Beat the Heat Broward Story Map is a public web-based page for extreme heat distribution and the forecasted increase in temperature. (Electronic Communications – Specialized Websites-Single Issue/Campaign-Focused category) and Document the Floods is a web-based crowdsourcing tool that collects photos and observations from members of the public about the frequency and extent of flooding due to either rainfall or high tides. (Social Media - Single-Platform Campaign category)
Eight Meritorious Awards
Cultural Division: FY2021 Annual Report is a comprehensive report encompassing accomplishments and updates within the Division and includes the economic impact of Broward's arts and culture sector. (Printed Publications - Annual Report category)
Natural Resources Division: Participatory Science Handbook supplies Broward County Public School teachers and other educators with a valuable, multifaceted guide to supplement their science curriculum. (Printed Publications - Multi-Page Education Booklet category)
Office of Public Communications: Hurricane Ian Updates on @ReadyBroward provided real-time pertinent information from the County's official emergency management Twitter account on the storm. (Social Media - Single-Platform Campaign category)
Office of Economic and Small Business Development: New Venture Kauffman Business Program is ideal for early-stage and aspiring entrepreneurs seeking assistance to refine business concepts, develop strong business plans and access essential resources through a multi-week course curriculum. (Campaigns - General Information category)
Parks and Recreation Division (two awards): Everglades Holiday Park Newly Renovated Campaign highlighted the transformational $15.8 million renovation project through a ribbon cutting, social media videos, earned media opportunities and email newsletters. (Campaigns - Quality of Life category) and Wildlife Wednesday Video Series introduces the community to the parks while educating viewers about the animals they may see there and share important facts about native wildlife, as well as highlight the beauty and diversity of our parks. (Video Series category)
Port Everglades: Port Everglades Receives $19 Million Federal Grant News Release provided information to the public on the significance of the grant and positioned the port as a future recipient of additional grants. (Writing - Short Article category)
Resilient Environment Department: Southeast Florida Regional Climate Summit Logo captured the theme for the 2022 conference. (Graphic Design – Logo category)
