Clarksville, TN – The City of Clarksville’s Communications Department was awarded special recognition in two categories during the Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Awards hosted by the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) on Wednesday, May 12th, 2022, in Louisville, Kentucky..
At the event, NAGC Awards of Excellence were presented for the City’s Frosty Morn – “Rebuilding For All!” campaign plan with second place under the Community Engagement category and for the Welcome to Clarksville postcard for new business licensees under the Special Purpose category.
The Frosty Morn – “Rebuilding For All!” campaign plan was authored by Director of Communications Linda Gerron in collaboration with former City Communications Specialist Henry Kilpatrick and with the support of City Project Manager John Hilborn, Clarksville Neighborhood & Community Services Director Dennis Newburn, and Pam Powell from Powell Architecture.
The campaign plan was created to increase public awareness about the development of the historic Frosty Morn site and boost community participation for the Frosty Morn – “Rebuilding For All!” town hall meeting on November 16th, 2021.
“What a wonderful feeling, to be recognized by an organization of professional peers, such as the National Association of Government Communicators,” Gerron said. “As government communicators, we have an obligation to communicate with the members of our community, to explain our efforts clearly and publicly. This award demonstrates our commitment to the people of Clarksville for two-way conversations and more transparency; and that our efforts don’t go unnoticed.”
The Frosty Morn project gained additional traction in August 2021 when the City was selected as one of three cities in the country to win a spot in the Mayors Innovation Design Cohort because of the redevelopment plans envisioned for the Frosty Morn site. The Cohort is a national partnership between the American Institute of Architects and the Mayors Innovation Project to help build zero-carbon, resilient, healthy, and equitable cities.
Kilpatrick designed the Welcome to Clarksville – postcard sent by Clarksville Joe Mayor Pitts and the City to all New Business licensees. He developed the postcard with the support and mentoring of former Director of Communications, Richard Stevens. The postcard, which was recognized in the Special Purpose category, was created with a retro 1940s look. The card is mailed to local business owners after applying for and receiving their business license with the City of Clarksville. The postcard is only for new business owners, making it unique and exclusive to those who receive it.
The NAGC Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Awards are listed as one of the 21 most coveted government leadership awards, with 51 categories in which communicators can submit their work to showcase the tactics employed to deliver information to the public.
This year, more than 90 local, county, state, tribal and federal agencies were recognized for excellence in government communications in the 2022 awards program. The complete list of 2022 Blue Pencil and Gold Screen award recipients list is available online.
About the National Association of Government Communicators
Established in 1976, the NAGC is the only not-for-profit association dedicated to advocating, promoting, and recognizing excellence in government communication. NAGC provides world-class communication training to its members and non-member government communicators through its annual Communications School and monthly professional development opportunities.
