One of my favorite quotes is by Margaret Mead:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
Oftentimes, in my non-profit and public service experience, the marketing and communications team consists of 3 or less very committed people who were asked to produce big results with less than ideal resources. I’ve been Blessed to have worked along-side of some highly creative, resourceful, and ever-imaginative teams. For this, I have continually grown personally and professionally and I am forever Grateful.
Scroll below to see some of the ways my team and I have been recognized along the way.
AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL
The National Gold Medal Award honors communities throughout the United States that demonstrate excellence in long-range planning, resource management and innovative approaches to delivering superb park and recreation services with fiscally sound business practices. The National Gold Medal Award Program includes seven classes: five classes based on population, one class awarded for armed forces recreation and one class awarded for state park systems (presented in odd-numbered years). Four (4) finalists in each category are announced at the end of April, and the Grand Plaque Award recipient in each category is announced during the National Park and Recreation Association (NRPA) Annual Conference in the fall.
I managed the application process internally, authored the written application and worked collaboratively to produce videos on-time and within budget:
2006 Gold Medal Award Winner – Bloomingdale Park District. Watch the video here!
2016, 2017, 2020 Gold Medal Award Finalist – Arlington Heights Park District (click on the year to watch the videos)
AT THE STATE LEVEL
Each year during the IAPD/IPRA Soaring to New Heights Conference held in January of every year in Chicago, the Illinois Park & Recreation Association (IPRA) honors park and recreation agencies for excellence in their marketing and communication efforts through the annual Agency Showcase. The Agency Showcase is a spirited competition spotlighting bright ideas exhibited by park, recreation, and conservation agencies. This professionally judged competition recognizes Illinois agencies for their marketing and communication efforts, ranging from print to multimedia.
Awards My Team received from IPRA as a result of our work:
2019
· 1st Place Website
· 1st Place Peoples’ Choice Award for Agency Showcase Display
· 2nd Place Overall Agency Showcase Award
2018
· 1st Place Media Relations Campaign
· 1st Place Marketing Campaign
· 1st Place Print Communications
2016
· 1st Place Overall Showcase Award
· 1st Place Peoples’ Choice Award
· 1st Place Large Format Marketing
2015
· 1st Place Integrated Photography
· 1st Place Marketing Campaign
2012 & 2013
· 1st Place Integrated Photography
2009
- Illinois Association of Park Districts "Best Friend of Illinois Parks" – Bloomingdale Bank & Trust
2006
- National Gold Medal Award for Park and Recreation Excellence - Bloomingdale Park District (NRPA)