PHOTO: The City of Victoria received four statewide awards from the Texas Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (TATOA). From left are Communications Administrative Assistant Alvesa Odom, Public Safety Communications Manager Lauren Meaux, Senior Police Officer John Turner, Digital Media Specialist Adrian Gonzalez, Library Assistant Andrew Hilburn, Videographer George Partida, Communications Specialist Sam Hankins and Communications Director Ashley Strevel.
The City of Victoria Communications & Public Affairs, in partnership with the Victoria Police Department’s Community Engagement Unit and the Victoria Public Library, earned four statewide awards from the Texas Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (TATOA), including the top award for a new informative series.
The City’s Communications team earned first place in the Magazine Format category for Outside the Newsroom, a new video series featuring City staff sharing updates about big-picture efforts and ongoing projects. Members of the department who contributed to this video project include Adrian Gonzalez, digital media specialist; Communications Director Ashley Strevel; and Sam Hankins, communications specialist.
“Our department is always seeking to improve the ways we keep our residents informed and entertained,” Strevel said. “I’m proud to lead a creative and hardworking team of communicators whose efforts are worthy of statewide recognition.”
Communications and the police department’s Community Engagement Unit earned third place in the Public Health/Safety category for last year’s Halloween Safety PSA, in which Officer John Turner took on the role of a Ghostbuster to share tips for trick-or-treating. Members of the department who contributed to the video included Officer Adam Banda, Public Safety Communications Manager Lauren Meaux and Turner.
“I am so proud of our Community Engagement Unit as they continuously look for fun and educational ways to connect with our community,” said Victoria Police Chief Chuck Young.
Communications earned third place in the Arts & Entertainment category for VPL Jams Featuring Jacob Kyle, a behind-the-scenes session with an artist from the Victoria Public Library’s VPL Jams series. Contributing staff members to this project included George Partida, videographer; Shane Blucher, multimedia specialist; Andrew Hilburn, library assistant; and Gonzalez.
“This is an exciting honor for the VPL Jams program,” said Victoria Public Library Director Jessica Berger. “I’m pleased that we were able to help our local musicians reach a wider audience with this video.”
Communications also earned an honorable mention in the Profile of an Organization category for One Team, With Purpose, For Our Community, a PSA encouraging residents to pursue a career with the City of Victoria. Strevel and Gonzalez spearheaded this video project.
Stay connected
The City of Victoria’s media productions can be viewed on municipal cable channel TV15 (channels 15 and 115, and online at www.victoriatx.gov/tv15) or on YouTube at Victoria Texas Videos.
To learn about all of the ways the City keeps residents informed, visit www.victoriatx.gov/newsroom.