City Recognized for Excellence in Communication Tactics

The City of Westerville was honored with three awards at the Central Ohio Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) PRism Awards in July. The awards recognized campaigns for the City’s 20th Anniversary 9/11 Immersive Memorial Observance at First Responders Park, the State of Emergency supporting the Medical Mile and Annual Report & Resident Guide.

Westerville submitted these 2021 communication campaigns for consideration. Entries are always judged by a PRSA Chapter elsewhere in the nation. This year, public relations professionals from the Arkansas Chapter of PRSA judged central Ohio entries.

The Community Affairs division is the communication arm of the City, responsible for public relations, social media, digital media, publications, public information and more. This is the first year the division has submitted campaigns for honorable recognition.

“We had to be intentional this year about stopping and taking a beat to talk about and submit our own work for consideration,” said Community Affairs Director Christa Dickey. “I’m extremely proud of this team, and how the collaborative work really expresses a day-to-day commitment to the residents and businesses of Westerville.”

Westerville Assistant City Manager Jason Bechtold applauded the recognitions, noting that many cities are strengthened by their commitment to professional communication.

“There’s a blend of strategy, creativity, persistence and humor in any municipal Community Affairs office,” said Bechtold. “This group performs really smart and thoughtful work, and I’m pleased to see this level of recognition for it. It speaks to the caliber of professionals serving this community.”

In addition to Christa Dickey, the Westerville Community Affairs team includes Erica Charles, Community Affairs Manager; Steve Olszewski, Digital Media Specialist; Derrick McPeak, Special Events and Projects Specialist; and Toni Schorling and Brett Rybak, Public Relations Specialists.

ABOUT PRSA: The Central Ohio Public Relations Society of America (COPRSA) is the local chapter of PRSA, the national professional association for communication professionals. Central Ohio PRSA was founded in 1950 and serves hundreds of professionals in the mid- Ohio region who specialize in agency, corporate, government and non-profit strategic communication. The PRism Awards is the Chapter’s most prestigious recognition. In 2019, Community Affairs Director Christa Dickey received the Chapter’s Practitioner of the Year award.