Sterling Heights Community Relations staff recently received several regional and national awards for communication excellence. The awards were received from the national PR News Platinum Awards, the national Hometown Media Award from the Alliance for Community Media Foundation, the regional Philo Awards and the statewide mParks Association. From a well executed storytelling campaign, to thought-provoking community activism programming, an insightful podcast series, and a web series that has helped humanize our police officers while promoting the local business community, the work produced by Sterling Heights Community Relations has made an impact and reflects the creativity and teamwork that define the organization.
Community Relations, in partnership with their agency Identity, recently received two honorable mentions from the National PR News Platinum Awards for their work on the Look No Further Campaign. The main goal of “Look No Further” is to bring the experiences and perspectives of Sterling Heights citizens to the forefront, illuminating both their personal experiences and the narrative arc of a city that has emerged as one of Michigan’s richest cultural, historical and innovative destinations. Recognition from PR News Platinum Awards was received in the Community Engagement and Visual Storytelling Campaign categories. Samples of the Look No Further Campaign can be viewed here.
Sterling Heights Broadcast Services Coordinator Dan Rizek received a national Hometown Media Award in the category of Audio Programming – Access Center Professional for the “Talk’n the Beat” podcast. The Hometown awards program was established to honor and promote community media, community radio and local cable programs that are distributed on Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) access cable television channels. This award was shared with Sterling Heights Police Officers Larry Reynolds and Kevin Coates from the Community Services Bureau for their role in hosting the podcast. The podcast can be streamed here or found on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Sterling Heights Marketing and Communications Manager Marissa Russo was just named Young Professional of the Year by mParks, an organization that serves as the voice of Michigan’s parks and recreation community. This award recognizes emerging leaders in the parks and recreation field for their exceptional contributions to their agency, community and the profession statewide. Russo has been an active volunteer with mParks, presenting at conference sessions on marketing and communications, sharing her knowledge and expertise to uplift other professionals and position Sterling Heights as a leader in best practices for parks and recreation marketing. Russo will receive the award at the mParks annual conference on March 5.
Lastly, Broadcat Services Specialist Bob Sergott brought home three different regional awards from the Philo Awards: The George C. Stoney Community Activism Award for the Legally Speaking: Food Insecurity program produced in collaboration with Lakeshore Legal Aid and the Macomb County Bar Foundation, a Philo T. Farnsworth Award in the Performing Arts – Professional Category for the “Sterlingfest: Steven Adler” video and a Philo T. Farnsworth Award in the Comedy/Humor – Professional Category for the On Scene web series “Float Institute” episode (shared with hosts Sterling Heights Police Officers Larry Reynolds and Kevin Coates). That work can be viewed here:
Legally Speaking: Food Insecurity
Sterlingfest: Steven Adler
On Scene “Float Institute”
"I'm incredibly proud of our Community Relations Department for their dedication, creativity, and excellence in communication. Winning numerous local, regional, and national awards reinforces Sterling Heights’ position as a leader in public communication across the nation,” said Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor. “Their commitment to innovation and transparency sets the standard for how cities connect with their communities, and I couldn’t be more grateful for their passion and talent."
“While we celebrate these awards, I also want to highlight the work that our team does is about celebrating the stories that matter, the voices we amplify and the audiences we connect with every day,” said Community Relations Director Melanie Davis. “In our department – and with our partners at the police department and across the organization – we believe in the power of storytelling to inspire, to inform and to transform.”