California Agencies Win 31 Honors in SIOC's 2007 Awards
for 'Excellence in State Government Communications'
SACRAMENTO - The California State Information Officers Council (SIOC) honored 12 State agencies with 31 awards in recognition of "excellence in state government communications" at its annual awards dinner, held May 10 in Sacramento. The top honor of the evening went to Margot Shinnamon Bach, a supervising public information officer (PIO) with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), who was named statewide "PIO of the Year."
"The State Information Officers Council Awards recognize hard work and distinction in a very challenging area of public service," said SIOC President Roni Java. "Operating on tight budgets with limited resources, PIOs rely heavily on creative solutions to everyday needs for getting information about State services and issues out to the public and the news media. It's a pleasure to honor our colleagues in this annual competition by recognizing their commitments to excellence."
KNTV newsman Michael Luery with NBC 11 News in Sacramento served as Master of Ceremonies to present the awards. Judges for the awards were prominent Sacramento-area public relations and media professionals, who are not members of SIOC, nor are they associated with the council.
Bach was recognized by her peers for outstanding achievement in public information service to her department. In particular, she has assisted news media outlets with coverage of programs serving women incarcerated in State prisons and has drawn attention to the plight of pregnant inmates, promoting programs that allow children to visit their incarcerated mothers. One of eight PIOs at CDCR (who cumulatively handle nearly 400 media calls a month), Bach also played a key role in organizing the governor's recent "High Risk Sex Offender Housing Summit" that was attended by more than 400 law enforcement and elected officials.
In this year's competition, the judging was a challenge, with several entries tied for gold and silver awards. Four agencies - the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), Franchise Tax Board (FTB), California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) - each received four awards. Caltrans earned the most number of gold awards and FTB the most silver.
The 2007 SIOC honorees include: (Details can be downloaded as an Acrobat PDF file at:
www.ca-sioc.org/awards/2007_awards/2007-05-10_AWARD_WINNERS.PDF)
WRITING -
Gold Award: California Department of Fish and Game
Silver Award: California Department of Consumer Affairs
REPORTS -
Gold Award: California Energy Commission
Silver Award: California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
Silver Award: Franchise Tax Board
PUBLICATIONS - [Newsletter]
Gold Award: California Department of Parks and Recreation
Silver Award: California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
PUBLICATIONS - [Magazine]
Gold Award: Department of Consumer Affairs
Silver Award: Franchise Tax Board
PUBLICATIONS - [Brochure/Pamphlet]
Gold Award: Department of Consumer Affairs
Silver Award: California Integrated Waste Management Board
Silver Award: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire)
AUDIO-VISUAL - [Video]
Silver Award: California Highway Patrol
Silver Award: Franchise Tax Board
Silver Award: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
AUDIO-VISUAL - [Public Service Announcement - PSA]
Silver Award: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
GRAPHICS - [Infographics Ð Technical Illustration]
Gold Award: California Department of Parks and Recreation
GRAPHICS - [Photography]
Silver Award: California Department of Fish and Game
SPECIAL PROJECTS - [Posters]
Gold Award: California Integrated Waste Management Board
Silver Award: Franchise Tax Board
SPECIAL PROJECTS - [Promotional Device]
Gold Award: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire)
Silver Award: California Integrated Waste Management Board
SPECIAL PROJECTS - [Calendar]
Gold Award: California Energy Commission
SPECIAL PROJECTS - [Slogan]
Gold Award: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
MEDIA RELATIONS -
Gold Award: California Office of Traffic Safety
Silver Award: California Integrated Waste Management Board
WEB SITES -
Gold Award: California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
Gold Award: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Silver Award: California Energy Commission
BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK -
Gold Award: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Silver Award: California Department of Consumer Affairs
This year's awards ceremony was organized by students as part of a "Public Relations (PR) Planning and Management" class at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS). The advanced PR class is taught by Sigrid Bathen, SIOC Awards Chair and Adjunct Professor of Communications and Journalism at CSUS.
A group of four students - one of seven groups in the class working on PR projects for area nonprofits - began preparations for the awards ceremony in January as part of their term project. Students Lisa Colozzi, Justin Knighten, Jeanna Piazza, and Maritza Villegas served as "account representatives" to SIOC and provided all phases of planning, promotion and implementation of the awards competition.
"The purpose of the class is to prepare advanced PR students, mainly graduating seniors, for 'real-world' PR situations," said Bathen, who received a SIOC "Lifetime Achievement" award in 2003. "The students in the SIOC group did fine, professional work, with the invaluable expertise and mentoring of the SIOC Board of Directors and members. It was a great learning experience for the students and a tremendous help to the organization."
Among other tasks, the students helped prepare program materials, helped SIOC members sort the many entries, and transported entry materials to and from the judges while maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of the independent judging process. They also produced a short video of interviews they had conducted with past and present SIOC award-winners and officers to show at the awards dinner.
Proceeds from the entry fees and the dinner help fund SIOC scholarships for students working toward communications and journalism careers. Colozzi, the 2006 SIOC scholarship winner, thanked the SIOC Board of Directors and members for "their generosity and support in establishing a scholarship fund" and "providing students with the invaluable experience of planning a major awards ceremony that honors PR professionals whose work is inspiring."
The State Information Officers Council (SIOC) is a nonprofit organization offering professional development and networking opportunities for public information officers throughout California. In addition to its annual communications awards competition, SIOC raises funds to provide scholarships for college students majoring in journalism, communications, and public information management.###