© Provided by WBTV Charlotte -Kannapolis won two Excellence Awards, competing against cities across the country with a population of 85,000 or less.Kannapolis, NC (WBTV) - The City of Kannapolis has been honored by 3CMA with two national SAVVY awards for its communications and marketing initiatives. 3CMA, the City-to-City Communications and Marketing Association, is the nation's leading professional group for government communications and marketing professionals.
The Savvy Award recognizes outstanding achievement by local governments in the areas of communications, public sector marketing and citizen-government relations. Savvies welcomes skilled and effective city, county, agency or district professionals who creatively plan and implement successful merchandising and marketing innovations.
Kannapolis won two excellence awards, competing against cities across the country with populations of 85,000 or less, according to a press release. The Downtown Parking Initiative won in the Communications or Marketing Plans category, and the City Economic Development video won in the Promotional Video category.
The Downtown Parking Initiative was honored for its plan to share information about VIDA's new parking platform. When the city opened downtown parking lots, employees had the ability to provide communications and signage around the bridges to the public, nearby businesses and apartment residents. The rooftop is unique as it is the first downtown residential complex shared with the community. Strategic communications materials made available to the public and business owners, including signage, a new website, suspended permit signs, parking maps, flyers and advertisements and printed parking instructions.
The economic development video was created to showcase Kannapolis' favorable business climate, unique facilities, attractive location and skilled workforce. The video features Gordon Food Service and why they chose to find one in Kannapolis. The video was used in a national campaign to attract businesses of all sizes to Kannapolis.
At the convention, Annette Brevet Keeler, Director of Communications for the City of Kannapolis, was elected Vice President of 3CMA. He is an active member of 3CMA, previously serving as Secretary, Treasurer and Co-Chair of the Conference. He worked in Kannapolis for eight years and has worked in other cities and school districts in North Carolina. Annette has received numerous national and state awards for her work in government branding, communications and marketing.
He is co-founder and past president of NC City and County Communicators, a group dedicated to the professional development and networking of local government communications professionals in North Carolina.
He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a master's degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is involved in a number of civic and professional organizations, including serving on the boards of the NC Open Government Coalition and the Kannapolis Education Foundation.
As President, Cathy Giluitt of New Rochelle, New York; The president-elect is Jennifer Benirot of Edina, Minnesota; Treasurer is Chris Fleur of Macon-Babe County, Georgia; Secretary Brian Ligon is from Mount Bellevue, Texas, and former boss Marnie Schubert is from Queen Creek, Arizona.
Founded in 1988, with nearly 1,200 members, 3CMA brings together and educates government marketing and communications professionals across the United States and Canada to effectively demonstrate the role of local government in people's lives.
