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On Thursday, July 7, Macon-Bibb County’s Office of Communications – Olivia Walter, Rachel Gambill, Edna Ruiz, and Chris Floore – was recognized as top in the country when Ragan & PR Daily named them a 2022 PR Team of the Year (1-9 people) in its annual Communicators of the Year Awards Program.  

“This is a great recognition of our communications team; they work tirelessly behind the scenes helping our departments and partners tell their stories, reach the people we serve, and finding out what else is needed…oftentimes without any recognition of the important role they play in that work,” says Mayor Miller. “They, each day, are proactive, creative, and dedicated to the success of the people around them, and for that, I am thankful.” 

“The work we’re undertaking as a government and community is too important NOT to get people’s feedback and then show them what we’re doing, and we try to find ways to share those stories every day,” says Chief Communications Officer Chris Floore. “This is an amazing team to work with and having at the ready to support our friends, neighbors, and colleagues.” 

In its announcement, PR Daily cited the communications efforts behind successful new initiatives – and the role it played in their successes – like the Brookdale Resource Center, Macon Violence Prevention, and Clean Streets Matter. It also pointed out that when Mayor Miller was elected, he put a new emphasis and focus on strong communication with the community, knowing how important it was for people to see the work of their elected officials and government.  

“People deserve to hear from their government, and this team has built a program that, in just a year and a half, takes our message…our story…our results directly to people,” says Mayor Lester Miller. “They also use that communications network to find out what people need and expect from us, helping us making better informed decisions about programs, services, and more.” 

According to the announcement, “Ragan and PR Daily’s Communicators of the Year and Rising Star Awards recognizes the industry’s best individual communications practitioners and teams from the past year. These winners surpassed their organizations’ and clients’ expectations. Amid a flood of impressive entrants, these winners stood out above the rest.” 

To see the full announcement from PR Daily, click here. 

About the Office of Communications 

The Office of Communications includes Chris Floore, Edna Ruiz, Rachel Gambill, and Olivia Walter. Their charge is to find the best ways to let people know what the government and its partners are doing to improve the community through strategic communications, media relations, video & photography services, a weekly e-newsletter, event planning, message development, social media, online content, crisis communications, and more.  

These recognitions follow several others earned by the Office of Communications in the past several years, including:  

• Earning an Honorable Mention as PR News’ Nonprofit Team of the Year in 2022, making them one of the top five in the country;
• The Brookdale Resource Center Communications Plan earning second place in the National Association of Government Communicators’ (NAGC) Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards, an Honorable Mention from PR Daily in two categories (Cause-Related Marketing Campaign & Crisis Communication Campaign), and the winner in the Crisis Campaign category and Honorable Mention in the Advocacy Campaign & Lobbying Efforts in PR News’ Nonprofit Awards;
• The Trash Talk video series earning an Award of Excellence in the (NAGC) Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards;
• Chris being named Government Communicator of the Year by PRNews in 2022 and 2019, PR Daily in 2019 and 2018, and the City-County Communications & Marketing Association (3CMA) in 2015, and being named part of PRSA Georgia’s inaugural 40 Under 40 Inductees in 2019;
• Chris being a finalist for the top communication award by PRNews in 2018 and by the National Association of Government Communicators two years in a row;
• Four awards from the National Association of County Information Officers (NACIO) for the Solid Waste Services Change Infographic, the Public Affairs Annual Report, Tropical Storm Irma Debris Collection Infographic, and for departmental logos;
• Two from PR Daily for the Women of Macon-Bibb Instagram Campaign and Public Affairs Annual Report;
• A national award from 3CMA for Macon-Bibb County’s Forward Together Strategic Plan.