PR judges find excellence in MAT-SU Borough c

The MAT-SU Borough is nearly the size of Ireland. When Mt. Redoubt spewed, ashfall touched down in Skwentna first. More than 70,000 skaters enjoyed the ice at the Brett Memorial Ice Arena in the greater part of last fiscal year. Such stats and anecdotes can be found in the Borough's Annual Report, which took first place in annual reports last night (Jan. 27) in the Public Relations Society of America, Alaska Chapter.

The Alaska Chapter has more than 100 public relations members, many of them in advertising firms. The annual report category is traditionally the most competitive category. MAT-SU Borough Public Affairs Director Patty Sullivan and Media Design Specialist Jennifer Dawkins produced the "2009 Annual Report, Strikingly Different." It is the Borough's third annual report.

A team of four Borough employees earned second place in the Aurora Award for community relations for "Zoning Code Update: A Better Way To Grow." The award honors a comprehensive public relations campaign that successfully communicates a message using a variety of tools, programs and components. Planner Lauren Kruer, Planner Emerson Krueger, Media Design Specialist Stefan Hinman, and Public Affairs Director Patty Sullivan collaborated and produced the campaign. "I'm proud to be a part of a local government that produces high quality material with an excellent team who is recognized by a state organization," said Kruer, the campaign manager.

The MAT-SU Borough took third place in the video category, Award of Excellence, for "Zoning Code Update: A Better Way To Grow." The video is one of four, which were produced entirely in house for television. The TV commercial is the Borough's first ever. Videographer Hinman composed the original music as well as filmed the video and prepared it for broadcast. The in-house crew is Kruer, Krueger, Hinman, and Sullivan. You can view all of the TV commercials on the Borough's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/matsuboroughvideo

Photo at awards banquet. Pictured left to right: Media Design Specialist Jennifer Dawkins, Public Affairs Director Patty Sullivan, Borough Manager John Duffy, Media Design Specialist Stefan Hinman, Planner Lauren Kruer. Not pictured: Emerson Krueger.