(JULY 25, 2025) — The Cherokee County Communications Division has once again been honored nationally for its work in informing the community.
A short video highlighting preparations for Hurricane Helene earned Best in Category in the Audiovisual – Short Video (under 60 seconds) category and an article highlighting the 2024 Senior Services’ Senior Prom earned the Excellence designation in the Writing – Featured Article/Editorial (250-500 words) category during the National Association of County Information Officers 2025 Awards of Excellence.
NACIO announced the winners earlier this month during the National Association of Counties annual conference (NACo). NACIO is the professional communicators organization within NACo.
“Once again our Communications Division is bringing it home for Cherokee County!” said County Manager Geoff Morton. “I am proud of the communications team and the work that they do to keep our county residents, elected officials and staff informed about County events and relevant topics. The small but mighty team of only three people has excelled in the use of not only print media, but also in the use of social media and video production to broadcast news and information.”
NACIO’s Awards of Excellence program honors the innovative, creative, and outstanding work of county government communicators and state county associations communications departments throughout the nation. These awards mark the Communications Division’s eighth and ninth NACIO Awards in three years.
The award-winning video showcased the collaborative work during the Emergency Operations Center activation in preparation for Hurricane Helene. The short video shared on YouTube and social media channels gave viewers an inside look at how county and city personnel, from fire, law enforcement, public works, emergency management, and more, coming together and standing ready during severe weather events and other critical incidents. It was produced by Multimedia Specialist Steve Nicholson with the collaboration of Fire and Emergency Services Battalion Chief Michael Sims, Sheriff’s Office Capt. Jay Baker, and Communications Director Erika Neldner.
“About 18 months ago, we embarked on an effort to highlight county services, projects, preparedness and general information in a video format to better inform residents of Cherokee County,” Neldner said. “It is an honor to have one of these videos recognized nationally. We chose to create this particular piece in September 2024 to give residents a behind-the-scenes look into emergency preparedness events as city and county personnel prepared for Hurricane Helene. While this video addressed response in preparation for Hurricane Helene, the subject matter mirrors other EOC activations throughout the year.”
Residents can view informative videos on the Cherokee County YouTube channel (@cherokeegagov). To view the award-winning video, click here.
The feature article on the 2024 Senior Services’ Senior Prom, written by Assistant Communications Director Andrea Barker, highlighted the partnership with Senior Services staff and the HOSA Clubs of Cherokee High School and Sequoyah High School to bring a magical afternoon of fun and socialization to Cherokee County senior citizens.
“Mrs. Barker’s work showcasing this exceptional event for senior citizens in Cherokee County is deserving of national recognition – she was able to capture the essence of the event concisely, which garnered metro-Atlanta media coverage for the work of Senior Services and the local HOSA clubs,” Neldner said.
To read the award-winning article, visit click here.
“At NACIO, we are honored to recognize the exceptional talents of our Awards of Excellence winners. The innovative approaches and compelling storytelling efforts of county communicators across the country are commendable,” said Schuyler Harding, NACIO President. “These awards underscore the impact of the work that shapes effective and meaningful public communication. We congratulate and celebrate all winners in this year’s program for their outstanding contributions to their communities.”
As an active affiliate of the National Association of Counties (NACo), NACIO works to promote the value of professional PIOs and communicators to county governments. NACIO members serve as judges for NACo’s annual National County Government Month contest, and NACIO experts present highly entertaining workshops on media relations best practices at the NACo Annual and Legislative conferences. To learn more about NACIO, go to nacio.org.
