The city of San Diego’s communications team won the Public Relations Society of America’s “Public Relations Professional of the Year Award” earlier this month for its work during the 2007 wildfires.
From the Society’s website:
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) presented its highly coveted Public Relations Professional of the Year Award to San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders’ communications team for its expert handling of citywide communications during the wildfires in October 2007 that burned nearly 198,000 acres. The city’s communications team is Fred Sainz, communications director; and deputy press secretaries George Biagi, Eileen Brennan and Bill Harris. The award was presented last night at the annual PRSA Silver Anvil Evening at the Equitable Tower in New York City.
“The communications team in Mayor Jerry Sander’s office pitted the power of communications against the fury of a natural disaster, turning best practices into safety and recovery for residents of San Diego,” said PRSA Chair & CEO Jeffrey Julin. “The communications team not only used cutting-edge techniques to steer ground operations toward favorable outcomes, but then also effectively communicated the positive stories they helped create. This effort was public relations at its ultimate best.”