The Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers announced the 2023 winners of its state-wide TAMI Awards Competition during a ceremony at the annual conference recently in Arlington. The City of McAllen Office of Communications earned a total of four awards for its video production work and photography series. This year, 547 entries from 70 different municipalities submitted entries for the competition.

“Being recognized by a state organization for the great work done by our Office of  Communications demonstrates the quality product our employees deliver every day,” said McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos.

The City of McAllen Office of Communications won an Award of Honor Award for its work in the Video Category, Marketing Public Service Announcement, for the “Help Find Curby!” video. The piece was done in “breaking news” style to encourage the community to find stuffed Curbys to help celebrate Earth Day.  In the Educational Public Service Announcement category, MCN won an Award of Excellence for “Fire Won’t Wait. Find Your Escape.” which highlights the antics of local mascots at a sleep-over who are led by Sparky when a fire breaks out. For Best Photography, the team won an Award of Honor for a picture of Majestic Trees and for Communications Plan. Rounding out the accolades is an Award of Excellence for the office’s “Majestic Trees” in Spanish video package.

“This organization is highly competitive, because every municipality in Texas strives to do its best to showcase their local government in the best light,” said McAllen City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez, P.E.  “I am so proud of the McAllen Office of Communications for being recognized for their work.”

The conference also included the City of McAllen Office of Communications Director Xochitl Mora’s installation to the TAMIO state board. Mora now represents Region 7 which runs from San Antonio to the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo.

Additionally, Mora presented on a panel called “Communicating through the Storm,” discussing crisis management and communication. Mora shared the communications efforts in the tragic deaths of the two McAllen Police Officers killed in the line of duty in June 2020.