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ITD earns four Idaho Press Club awards

Members of the Office of Communications accepted four awards from the Idaho Press Club during the organization’s annual banquet May 2 in Boise.

Although each of the awards named a communications office staff member, the awards represented the accomplishments and hard work of the entire department, said Jeff Stratten, ITD’s Public Information Officer. He and Public Involvement Coordinator Adam Rush accepted the awards.

ITD received a first place and three second places in independent judging.

Mel Coulter received the top award for feature writing in the Public Relations division for a story he wrote about Dennis Clark who retired as manager of the Environmental Section in 2008.

The feature “Clark, mighty oak shared common beginning at ITD,” appeared in the department’s weekly online newsletter, the Transporter.

Judges said the story was “nicely written with good flow and organization. It had good use of conversational tone. Quotes add life.”

It received “excellent” marks for reader interest, technical writing (mechanics), fits category criteria, impact of story lead or opening and overall writing style; and a mark of “very good” for originality and enterprise.

ITD also received second place awards for its extensive Idaho Transportation Funding Conference in the summer of 2008. The award was given in the “Public Affairs Campaign” and received “excellent” marks in three criteria and “very good” in four criteria.

The department’s other two second-place awards were for a comprehensive 511 Traveler Services package in the “Media Kit” category, and for publication of the Transporter, in the Newsletter-Internal” category.

ITD entries

First place: Public Relations, Feature Writing, Mel Coulter, and “Clark, mighty oak shared common beginning at ITD”
Second: Public Relations, Public Affairs Campaign, Jeff Stratten, Adam Rush, Idaho Transportation Department’s IdahoTransportation Funding Conference
Second: Public Relations, Media Kit, Mel Coulter, 511 Traveler Services Program
Second: Public Relations, Newsletter-Internal, Mel Coulter, Idaho Transportation Department Transporter
Other entries
Inside ITD, Facts & Figures 2009
News releases, selection of three: Reed Hollinshead
Special Purpose Publication: I-84, Franklin Boulevard Bridge Project, Reed Hollinshead
Public Service Campaign: Enhanced 511 Program, Mel Coulter, Reed Hollinshead and June Sparks