KANNAPOLIS — Kannapolis was among 23 North Carolina governments to earn recognition in the 11th North Carolina City and County Communicators’  “Excellence in Communications Awards.”

The city won five awards: two first-place and three second-place.

The awards were presented April 19 at the City and County Communicators’ annual spring conference in New Bern.

The organization is dedicated to encouraging professional development and networking among local government communications professionals. It was formed in March 2007 and has members across the state.

The contest had 178 entries. In many categories, winners rose above their competition by one or two points.

Judges for the “Excellence in Communications Awards” were government communication professionals from Texas.

“Our organization is full of city and county government communicators who are excellent at what they do,” said Catherine Lazorko, president of the communicators organization. “They are innovative, creative, passionate, and dedicated, and that shows in their work. It was an honor to preside over the program, viewing these exciting demonstrations of work to communicate the stories of the jurisdictions they serve.”

Kannapolis received the following awards:

• First place in marketing tools, branding or new logo for the Loop the Loop program.

• First place in community visioning” for Move Kannapolis Forward 2030.

• Second place in printed publications, external newsletter, for “Kannapolis Matters.”

• Second place in service delivery for Loop the Loop.

• Second place in “most creative with least dollars spent” for the Bicycle Lid Art project

The city’s director of communications, Annette Privette Keller, said Kannapolis’ communications team was happy to receive the awards.

“We are very excited to be recognized for the work we do to communicate with the residents of Kannapolis,” she said.  “Communications and marketing are key components of government as we work to engage and inform our residents about the exciting things happening in the city.”