Arlington Honored with National Award for Diversity Communications

Published on August 15, 2023

By Office of Communication

 The City of Arlington’s efforts to provide more inclusive communications for all its residents were recently recognized on a national stage by the Public Relations Society of America. Arlington received the organization’s highest honor, the Silver Anvil Award, for the Organization with the Most Impactful DEI Program.

The PRSA Anvil Awards recognize the best public relations tactics and campaigns of the year and the highest standards of performance for the profession on a national scale.  

“In the world of communication, the Silver Anvil represents one of the pinnacles of excellence, and we couldn’t be more excited to be acknowledged alongside some of the largest and most creative companies and government agencies in the country,” said Jay Warren, Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs. “It is even more exciting that we’re being recognized for our diversity communication efforts, a growing emphasis for Arlington as we strive to ensure our communication reaches all segments of our diverse community.”

Arlington’s efforts to further equity in communications over the last several years include:

• Ensuring the City’s communications are representative of Arlington’s diverse population. 
• Launching a Spanish-language Facebook page and Spanish versions of popular video programming. 
• Creating a diversity communications working group comprised of City staff members who are dedicated to furthering equity in Arlington’s communications city-wide. 
• Performing an audit of the City’s website by enlisting the assistance of a disability consultant to identify areas of concern for visually impaired users. 
• Implementing emergency communications tools CodeRed and CitiBot – both of which were chosen specifically due to their ability to communicate in English and Spanish. 
• Advocating for and drafting proposals to celebrate instances such as Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Pride Month and Disability Awareness Month. 

The 2023 Anvil Awards are judged by well-respected public relations professionals across the country. Judges lauded Arlington’s comprehensive efforts and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in its communications. 

The City of Arlington was one of nine government agencies and dozens of private industry companies honored in the awards program, which was held on June 8, 2023, at the historic Edison Ballroom in New York City’s Theater District.