OKDHS foster and adoption awareness campaign wins Award of Excellence

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) was recently honored with the Bronze Quill Award of Excellence from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for its foster care and adoption awareness campaign.

The award was presented at IABC's annual awards banquet in Oklahoma City on June 6 and was accepted by Katherine Leidy, OKDHS Design Services programs supervisor and David Kim, OKDHS graphic artist.

OKDHS foster care and adoption leadership and field staff collaborated with Design Services in shaping the campaign's message and communication tools. Governor Mary Fallin is featured in the campaign and serves as spokesperson in the television and radio public service announcements (PSAs). Debra Martin, OKDHS Office of Communications, produced the PSAs which were distributed to television and radio stations throughout the state by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Stations generously donated air time at no cost to OKDHS. Print materials were distributed to foster care and adoption staff across the state for use in their local recruiting efforts.

Leidy says the campaign’s use of print materials, PSAs and social media contributed to a solid increase in foster and adoptive homes and inquiries to the recruitment hotline in 2012. Judges from IABC noted that the campaign was "thorough and strategically sound" and generated "impressive results."

Leidy, a lifetime IABC member, was also honored as the first recipient of IABC’s Professional of the Year Award. The award recognizes excellence in professional and community achievements through communication. Leidy was one of four Oklahoma communication professionals nominated for the award.

“It is such an incredible honor to be recognized like this by my communication peers, and to be the first recipient of this award,” says Leidy. "IABC has been a big part of my professional life for more than 20 years, from professional development and mentoring, to the accreditation program and getting to network and share ideas with other communication professionals. Our Central Oklahoma chapter is a really talented group of people from all types of organizations, and to be honored like this was such a nice surprise.”

The campaign is ongoing and print materials are still available from the OKDHS Supply Warehouse by calling (405) 521-3601.

For more information about the awards and the local IABC organization, visit http://centralok.x.iabc.com/

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David Kim, OKDHS graphic artist (left); Ralph Cornelius, President, IABC Central Oklahoma Chapter (center); and Katherine Leidy, OKDHS Design Services programs supervisor. (photo by: Samuel Perry Photography)