Borough report earns recognition

ANCHORAGE — The Mat-Su Borough’s annual report “Incredible Heights” earned first place among Alaska public relations professionals Thursday, and a video titled “We Do” earned second place at the Alaska Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America at a Jan. 23 awards banquet.

Some 130 Alaska public relations professionals are members, including business and industry, military, government and marketing strategy firms.

The annual report category is among the most competitive in the Aurora Award entries. The borough has earned first place in this field three times in the last six years. The 2013 report highlights the tremendous response of the borough and its partners to the 2012 flood disaster. More than 40 roads closed. Borough Public Works Department, contractors and Alaska DOT worked incredible hours through rain and high wind to restore access to most roads in less than two weeks. The report also focused on how the borough is under construction like never before with $214 million in school bond projects, $64 million in road bond projects, a $272 million railroad extension underway and a state prison recently opened.

Mat-Su Borough Public Affairs Director Patty Sullivan and Media Designer Stefan Hinman produced the annual report and video.

The video “We Do” profiles borough efforts at delivering services like building schools, and animal rescues such as the fire rescue of Hank the dog, who lived only because responder Richard Harrop administered oxygen through a new K-9 mask.

The video remembers the late Alaska Rep. Carl Gatto through the cheers of elementary school children whose school he helped get built.