ALCOA, Tenn. — Mary Beth West Communications (MBWC) received numerous Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) awards for campaigns conducted for two economic development organizations in Tennessee — the Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority, which is based at the Blount Partnership, and the Maury County Chamber & Economic Alliance.
An initiative aimed at supporting education in Maury County, Tennessee, MBWC’s #GrowMaury campaign won public relations awards in Nashville and Knoxville for the second year in a row, with four Awards of Excellence from the Knoxville Volunteer Chapter in the Public Service Announcements, Integrated Communications, Public Service Partnerships and Community Relations categories and multiple honors from the PRSA Nashville Chapter in its Parthenon Awards program, including three Awards of Excellence in the Nonprofit Communications, Public Service and Public Relations Company categories. The agency won Awards of Merit in the Market Research category (an honor MBWC shares with Knoxville-based Bryant Research) and in the Community Relations category.
The #GrowMaury Initiative included MBWC working closely with the Maury Alliance and MCPS to host special events, showcase educational accomplishments, invite experts to provide education and workforce-development thought leadership, and rally the community behind students, teachers and stronger achievement outcomes.
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam praised Maury County’s educational progress during a speech on March 3, 2017, recognizing MCPS’s “phenomenal” 32 percent increase in college readiness scores, “impressive” one-point ACT score increase within one academic year, and positive example of educational growth.
In addition to the recognition MBWC received for its Maury County work, the agency 
also received three Awards of Excellence in Nashville and two Awards of Quality in Knoxville for its #SmokiesStrong Fire-Recovery Editorial Cartoon Campaign.
The campaign was developed in the wake of the devastating Smoky Mountain wildfires. The Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority (SMTDA) enlisted the help of MBWC which partnered with twice-Pulitzer-Prize-nominated editorial cartoonist Marshall Ramsey to remind travelers that Blount County, Tennessee, remained open for business while showing support for impacted neighbors. On the heels of the campaign, SMTDA reported that Blount County hotel bookings from December 2016 through January 2017 rose 15 percent from the same time segment the previous year.
Each year, PRSA’s awards programs provide local marketing and public relations practitioners with an opportunity to have their strategic communications campaigns and products peer-reviewed for best-practices and judged for overall quality by professionals located outside their geographic market. Criteria include outstanding achievement in executing research, planning, budget allocation, execution and evaluation of public relations strategies, campaigns and tactics.
More information can be located about PRSA via its national website, prsa.org, Nashville Chapter website, prsanashville.org, or via its Volunteer Chapter website, volunteerprsa.org.