TAMIO reaches new heights as 2023 conference breaks record for attendance.
The adjectives used to describe the 2023 TAMIO Annual Conference are varied but clearly reflect the membership's positive experience: fabulous, groundbreaking, historic, important, terrific, significant, fun. And one of our favorites - Best. Conference. Ever.
TAMIO Live! in Arlington is going down as the most successful conference in the association’s history, with record attendance of 390, relevant keynote speakers and sessions and exciting and fun network opportunities.
"This year elevated TAMIO beyond anything we have ever experienced before at an annual conference," said TAMIO President Jay Warren, who welcomed members to his hometown of Arlington. "And it wasn't just about the record attendance. The sessions were filled to capacity and featured topics and speakers new to our conference and pertinent to the issues our membership address each and every day in their cities."
The previous record was the 2019 conference in Denton, with a total attendance of 267.
Post-pandemic the conferences still reflected a strong membership presence, with 230 attending the 2021 Round Rock conference and 255 last year in Houston.
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It began with two sold-out pre-conference sessions (the excellent Canva BrandCamp and AT&T Stadium behind the scenes tour) and ended with the amazing Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth, and her conversation with TAMIO President Jay Warren, as well as the inspiring and supportive words of Dr. Ashley English.
In between there were sessions on crisis communications, short form video, diversity and equity and artificial intelligence, among other topics. And who can forget the luncheon keynote with lessons on leadership from Dr. Joe Serio.
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And the fun wasn't just during the sessions. The after-conference activities kicked off with a trip next door to Globe Life Field where members experienced dinner and a baseball game with the Texas Rangers. That was followed by a trivia competition between TAMIO members. On Thursday following the TAMI Award Banquet, the celebration continued with a little karaoke.
These organized after-conference activities were a first for TAMIO and courtesy of TAMIO Region 6 Board Member Richard Yeakley. TAMIO's very own cruise director continued the fun Friday morning with TAMIO Family Feud.
With the 2023 Annual Conference in the books, members are now looking forward to next year, when TAMIO will not only gather to network and learn but celebrate a special milestone.
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TAMIO 2023 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
BY THE NUMBERS
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TOTAL ATTENDANCE - 390
Member Attendance by Region
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Region 1 - 7
Region 2 - 8
Region 3 - 54
Region 4 - 73
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Region 5 - 46
Region 6 - 10
Region 7 - 23
Region 8 - 23
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2023 Board of Director's Election Results |
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At the conclusion of this year’s conference, LeaAnn Peterson, Seabrook’s Director of Public Affairs, resigned from her position as TAMIO Vice President for Communications after accepting a position with The Woodlands, a Texas locality that does not meet the TAMIO Constitutional requirements for board participation. While LeaAnn’s participation on the board will be missed, we are very excited for her new opportunity with The Woodlands and look forward to her continued participation as a TAMIO member.
Region 8 Director Josh Lee, Director of Communications for Pearland, was appointed to fill the remainder of LeaAnn’s term as Vice President for Communications. Josh joins Shannah Hayley, Plano, as new members of the TAMIO Executive Board. Shannah was appointed in January to fill the remainder of Dorothy White’s term as Vice President for Development and Education, following Dorothy’s retirement in January.
Also at this year’s conference, TAMIO introduced the recently-elected 2023-2025 regional directors. Members from each region voted on their regional nominees in April, which included the three new districts created in 2022 due to TAMIO’s recent growth across the state.
Members in regions 1 and 3 re-elected Melinda Brown (Plainview) and Rachel Reynolds (Keller) respectively to their positions. Last November, Victor Reta, Socorro (Region 2); Isaac Vasquez, Irving (Region 4); Richard Yeakley, Longview (Region 5); and Jarrod Wise, Lakeway (Region 6), were appointed directors for the three newly-formed regions and to fill a regional director vacancy. All four were elected to their first, full two-year terms as regional directors. Region 7 members elected Xochitl Mora (McAllen) and Brian Ligon (Mont Belvieu) was appointed to fill Josh Lee’s term as director for Region 8.
- Region 1: Melinda Brown, Communications Manager, Plainview
- Region 2: Victor Reta, Director of Communications and Historic Preservation, Socorro
- Region 3: Rachel Reynolds, Communications and Public Engagement Manager, Keller
- Region 4: Isaac Vasquez, Communications Manager, Irving
- Region 5: Richard Yeakley, Public Information Officer, Longview
- Region 6: Jarrod Wise, Director of Communications, Lakeway
- Region 7: Xochitl Mora, Director of Communications, McAllen
- Region 8: Brian Ligon, Director of Communications and Marketing, Mont Belvieu
In addition to Dorothy and LeaAnn’s departure from the TAMIO Board of Directors, Linda Klepper, Director of Communications for Schertz and Region 7 Director, rolled off the board at the conclusion of last week’s conference. All three of these longtime members have dedicated their time and energy to TAMIO and have been critical players in our organization’s growth. Thank you Dorothy, LeaAnn and Linda!
Our 2023 elections were managed by TAMIO Past President Greg Sowell and the TAMIO Elections Committee, which includes Lacey Nobles (Lubbock), Doug Adolph (Sugarland), Mari Cockrell (Abilene), Anndrea Harris (Wichita Falls), and Meredith Haynes (McKinney).
Finally, the TAMIO Executive Board will be up for election in the spring of 2024
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We may have just finished the 2023 Annual Conference, put the TAMIO board is already thinking ahead. Planning for future conferences is already underway.
2024
San Antonio is the destination for the 2024 Annual Conference, which is also 50th Anniversary of TAMIO. The membership will gather June 5-7 at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio on the Riverwalk. Hotel rates will be $219/night. Expect a grand celebration of 50 years of municipal government communications.
2025
TAMIO hasn't been to Fort Worth for a conference since 2002. But we're headed to Cowtown June 4-6, 2025. We'll be at the newly renovated Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel, with a rate of $195/night. The city's lively downtown, from the Water Gardens to Sundance Square, will be at our doorstep.
2026
For the first time, TAMIO will meet for its annual conference in the City of Austin. We'll be at the Renaissance Austin Hotel ($249/night) June 3-5. Live music, great food and lots of fun await as we keep TAMIO weird in the state's capitol.
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The Cheryl A. Soward
Communicator of Distinction Award
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TAMIO bestowed its highest honor, the Cheryl A. Soward Communicator of Distinction Award, on Amy Sprinkles, director of communications for Grand Prairie, during its annual conference last week in Arlington, Texas.
In 1992, Grand Prairie hired Amy as its first ever public communicator. Amy remembered that when she started, she had no budget and an office that was a closet behind Public Works with a desk from the former Naval Air Station.
Grand Prairie tasked Amy with creating what is believed to be one of the first marketing departments in Texas, incorporating public information, marketing, advertising, promotion and persuasive messaging.
Amy may have started as a one-person-shop, but that didn’t last long. Over the last three decades, her department has grown to include 14 staff members and a $3 million budget. Her responsibilities also grew considerably over that time. In 2013, she was asked to be the Grand Prairie library director, in addition to her duties as director of communications.
Many “firsts” happened under Amy’s tenure including the first city website, Facebook page, Twitter account, Instagram page, YouTube channel, annual report, citizen’s survey, resident newsletter, employee newsletter, photo contest calendar and city app.
Amy and her team have been recognized with dozens of state and national awards for programs like Waggin’ Wagon, Fight the Bite, Prairie Paws and the Mayor’s 70 for 70. She has also been a mentor to countless Texas communicators, many of whom have gone on to lead long, successful careers.
At the end of June, Amy will retire after serving Grand Prairie for 31 years.
“It is rare for someone to stay in government communication for three decades. It is even more rare for someone to serve the same community for that entire time,” said Jay Warren, TAMIO president and the director of communication and legislative affairs for the City of Arlington. “Amy is a pioneer who created a communications model that many have duplicated. Her imprint on our profession and organization will last for years to come.”
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Amy is only the eighth Texas communicator to receive this recognition. The award, which honors communicators who have distinguished themselves through their work and service, was named in honor of TAMIO Board Member Cheryl Soward, who made a significant impact on TAMIO during her relatively brief tenure, cut short by leukemia in 2006. |
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The TAMI Awards Banquet was a night to remember, celebrating outstanding achievements in our profession. This year saw an incredible 547 entries, surpassing last year's 435 submissions. A total of 164 awards were presented, a significant increase from the 121 awarded last year.
Highlighting the evening were several new recipients of awards in recent years (we checked back to 2019), including Abilene, Bedford, Bee Cave, Belton, Cedar Hill, Denison, Horseshoe Bay, Jacksonville, Kerrville, Lakeway, Murphy, North Texas Municipal Water District, and Wichita Falls.
Congratulations to all the winners and participants for their remarkable contributions to communications and exceptional work in all of our categories. The TAMI Awards continue to be an important platform that recognizes and celebrates the best of the best in our field.
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Welcome to our newest members! |
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New Members since March 1, 2023 |
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Tony Adamo - City of McKinney
Thomas Alford - NET Health
Juli Alvarado - City of Uvalde
Karin Anderson - Town of Fairview
Oscar Arenas - City of Saginaw
Terrence Ates - NET Health
Joey Barr - City of McKinney
Erin Boyle - City of Denton
Jorge Briones - City of San Marcos
Genesis Canales - City of Mesquite
Stephanie Carson - City of Denton
Esperanza Castaneda - City of Carrollton
Cori Conrad - City of Bryan
Tina Earle - City of North Richland Hills
Keaira English - City of Lancaster
Jose Esqueda - City of McAllen
Inyang Essien - City of Dallas
Roxanne Flores - City of Copperas Cove
Dakota Ford - City of North Richland Hills
Donna Green - City of Sanger
Chris Hallmark - City of McKinney
Cassady Head - Town of Little Elm
Andre Humphery - City of Missouri City
Lara Ingram - City of Fort Worth
Transportation and Public Works (TPW)
Marci Jackson - City of Dallas (Office of
Homeless Solutions)
Carissa Katekura - City of North Richland
Hills
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Lauren Kimberly - City of Carrollton
Anna Lane - City of Marshall
Linsey Lee - City of Dallas
Katie McGaha - City of Hutto
Kevin McGee - City of Beaumont
Alfredo Medina - City of San Marcos
Pamela Meek - City of North Richland
Hills
Kevin Meyer - City of Nacogdoches
Sarah Nolting - Town of Little Elm
Shelly Nors - City of West
Eric Onyechefule - City of Dallas
Debbie Page - City of Tomball
Paige Reed - City of Beaumont
Tatiana Salazar - City of San Marcos
Bridget Saxton - City of Greenville
Noah Simon - City of Aledo
Krystal Smith - City of Bridgeport
Patrick Smith - City of Bay City
Christa Stedman - Austin-Travis County
EMS
Abdiel Valadez - City of Lancaster
Yeimi Vasquez - City of McKinney
Alysia Walton - City of Lancaster
Esther Weaver - City of Morgan's Point
Resort
Stephanie Webb - City of Celina
Amanda Woodburn - La Marque Economic Development Corporation
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Shared Files
Need a social media policy? Maybe a job description? Possibly a presentation or a press release? Don’t reinvent the wheel… check out the TAMIO Shared Files. Simply go to texastamio.org/shared-files and you may just find what you are looking for. Have something to share? Send your files to Lauren@TML.org and she will get them posted to our shared webpage.
Member Retirement Recognition
Are you or a coworker retiring? TAMIO would love to recognize them with a small gift and certificate. Find the requirements and the form here.
TAMIO Thoughts
Check out our blog entries here.
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