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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

The city of Pelham’s quarterly magazine has been named a finalist for two different national awards by the City-County Communications and Marketing Association.

The Pelham Pathway, which serves as the city’s newsletter and comes out on a quarterly basis, was named a finalist in the publication category and graphic design category for this year’s Savvy awards.

City officials were thrilled when they found out the news from City Manager Gretchen DiFante during her council update at the Aug. 7 Pelham City Council meeting.

“As local government communicators, we are passionate about educating people and connecting them to the essential information they need to be able to access services and be part of the democratic process,” said city of Pelham Communications Manager Ainsley Allison. “The Pelham Pathway is just one of the communications tools we utilize to inform our residents.”

The awards, which will be presented in Orlando Sept. 6-8 at this year’s 3CMA Annual Conference, are open to all local government jurisdictions, including cities, counties, towns, villages, special districts and any other form of jurisdiction.

Allison said that made the fact that they were named finalist even more special, considering the publications that are produced nationwide.

It also marks the first year that Pelham has joined 3CMA, giving them two award nominations in their first year as part of the organization.

“We are proud of The Pelham Pathway,” Allison said. “To be a finalist for not one but two national Savvy Awards is an honor on so many levels because the quality of the competition is excellent, and to be named a finalist by a judging panel of industry peers reinforces our belief that we are meeting our goals with The Pelham Pathway.”

The publication itself became a priority once again for city officials following COVID-19. Allison said that at that point, the city was left without a direct mail communications vehicle and residents continued to voice their desire for a city magazine again.

“Elected leaders prioritized the publication after the City’s brand identity was formally adopted in 2021,” she said. “Instead of outsourcing it to a third-party vendor, the City’s Communications Office has complete editorial and design control. The City Council fully funded print and postage costs to ensure the magazine would be free of advertisements.”

Much of the writing in the magazine comes from city of Pelham Community Relations Coordinator Gina Womack, who will attend the conference in Orlando alongside Allison.

Allison said her writing is something that takes the magazine to the next level and makes it so special.

“The city is so fortunate to have such a gifted storyteller on the communications staff,” she said. “She picks up on the smallest details that add just the right amount of flavor to the story she is writing. By the time you finish one of her articles, you feel like you really know the subjects on a personal level.”

The magazines name comes from the city’s tagline, “A path apart,” which pays homage to the city’s natural beauty and diverse mix of recreational opportunities.

The goal of the publication is to produce a high-quality, ad-free publication that reflects the city’s brand; informs readers of business, growth and development happenings in the city; educates residents about municipal government; and to immerse the readers with enjoyable and emotion-evoking stories about their neighbors.