Garland residents can take pride in the city’s recent recognition by the Texas Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors (TATOA). According to the City of Garland’s news portal, the city earned 15 awards at the annual TATOA conference held in early November in McAllen. The honors spanned 12 categories, with first‑place trophies for the police‑produced documentary “Garland SWAT Carry‑On March,” a public service announcement titled “Downtown Parking,” the event program “The Guzzler,” and a humor piece also called “Downtown Parking.” Second‑place awards went to productions such as “Trash Talking Tony” (public education) and “Lateral Recruiting” (public health/public safety). Additional third‑place recognitions included a profile of an organization, “Victim’s Advocate Week,” and an Animal Services video, “MTV Cribs.” Five videos received honorable mentions, ranging from “Street Talk Q&A’s” to “Jimmy Wallace Guitars.” Five of the award‑winning videos were created by the Garland Police Department, with the remainder produced by the Public & Media Relations Department, which also manages the city’s Government Access Cable Channel (CGTV), Garland City Press, and the official website.
The City’s news release also notes a separate set of honors from a TATOA conference in early November in Houston, where Garland secured seven awards. First‑place trophies were awarded for the “Economic Development Promo” (profile of an organization) and a humor piece titled “Die Hard Mayor.” The video “Mumentous” earned second place for event/program promotion, and the city captured the second‑place Overall Excellence Award. Third‑place awards went to the library’s “Central Library Grand Opening,” a documentary on the “Duck Creek Greenbelt Mural,” and another humor video, “Mission Impossible Mayor.” As with the McAllen awards, the Public & Media Relations Department coordinated production and partnered with city departments such as Arts, Visit Garland, the Office of Emergency Management, and the Library.
In a third announcement posted on the Garland Library’s news page, the city was recognized with eight awards at the early‑November TATOA conference in Austin. First‑place trophies were given for a public health/public safety video, “Outdoor Warning Sirens,” an arts and entertainment piece, “Blind Mural Artist – John Bramblitt,” and a public service announcement exceeding $300,000 in budget, “Grand Opening Parking.” Third‑place honors were awarded to a public‑education video above $300,000, “Cultural Arts Announcement,” and a humor video above $300,000, also titled “Grand Opening Parking.” The city also earned two Awards of Merit and placed third in the Overall Excellence category.
These multiple recognitions across three separate TATOA conferences underscore the city’s ongoing commitment to high‑quality public communication, community outreach, and creative media production. The awards reflect collaborative efforts between the Public & Media Relations Department and various city agencies, reinforcing the value of transparent, engaging information for Garland’s neighborhoods.
Sources: garlandtx.gov, garlandtx.gov, library.garlandtx.gov
