City of North Port, Police Department recognized at state conference

Published on May 05, 2025

 The City of North Port and the North Port Police Department earned several statewide awards and recognitions at last week's Florida Municipal Communicators Association (FMCA) Annual Conference in Cocoa Beach.

For a third straight year, the City and NPPD each earned the Certificate of Excellence, which recognizes those local governments and agencies whose communications staff have established and are utilizing different tools, resources and technology to effectively and efficiently communicate with their residents.

The Certificate of Excellence in Government Communications Program also includes certificates for individual local government communicators who demonstrate exemplary work, training and participation in FMCA programming, including ethics courses and professional development. Three City employees – Police Chief of Staff/Public Information Officer Josh Taylor, Public Information Manager Madison Ingalls and Communications Manager/PIO Jason Bartolone – earned their individual certificates this year.

NPPD Community Engagement/Recruiting Specialist Brittany Kammerer also took home the FMCA's 2025 Communicator of the Year Award for her exceptional work to enhance the department's presence and reach on social media.

The City's Communications Division also earned honorable mentions in two categories in the organization's 2025 Outstanding Awards, as selected by a judging panel of communications peers from other Florida cities or towns:

• Podcast, for "Voices of North Port," an ongoing podcast series that aims to preserve the oral histories of those have shaped our City's identity
• Marketing Campaign Produced In-House, for an education and outreach campaign about the City's launch of the Accela online permitting software

"We’re proud to see our team recognized among the leading communications teams and professionals in the state," City Manager Jerome Fletcher said. "These honors reflect North Port’s ongoing commitment to excellence, transparency, and professionalism in how we connect and engage with our community."

Founded in 2018, the Florida Municipal Communicators Association is a professional network of individuals who provide communications leadership and support in Florida’s cities, towns and villages. The FMCA offers communications professionals opportunities to learn, share and develop innovative solutions for the municipalities they serve. For more information, visit fmcaonline.com.