Union County Public Communications Director Liz Cooper has been named North Carolina Communicator of the Year by North Carolina City & County Communicators (NC3C), one of the organization’s highest individual honors. The award recognizes an outstanding government communications professional who has demonstrated exceptional skill, creativity and impact over the past year. Cooper is one of only two professionals statewide to receive an individual award from NC3C in 2026.

Union County’s Public Communications team also received four NC3C Excellence in Communications Awards for exemplary work at NC3C's recent annual conference.

Award-winning projects include:

• First Place – Branding/Logo: Union County Economic Development logo

• Second Place – Multi-Platform Campaign: "Foster the Future" Foster Parent Recruitment Campaign (in partnership with Social Services)

• Third Place – Special Programming - Video: Women in Leadership (Women’s History Month)

• Third Place – Crisis Communications: Response after Unionville tornado, March 2025

Union County was among a record 39 North Carolina jurisdictions recognized in this year's award program. Awards were announced April 9 at NC3C’s annual conference in Beaufort. This year saw 266 entries, judged by Minnesota government communicators.

“Liz’s leadership and vision have elevated how we connect with our residents and employees, and I'm proud to see her impact being recognized statewide,” said Assistant County Manager Clayton Voignier. “These recognitions reflect the strength of our entire communications team and their commitment to serving Union County.”

NC3C, founded in 2007, supports professional development and networking for North Carolina local government communicators. At the conference, two Union County team members were re-elected to NC3C’s Board: Liz Cooper as Vice President and Nicole Hricik as Secretary.

Union County’s Public Communications department serves both residents and employees by delivering timely, accurate and impactful information across multiple channels. The team manages organizational communications strategy, media relations, digital content, branding, marketing, public records coordination, audiovisual support, event planning, and more.