Department of Communications & Engagement Wins Results for America’s Sharman Stein Award for Storytelling Changemakers
WASHINGTON, DC – Results for America (RFA) announced today that the Department of Communications & Engagement in the City of San Antonio, Texas, has received the eighth annual Sharman Stein Award for Storytelling Changemakers. The award, which honors the memory of What Works Cities’ founding Director of Communications Sharman Stein, recognizes a local government team that cultivates trust and collaboration between government and residents through excellence in communications.
The City was selected for removing barriers to civic participation, making local government more approachable and ensuring that residents from every community can have a voice in shaping city programs and services. San Antonio also won the award in 2023, underscoring the City’s long-standing commitment to substantive public engagement.
“As public trust in government declines, it can be easy to see the trend as inevitable,” said Michele Jolin, CEO and Co-Founder of Results for America. “Sharman was a stalwart against that apathy. She dedicated her career to building bridges between government and its residents. San Antonio’s commitment embodies her legacy, demonstrating that trust is built through sustained connections between government and the communities it serves.”
Serving the seventh-largest city in the country, the Department of Communications & Engagement supports communication, engagement, digital services, public information, accessibility and government transparency for San Antonio’s 1.5 million residents.
“We are honored to receive the Sharman Stein Award for Storytelling Changemakers,” said Alanna Reed, Director of Communications & Engagement for the City of San Antonio. “At the City of San Antonio, we believe great communication builds trust, removes barriers to participation, and gives every resident a voice in shaping our community. This recognition reflects our team’s commitment to using data, accessibility, and innovation while never losing sight of the value of face-to-face conversations. By combining modern tools with meaningful personal engagement, we are building stronger connections between residents and their local government and delivering better public service.
Highlights of the department’s communications efforts include:
- Increased targeted resident engagement efforts tied to major initiatives and expanded use of data-backed resident survey
In 2026, the Communications & Engagement team boosted participation in the City’s annual Budget Priority Survey through online engagement, outreach at community events, libraries, senior centers, and community partnerships. As a result, there has been an 18% increase in community meeting attendance and 178% increase in community survey responses. - Updated the City’s branding to better reflect San Antonio’s heritage and diversity
The City refreshed its visual identity to emphasize San Antonio’s history, culture and sense of place, incorporating the historically significant quatrefoil motif, a signature red color palette and design elements inspired by San Antonio’s iconic River Walk. The redesign also prioritizes accessibility and inclusive representation. - Deepened internal transparency and collaboration
The department launched internal data-driven tools and processes that ensure communications efforts are aligned with City priorities and resident needs.
Stein devoted her career to promoting storytelling that drives positive change in local communities. She spent decades working as a journalist for newspapers across the United States and later led communications for U.S. city agencies and nonprofits in New York City. At What Works Cities, she helped city leaders embrace data and evidence to make better decisions and encouraged them to engage with residents to solve problems. Stein passed away from ovarian cancer in May 2018.
Last year the award was presented to the City of Corona, California. All previous winners can be found here.
By combining modern tools with meaningful personal engagement, we are building stronger connections between residents and their local government and delivering better public service.
Alanna Reed, Director of Communications & Engagement for the City of San AntonioAbout Results for America:
Results for America helps government leaders find, fund and implement solutions that work to accelerate upward economic mobility and improve lives. We work with federal, state and local government decision-makers to increase their use of evidence and data in budget, policy and program decisions.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities:
The What Works Cities Certification program, launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and led by Results for America, is the first-of-its-kind standard of excellence for data-informed, well-managed local government. What Works Cities Certification recognizes and celebrates local governments for their exceptional use of data to inform policy decisions, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate the effectiveness of programs and engage residents.
Media Contacts:
Cheryl Burnett, Results for America, [email protected]