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2025 Winners & Finalists

The Golden Post Awards, our annual award program, celebrates excellence in government social media! Hundreds of entries were submitted from government agencies in the United States and Canada in nine categories. Additionally, there are a number of awards selected by platforms and the awards committee. The winners were announced on May 21 at a special awards ceremony during the hybrid 2025 Government Social Media Conference, held in-person in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

View the 2025 finalists and winners gallery and join us in celebrating this year’s awardees!

Category: Social Media Professional of the Year

Winner: Jameil Weldon

We’re thrilled to recognize Jameil Weldon’s impact on the social government community as this year’s Social Media Professional of the Year! This coveted award honors someone who encourages, supports and teaches fellow communicators.

Jameil is not only a powerhouse in her own agency, but continues to be a generous leader for our community. She brings a boots-on-the-ground expertise to the field and has taught a number of well-rated sessions at GSMCON.

Follow Jameil on LinkedIn

Category: Social Media Leadership Award

Winner: Anthea Thomas

Since 2020, we’ve recognized a champion of a specific space within our unique world. Anthea Thomas has been a force in elevating the role of LinkedIn in government communications. Congratulations Anthea and thank you for showing socialgovs how they can strategically tell their public service story on this platform!

Anthea has inspired a mindset of bold, transparent communication in government, and has been praised for pioneering a powerful localized campaign, sharing insights and presenting at GSMCON. She is doing the hard work daily to make a difference through social media.

Follow Anthea on LinkedIn

Category: Social Media Team of the Year

Winner: Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT)

This team has set a new standard for social media excellence in government - congratulations to our Social Media Team of the Year, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT)!

UDOT’s strategy has been a shining example of transparency, adaptability and leadership. They are all-in for their community and the profession with their collaboration and innovation. Not only are they consistently creating engaging explainer content that gets their residents excited about bridge work, but they are willing to peel back the curtain on their experiences to share insights with anyone who asks.

Utah Department of Transportation on Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube | Website

Category: Nextdoor Neighborly Award

Winner: Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Texas

Nextdoor named Harris County Sheriff’s Office as the recipient of the Nextdoor Neighborly Award in recognition for their performance on the platform over the past year. Their transparency and proactiveness is highly valued by Nextdoor and the community. The office uses Nextdoor to go beyond crime and safety; they share content that humanizes personnel across all divisions and diversify their topics and tips.

Harris County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube | Website

Category: LinkedIn [In]Spiration Award

Winner: Export Development Canada

LinkedIn awarded Export Development Canada (EDC) with the LinkedIn [In]Spiration Award which honors a government agency that inspires with their LinkedIn strategy.

EDC has a unique mandate to help Canadian businesses grow by supporting their ability to export goods and services to markets around the world. Their team developed a full-funnel marketing strategy to reach potential clients at every stage of their journey and utilizes LinkedIn to educate, support and engage with the Canadian export community. Their rich and relevant content reaches over 130,000 followers and is geared towards creating real connections with businesses that can benefit from their services. LinkedIn recognized their dedication to innovation, willingness to experiment and unwavering support for Canadian businesses.

Category: Best Overall Social Media Presence

Winner: National Park Service

This category recognizes agencies that bring together strategy, creativity, and impact—not just on one platform, but across multiple. Unlike other categories, GSMCON attendees voted for the winner.

Judges called this entry bold, creative, and deeply effective. They highlighted the National Park Service’s high-level strategy, relatable tone, commitment to inclusivity, and ability to keep content fresh—even when the brand is already well-known.

National Park Service on Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube | Website

Finalists:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Washington State Department of Ecology
Washington State Department of Transportation

Category: Best Organic Campaign

Winner: King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks

This award honors purely organic efforts - strategy, creativity, and authentic engagement. King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks achieved outstanding results with their campaign. Judges praised their innovative use of visuals and community engagement that sparked conversations and actions.

Finalists:

City of Henderson, NV
Texas Parks and Wildlife
Town of Cary, NC
Utah Department of Transportation

Category: Best Organic Collaboration

Winner: LA Metro

This category celebrates agencies that teamed up with partners to create meaningful campaigns and maximize reach without paid promotion. The judges selected LA Metro’s “Epic Map Battles of History” series for being a total standout - fun, clever, and unexpectedly gripping. LA Metro was able to turn a dry topic into must-watch content while also making it relevant and forward-looking.

Finalists:

Bureau of Land Management - Utah
City of Fishers, IN
Port of Seattle, WA
Southern California Regional Rail Authority - Metrolink

Category: Best Paid Campaign

Winner: City of Denton, TX

This award honors agencies that made every dollar count, leveraging paid ads to drive big results. Judges selected the City of Denton’s "31 Days of Denton Halloween" for their use of a variety of ad formats, video, images, and Cameos to engage various audiences. Their entry walked through their strategy, planning, implementation, and evaluation.

City of Denton on Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube | Website

Finalists:

City of Celina, TX
King County Elections, WA
City of Miami Beach, FL - Office of Marketing & Communications
Idaho Department of Commerce, Tourism Division - Visit Idaho

Category: Post of the Year

Winner: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, FL

This award recognizes a piece of content that broke through the noise; a single post that informed, inspired, or moved people in a lasting way. A true masterclass in knowing when less is more, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office let the video in this post tell the story with strong visuals and a clear message.

Finalists:

City of Boise, ID
City of Greenville, SC
City of Long Beach, CA
Downtown Cary Park, NC

Category: Post of the Year

Winner: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, FL

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office’s “Safety Tips” strategy stood out for its clarity and community focus. Judges were impressed by how they broke down complex topics into simple, actionable messages that resonated with a broad audience. Their thoughtful, polished effort made an impact where it mattered most.

Finalists:

Michigan Gaming Control Board
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
Public Health - Seattle & King County
Tennessee State Parks

Category: Best Video Strategy

Winner: Southlake DPS, TX

When the awards committee asked, “Who would we want teaching a workshop on video strategy?” Southlake DPS was the clear pick. The department has built a reputation for delivering high-quality videos that truly resonate with their community with comparatively lean resources - iPhone, gimbal, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, in-house drone, and DIY green screen. Judges admired their consistent content that blends polished storytelling with relatable local relevance.

Southlake DPS on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Website

Finalists:

City of McKinney, TX
City of Las Vegas, NV
Tennessee State Parks
Walnut Valley Water District, CA

Category: Best Brand Voice

Winner: City of Denton, TX

The judges appreciated how the City of Denton’s content felt fresh, approachable and unmistakably “them.” Reflective of their unique town, their voice is carried across posts, captions and comment sections. Judges even noted, “I want to visit Denton!”

City of Denton on Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube | Website

Finalists:

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Category: Best Use of Social Media in an Emergency

Winner: City of Issaquah, WA

City of Issaquah’s communication during the most critical moments showcased their dedication to making information easily accessible. When a once in a decade windstorm in late November 2024 caused widespread damage throughout the city, their proactive approach relied on clear and compassionate posts that provided exactly what the community needed in a high-stress situation. The judges stated it was a textbook example of how to build trust and provide leadership through social media.