NAGC Names U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Will Ackerman as Communicator of the Year

MINNEAPOLIS, May 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) announced Wednesday that Will Ackerman, a strategic communications lead for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Community Care, is the 2021 Communicator of the Year.

The award recognizes a government communicator who has fostered public trust and personifies the role by delivering timely, accurate and meaningful information to the public.

As a VA strategic communications lead, Ackerman is responsible for the research, planning, evaluation, and implementation of all messages, products, and content to various nationwide stakeholders, to include 9 million veterans, 300,000 VHA employees, and over 750,0000 community health care providers.

Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ackerman provided critical support to the VHA annual flu vaccine campaign. Working alongside a myriad of teams from across VHA on national, regional, and local levels, along with private industry contractors representing more than 100,000 community providers, he created messaging that led to thousands of veterans receiving the flu vaccine between September 2020 and April 2021.

"Will embodies all the traits that a government communicator is entrusted with to deliver important information in a timely, accurate, clear, and concise manner to the public," said Dr. Elizabeth Brill, senior advisor to the acting assistant under secretary for health for community care, VA. "Will also exemplifies the mission of the VA, which is to fulfill President Lincoln's promise 'To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan' by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans."

"Will understands there is no greater service than to those who have protected our Nation and its citizens," Brill said.

The NAGC Board of Directors selected Ackerman from a field of impressive nominees from federal, state, and local government agencies.

"As a worldwide pandemic and social unrest challenged our nation, the need for clear, honest communication from government at all levels was highlighted," NAGC President Scott Thomsen said. "Will rose to that occasion, delivering messaging that enhanced trust in the VA among the veterans it serves and led to major gains in flu vaccinations that protected veterans' health."

"We are grateful for Will's service, which demonstrates our belief that good communication supports good government," Thomsen said.

As Communicator of the Year, Ackerman joins a prestigious group of noted communicators who have exemplified the ethics of good communication and good government through their professionalism and superior performance in serving the people of the nation.

Prior to joining VHA's Office of Community Care, Ackerman was the director of communication and voluntary services for VA's regional health care system for Nebraska and western Iowa, based in Omaha, NE.

Ackerman is a U.S. Air Force veteran and holds a bachelor of arts in communications/journalism from the University of Maryland Global Campus, a masters of arts in managerial communications, and a master of science in marketing from Bellevue University, in addition to a graduate certificate as a Certified Life Coach.

Established in 1976, NAGC is the only national not-for-profit association dedicated to advocating, promoting, and recognizing excellence in government communication. NAGC provides world-class communication training to its members and non-member government communicators through its annual Communications School and monthly professional development opportunities. Learn more about NAGC here.

SOURCE National Association of Government Communicators