(AUSTIN) - Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, won top honors at the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) 2012 Communication Contest for her work published in 2011, the organization has announced.

Winning first place awards were a feature press release marking Senator Zaffirini's 47,550th consecutive vote in the Texas Senate and a pair of news releases regarding outcomes-based funding in higher education and the senator's legislation creating the Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (T-STEM) Challenge Scholarship program. Her newsletter, Senator Judith Zaffirini Reports to the Families of District 21, won third place.

"These awards are especially meaningful because they are from NFPW, a professional organization that long has championed effective communication, freedom of information and literacy," Senator Zaffirini said. "Communicating by all possible means with constituents is among my highest priorities, and this recognition reflects our success."

Each of Senator Zaffirini's national award winners previously had won first place at the Press Women of Texas Communications Contest. Because her multiple winning entries at the state level earned her more points than any other entrant, she also won that contest's Sweepstakes Award for the second consecutive year.

The senator has won more than 670 awards for her professional and public service work, including more than 160 for communication projects. Second in seniority in the 31-member Texas Senate, she is the namesake of Texas A&M International University's Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center, United ISD's Senator Judith Zaffirini Elementary School, Laredo Community College's Senator Judith Zaffirini Library, Lake Casa Blanca International State Park's Senator Judith Zaffirini Road and Edinburg's Judith Zaffirini Residential Treatment Center that focuses on fighting drug addiction.

Founded in 1937, NFPW champions First Amendment rights, promotes ethics in journalism and provides professional development and other valuable resources for professionals in communications.

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