Anne Nordhaus-Bike, president of ANB Communications, won a 2012 Communications Concepts Apex Award of Excellence in the One to Two Person-Produced Websites category. The ANB Communications website is at http://www.anbcommunications.com



Communications Concepts is a journalism and communications think tank based outside Washington, DC. This year?s Apex competition was the 24th annual.

?Apex Awards are based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content, and the ability to achieve overall communications excellence,? said John De Lellis of Communications Concepts. ?With close to 3,400 entries, competition was exceptionally intense.?

ANB Communications is a Chicago, IL-based public relations, art, and communications company offering writing, astrology, art, mystical music videos, and short films ?to help you live in harmony,? Nordhaus-Bike said.

?As an artist and longtime journalist, the elements of design are quite familiar to me,? Nordhaus-Bike said. ?A company?s website is crucial to its success, so part of my work is learning all about website software, design, content, and upkeep. Managing the ANB Communications website is a lot of work, but it?s worth it to have an up-to-date, state-of-the-science communication vehicle that showcases my book, my art, and my other creative work in an effective, attractive way.?

After working with outside firms over the years to develop and maintain her company's site, in 2008 Nordhaus-Bike started researching web design software with an eye toward taking the website in house. She switched from a PC to an iMac, started learning several Apple software applications, and began building a new site from the ground up. She also taught herself search engine optimization, blogging technology, social media best practices, and e-mail newsletter techniques.

She combined all these features in creating the new ANB Communications website, which launched in November 2011 to coincide with the release of her astrology and art book, Follow the Sun: A Simple Way to Use Astrology for Living in Harmony. At the same time, she launched Living in Harmony, her monthly astrology and art newsletter; soon after, the Living in Harmony blog debuted as well.

The Apex Awards contest is an international one, and other winners hailed from Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, South Africa, and Switzerland as well as from around the United States. Winners also came from prestigious institutions such as the American Bar Association; the American Cancer Society; the National Football League; Northwestern Memorial Hospital; Time Inc.; the University of Chicago; the U.S. Department of Justice; the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps; and the Walt Disney Co.

Recipient of four other Apex Awards since 1996, Nordhaus-Bike is listed on the Wall of Fame of the National Women?s Hall of Fame in Seneca, NY. Nordhaus-Bike grew up in Northbrook, IL, and now lives in the Clearing/Garfield Ridge area of Chicago, IL. She holds a bachelor?s degree in art history, with honors, from the University of Chicago and is an artist, writer, musician, astrologer, and spirituality expert.

Nordhaus-Bike's book, Follow the Sun: A Simple Way to Use Astrology for Living in Harmony, reviews each astrological sign, shares simple yet powerful ideas for making the most of that sign?s energies and opportunities, and shows how a public figure born under that Sun sign expressed its energies. See http://youtu.be/23NmwfL3GYc

She will talk about Follow the Sun at a book event on Sunday, Aug. 5, at DeLux Bar and Grill, Chicago, IL, from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission is free, with a book signing to follow the presentation.

For more information, call (312) 622-6029 or e-mail media@anbcommunications.com or info@anbcommunications.com. Nordhaus-Bike?s website is http://anbcommunications.com The Apex Awards? website is http://www.apexawards.com/