People talk about "crisis communications" as if it is a special toolbelt, that we put on and deploy ONLY when an adverse or unplanned incident occurs. But folks who understand the National Incident Management System and the entire framework of how government should/must operate during an event understand the work that goes into planning, training, handling the actual response, measuring our impact and results, retooling and then starting the whole cycle all over again. 

A public affairs/public relations professional who wants to grow professionally and serve with distinction and credibility in the world of strategic communications as a most trusted advisor to elected and appointed leaders will become aware of the special skills needed during this one day course that combines theory, real world examples and a relevant, exciting table top exercise that brings all their knowledge together in the safe environment of trusted colleagues.

Designed for the new public affairs practitioner all the way to the leader of the team who hasn't satisfied their desire to practice application of Joint Information Center and Incident Management skills, this day will leave every attendee with a TO DO LIST of the activities they want to follow up on when they return to the office.

For example:

• Best practices in an All Hazards Handbook - How we prepare one or update one
  
• Identifying and developing skills in the Team - whether running a "one person shop" or a full staff, we explore the tools for building the best "bench depth" for strong impact.
  
• Testing our meddle in the table top and exercise environment - best practices such as pre-purchasing URLs, deploying AI for "standard" content, what the latest technology offers for live streams and quick uploads that move the needle on audience engagement
  
• Measuring our impact and constantly monitoring public perception and trust in us
  
• Working with others in the organization to make sure everything that should be done before the event/incident is done and we are as prepared as possible when adversity strikes. Breaking down vacuums and silos and sharing "best practices" that engender the Public Information team to every part of the organization.
  

Attendees have consistently rated this program one of PRSA and PAG's best.

Speakers:

Lauri-Ellen Smith, APR, MPIO
CAT 5 Communications, Inc

Capt. Brook DeWalt, APR+M, Fellow PRSA
Director
American Forces Network Headquarters

Dr. Joe Trahan, APR, Fellow APR
President
Trahan & Associates Media

We’re excited to tell the story of WA Notify - an exposure notification tool for smartphones created by Apple and Google that the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) used to help slow the spread of COVID and save lives.

Privacy and trust concerns were top barriers for audiences, requiring innovative outreach in 37 languages, and leading to 53% of Washington smartphone owners adding WA Notify to their phones (as of May 2022).

Speakers:

Amy Reynolds
Program Consultation Manager
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries
Former:
Communications Director
Washington State Department of Health

Amy Reynolds has more than 20 years of public service supporting internal and external communications, public affairs, and organizational change management.

In her previous role as Strategic Communications Director for the Washington State Department of Health, she helped plan and lead pandemic communications. Highlights include standing up the agency’s first-ever Joint Information Center, and leading communications for case investigations and contact tracing, and the launch of the award-winning WA Notify exposure notification tool.

Amy currently serves as the Program Consulting Manager at the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. She and her team provide organizational change management services for multiple high-priority initiatives.

She has been recognized for her leadership with several awards and award nominations. Amy is a Washington native, and lives in Olympia with husband Marcus and their three cats. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Evergreen State College.

Julie Colehour
Partner
C+C

Julie is a leading social marketer who has spent her 33-year career motivating people to alter their behaviors for social good on causes including energy efficiency, public health, wildfires, waste prevention, opioids and distracted driving.

Most recently, Julie supported the Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) with their COVID-19 response, which has included a rapid-turn approach to increase adoption of preventative behaviors and vaccine adoption. She has also supported the EPA’s ENERGY STAR program for the past twenty-five years, including co-leading the original national launch plan that led to a 41 percent national awareness of the ENERGY STAR label in just three years. Julie co-authored the 7th edition of “Social Marketing: Behavior Change for Good” with Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee and is frequently called upon to speak and train on social marketing across the country.

Under Julie’s leadership, C+C has won hundreds of national and local awards, including Silver Anvils, SABREs, PRWeek, Content Marketing Awards, ADDYs and Emmys. Recent recognition includes being named PRovoke Media's 2021 North American Creative PR Agency of the Year and a Best Agency to Work For. C+C was also recognized in 2021 for its COVID-19 work for WA DOH with the Best of Silver Anvils award from the Public Relations Society of America and a Global SABRE award. In 2022, C+C was named the Social Marketing Association of North America’s Outstanding Agency for its commitment to the elimination of social disparities.

Implementation of statewide training program to provide advancement opportunities into External Affairs for frontline employees by developing them into highly-trained agency spokespersons in their local communities, especially during crises, media interactions, or collaborations with key stakeholders.

Speakers:

Jamelle Washington
Public Relations Manager
Georgia Department of Community Supervision

Jamelle Washington is the Public Relations Manager with the Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS). In this role he is dedicated to cultivating and preserving a positive public image for the department through proactive branding and transparent communication. Additionally, he is responsible for the management and oversight of the District Public Information Officer (DPIO) Program. Prior to his current role, he served as the Public Information Officer for DCS with a strong focus on media relations and law enforcement communication strategies .

Jamelle has served the state of Georgia since 2006 and leverages his experience as a law enforcement and communications strategist to elevate DCS’ image through impactful branding and communication initiatives. Jamelle holds a Master’s in Public Safety 32 Administration from Columbus State University and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Georgia Southwestern State University.

Andrew Houser
Public Information Officer
Georgia Department of Community Supervision

Explore the City of McCall’s journey of rebuilding trust through the lens of a wildlife ordinance. Discover the power of strategic meetings, expert insights, and collaborative partnerships as we showcase how these tactics transformed doubt into unwavering support.

In 2021, a dramatic and very public community outcry, misinformation, and trust issues caused a straightforward Wildlife feeding ordinance to fail. In 2023, staff, once again brought the initiative forward using new solutions to rebuild trust, provide education and build partnerships with cooperative agencies as area stakeholders in the process with vested interest in the outcome. Communications Manager

Erin Greaves will examine the 2021 failure and the specific steps taken in 2023 to successfully overcome the hurdles that caused this important ordinance to fail previously. These steps included community conversations, focus groups, educational outreach, wildlife specialists, developing white paper presentations, regional city experiences, developing a promotional campaign, and introducing collaborators from partner agencies. Then she will touch on what's next, the plan for the way forward and how this project inspired a new wave of community engagement.

Speaker:

Erin Greaves
City of McCall
Erin Greaves has been the City of McCall Communications Manager since 2015. With over two decades of experience in private and public sector communications and marketing, Erin brings a wealth of expertise to her role. She spearheads vital public education initiatives and infrastructure projects, leading to numerous accolades for McCall's revitalization efforts.

Erin's passion for service extends beyond her professional role, demonstrated through her active involvement in non-profit work and consistent community engagement. She is a true advocate for transparent governance and balanced decision-making based on quality information. Erin is a wife, mother to three sons and a sometimes poet.

Research tells us that not only are Americans feeling a reduced sense of trust in their government, but also in each other. This can be as close as your own team members in your organization.

In this session, we will have interactive conversations that focus on the reasons for the loss of trust and what we can do to rebuild it. Working from the inside out, these ideas and methods can translate into ways we can relate more favorably to the audiences we need to reach and the communities we serve.

Speaker:

Lori Croy, APR
Lori Croy is the communications director for the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance. She focuses on helping Missouri citizens understand "who we are, what we do, and how we can help them." In addition, she is responsible for communicating with industry partners in the areas of insurance, banking, credit unions, and professional licensing to ensure the protection of consumers while also maintaining a safe, level, and competitive playing field. While this may sound boring, Lori gets to talk about everything from bail bond agents to earthquakes – yes, that's a thing in Missouri!

She also has 25 years of experience in higher education and private consulting. Lori is interested in a truly integrated communications strategy - taking down the traditional departmental silos and putting the audience's needs first. She has a passion for people and internal communications and believes humor is one of her communications superpowers.

In addition to being creative in her government role, Lori is an award-winning children's book author and a food blogger. She holds an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), is the current chair of the PRSA Public Affairs and Government Section, was the 2021 PRSA Public Affairs and Government Lloyd B. Dennis Distinguished Leadership Award recipient, and is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Keynote Highlights

• The best way to avoid retaliation and external airing of employee safety concerns is to embrace them. (Honor)
  
• Understand the travesty for whistleblowers during retaliation.  (Courage)
  
• Accountability of unethical practices matters.
  
• Don’t stop a “Speak Up” culture; foster it internally, or it can go viral externally.
  
• Hold true to your personal values. (Commitment)
  
• Highlight the PRSA Code of Ethics
  
• Continue to do good work, no matter who is looking.
  
• Integrity can win the day.  

Paula Pedene is the Executive Director of the nonprofit Honoring America’s Veterans and owner of Paula Pedene & Associates. She is a nationally recognized speaker on the value of Ethics in Leadership and public relations strategy.

As a five-time Public Relations Society of America Silver Anvil awardee, she is a visionary leader for advocacy and empowering others. Her inspiring journey in the award-winning book, A Sacred Duty, How a Whistleblower Took on the VA and Won, highlights the importance of perseverance for battles on moral ground.

Paula has numerous prestigious awards, including Public Relations Professional of the Year for her outstanding public relations practice; the John McCain Leadership Award for her veteran advocacy, particularly in leading the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade and distinction as a recent inductee into the Defense Information School (DINFOS) Hall of Fame for her U.S. Navy broadcasting accomplishments.

Pedene is married to retired Navy Commander Bill Pedene, and they have two sons, Robert and Steven. She has a hereditary eye disease that causes tunnel vision; thus, she uses a cane and aids for visual guidance.

Delve into the mind of the internet troll to learn why the conventional wisdom of “don’t feed the trolls” often backfires, and leave the conference with simple strategies for managing multiple species of online pests and keeping your organization’s reputation and relationships and your own mental health safe from harm.

Speaker:

Jon Goldberg
Jon Goldberg is the founder and Chief Reputation Architect of Reputation Architects Inc., a strategic communications and reputation risk management advisory firm dedicated to building, protecting and restoring reputations in a world of diminished trust and unprecedented stakeholder power. He founded the firm in 2009 after more than 25 years as a strategic advisor to top executives, boards and governments, a senior leader at some of the world's most prominent communications firms and a front-line spokesman for major corporations and non-governmental organizations.

Before founding Reputation Architects, Jon was a partner and managing director of the corporate affairs and crisis management practices of the international communications consultancy Porter Novelli. Earlier, he served for more than a decade as executive vice president and national director of crisis and litigation communications at Edelman, held senior client management roles at J. Walter Thompson Co., and was a principal media spokesperson for Prudential Insurance.

Trained as a journalist, Jon is a frequent speaker, author and media commentator on the corrosion of civil discourse, the psychology of online rage and the role of artificial intelligence in spreading disinformation and hate. He is a past chair of the Public Relations Society of America’s prestigious Counselors Academy, a founding co-chair of PRSA's National Civility Task Force, an executive board member of the International Association of Risk & Crisis Communication and a member of the Crisis Communication Think Tank at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Have you ever thought about how your own life experiences or the challenges your co-workers have faced can actually connect you to your audience on a deeper level?

Leia Baez, an award-winning author and the Communications Director for Douglas County, Nebraska, shares how vulnerability in storytelling can break down barriers between government agencies and the people they serve.

Speaker:

Leia Baez
Douglas County, Nebraska
Soukup Strategic Solutions

Leia Baez is an award-winning author, government communications director, and inspirational speaker. While she spent most of her career telling other people's stories as a journalist, it's her own story of overcoming adversity that went viral online, reaching more than 6.5 million people 100 across the globe.

Leia's life experiences have inspired people of all backgrounds to embrace the difficult times in life and find the power in own their stories. Learn more at leiabaez.com.

Misinformation, disinformation and bad communication all contribute to a world of skepticism and distrust. As government communicators, trust is paramount in protecting communities from public health threats, environmental hazards and other safety matters.

Built on a solid foundation and applied to evolving communications challenges, the PRSA Code of Ethics can help. In this highly interactive session, government communicators, public affairs officers and government relations professionals will review the PRSA Code of Ethics, discuss relevant scenarios, learn how to apply the code of ethics to make tough decisions and build skills necessary to advise fellow leaders.

Speakers:

Janelle Guthrie, APR, Fellow PRSA
Building Industry Association of Washington
With 20+ years in politics, public affairs and non-profit communications, Janelle Guthrie, APR, Fellow PRSA, leads a team of communications professionals and provides strategic communications leadership to the Building Industry Association of Washington.

Throughout her career, she has served in executive leadership communications roles for Washington Attorneys General Rob McKenna and Bob Ferguson; Microsoft and Washington’s Senate Republican Caucus, Employment Security Department and Department of Corrections. She served as PIO for the Department of Corrections’ Emergency Operations Center during the pandemic, co-managed nationwide communications for the historic national mortgage settlement and led communications for Attorney General McKenna’s Pillars of Hope campaign to fight human trafficking.

A PRSA National Board Member, Guthrie has also served on the College of Fellows leadership team, the Public Affairs & Government Section Executive Committee, and the PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS).

A lifelong PRSA evangelist who frequently serves as her chapter's ethics officer, Janelle has also held a number of roles at the local and district level, including Puget Sound Chapter President, North Pacific District Chair, and District Council Chair.

She was inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows in 2017 and won the Lloyd. B. Dennis Distinguished Service Award for national public affairs excellence that same year. Locally, she was named PRSA Puget Sound Chapter PR Professional of the Year in 2018 and won the Hugh Smith Community Service Award in 2019.

A graduate of Washington State University with a double major in communications and political science, Guthrie lives with her husband in Tumwater, Washington.

Dianne Danowski Smith, APR, Fellow PRSA
Dianne Danowski Smith, APR, Fellow PRSA conducts training nationwide for executives and leaders including advocacy and grassroots campaign management, media/interviewing, effective public speaking, communications in scenarios. She has three decades’ experience in the implementation and management of the stratosphere of public relations, public affairs, crisis communications, and reputation/issue management, through her work at Publix Northwest, and for large/medium/small companies, firms and organizations.

She has achieved outstanding results in advocacy, community programming, issues management, strategic counsel and tactical implementation.

Danowski Smith led the volunteer team to defeat anti-civil rights legislation in Oregon in 1993, earning PRSA’s International Public Service Award (the first for her PRSA chapter). Her career has included award-winning work in health communications and advocacy, grassroots outreach and the passage of two key pieces of health legislation in Oregon to support individuals’ access to health services, preventive care and vaccines. She also worked with Portland’s mayor in 2000 to create and implement a citywide engagement campaign promoting community policing initiatives that substantially increased public participation and won local awards for its efficacy.

She founded Oregon Bio Women, served on the board of the Beaverton Chamber of Commerce and leads the chamber’s Business Advocacy Council (its public policy committee) for nearly a decade. She earned her APR in 1996 and PRSA College of Fellows designation in 2012. She is the PRSA Oregon recipient of the William W. Marsh Lifetime Achievement Award in Public Relations. In 2017, she was awarded the Ron Schmidt Award for Community Involvement from PRSA Oregon; the PR Practitioner of the Year from the PRSA North Pacific District; and the Paul Lund Public Service award from PRSA National’s office. She graduated from University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and emphasis in Public Relations.

In August 2021, the Public Affairs team for the Naval Nuclear Laboratories began managing the communciation plan for an oversize shipment that was being sent from West Milton, New York to Beaver, Pennsylvania. 

The shipment required outreach and coordination with three different states (New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio) and would take over two weeks to make.  The trip began in January 2022, managing several stoppages due to inclement weather. Six days into the trip the shipment crossed into Pennsylvania and became a social media phenomenon.

The hashtag provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation exploded, leading to over 400 social media and news mentions, dozens of local news stories, and a piece in The New York Times. 

Speaker:

Saralynne DelRaso
Naval Nuclear Laboratories
Saralynne has been with the Naval Nuclear Laboratories since 2016. She spent four years specializing in internal Information Technology communications, procedures, and correspondence. Since 2021, she has managed the Bettis Laboratory's public affairs and emergency response team and has co-managed the corporate Naval Nuclear Laboratory social media channels.

This presentation offers a concise yet comprehensive exploration of "Crisis Communication and Community Safety," highlighting the critical interplay between media, technology, and law enforcement, using the Atlanta active shooter incident from May 2023 as a case study to illustrate effective strategies for maintaining public trust and safety during crises.

Speaker:

Wayne A. Delk
Delk Media Group LLC

Wayne Delk brings a unique blend of experience and insight to the world of public safety communication. With a law enforcement career that spanned over 26 years, Wayne has been at the forefront of some of the most challenging and transformative moments in the field. But before he wore the badge, he stood at the head of a classroom as an elementary school teacher, shaping young minds and laying the foundation for his future role as a communicator.

For over eight years of his 26-year career, Wayne served as the Public Information Officer for the Cobb County Police Department, where he bridged the gap between police and the community, ensuring transparency, understanding, and trust. His dual background in education and law enforcement provided a fresh perspective on public relations, emphasizing the importance of clear communication and community engagement. Wayne's dedication to both education and public safety shines through in his work, making him a trusted voice in the industry.

Before retiring from his role at Cobb County Police Department as a sergeant supervising the Public Information Unit, Wayne started Delk Media Group, a company dedicated to educating future and current public safety communicators in media relations and crisis communication best practices.

He has also authored several books, two of which are directly related to the work agency communicators. "Beyond The Headlines: Media Relations ABC's for 21st Century Public Safety Agencies" and "Commanding Calm: Executive Strategies for Crisis Communication Mastery" (a previous Amazon best seller) are testament to his dedication to enhancing the craft of public relations in the public safety arena.

Are you looking for a way to connect with your audience through storytelling? Join Scott Anderson for expert insight on the hows and whys of producing engaging podcasts that showcase your organization’s impact and connect with your community.

Speaker:

Scott Anderson is the current Communications and Public Relations Manager for El Paso County Colorado. He also works as a Public Information Officer for the organization and hosts/produces the El Paso County podcast – Beyond the Dais.

Scott has a bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism from Utah State University, where he was part of a small group of students that built the university’s student radio station from the ground up. Once built, Scott acted as the Program Director for three years, managing both on-air programming and talent.

Since graduating, Scott has continued to integrate his love for audio storytelling through roles with MGM Resorts International, Scientific Games, and Comcast. This, ultimately, led to the start of the Beyond the Dais podcast at El Paso County, which focuses on telling stories that demonstrate the county’s efforts to make the region a great place to visit, work, and live.

In Seattle in 2021, the pandemic was beginning to ease but our city faced worsening homelessness and public safety crises that were deeply impacting quality of life in our region. To make progress on these issues at Seattle City Hall, the Seattle Metro Chamber invested in research and measurement for five campaigns over two years to elevate the voice of the voter in civic conversations and influence policy decisions and elections in city government.

We learned from this research, called The Index, that Seattle voters are aligned on the challenges facing our city, and voters are aligned on the solutions, regardless of homeownership status, longevity as a resident, race, age and more. And research showed a great need to improve voter trust in city government.

Speakers:

Jillian Henze, APR
Seattle Metro Chamber
Jillian Henze, APR, is a strategic public relations leader who specializes in integrated marketing and PR campaigns that show measurable results. With 15 years of communications experience, she is the director of communications for the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. She previously led a seven-member communications team at the Washington Hospitality Association in Washington state.

Lars Erickson
Seattle Metro Chamber   
Lars Erickson has 26 years of experience in public and government relations, communications, and politics – most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. He previously served as Senior Director of External Relations for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), overseeing external and internal communications, government relations, community outreach efforts, strategic planning for special projects, and liaising with the Governor’s Office and partner agencies.

What’s your favorite oxymoron? Jumbo shrimp. Freezer burn. Definitely maybe. What about government communication?

There’s something inherently challenging about helping the government earn people’s trust. Particularly in today’s uncertain environment where you’re asked to do it smarter-faster-better with fewer resources. Whether you are implementing policy—or making it—trust and communication are key.

Linda Farmer, APR, knows the drill. She is a longtime communications and government affairs professional turned elected official. She often jokes that she didn’t run for her current position to be the communications director. Yet here she is focusing on how she can help her office best communicate and connect with others.

Learn from Linda’s time in the trenches and from her experience navigating everything from city politics to the high-profile world of elections administration. Know this: As government communicators, you already have the skills you need to build and maintain trust with your key publics.

Linda Farmer, APR, was elected Pierce County Auditor in November 2022. She oversees vote-by-mail elections for more than half a million registered voters in Washington state’s second largest county. In addition, her staff of 60 is responsible for recording, licensing and passport services. Last year, Linda was appointed Administrator of the Pierce County Opioid Abatement Council, formed to oversee distribution of more than $1 billion in opioid settlement funds over the next 17 years.

Linda is a long-time PR professional who fell hard for government communications in the late ‘90s. She has since worked for two cities, two state agencies, and a county library system. She also spent quality time in the private sector working for Comcast, a small liberal arts university, and an educational industry association. She got her start as a newspaper reporter and editor.

Interested in seeing lasting change as a policy maker and not “just” a civil servant, Linda decided to run for public office. In 2016, she began her first elected role as a member of the Pierce County Charter Review Commission. She went on to become a Lakewood City Councilmember before being asked to run for her current position.

An active member of PRSA for nearly 30 years, Linda spent seven years on the Puget Sound Chapter Board including serving as president in 2009. She was named the chapter’s Public Relations Professional of the Year in 2006. Linda has also served as a national delegate and has served on the North Pacific District Board.

Linda earned a Master of Science degree in communications management from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in editorial journalism and political science from the University of Washington. She and her husband, Jimmie, have a teenage daughter and enjoy taking family trips to the Oregon coast.