Rachael Gibson
As the Chief of External Affairs (CEA) for Valley Water, Rachael Gibson oversees the Offices of Civic Engagement, Government Relations, Communications and Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. In this capacity, Ms. Gibson manages Valley Water’s relationships with the community, government officials, the media, and other key stakeholders and leads the development of Valley Water’s external communications and community engagement strategies, including incorporation of racial equity, diversity and inclusion into all areas of business operations and decision making.
Rachael has 25 years of experience working in the local, regional, state, and federal arenas of government relations and community and public affairs. She has extensive knowledge and understanding of complex water policies at all levels of government, and she fosters strong relationships with employees, board members, partners, stakeholders, elected leaders and government officials to advance Valley Water’s interests. She also served as lead Public Information Officer during the 2017 President’s Day Flood that impacted Silicon Valley, and currently serves as one of four Emergency Operations Center Directors when Valley Water activates their Emergency Operations Center during flood events, natural disasters and other emergencies.
Rachael currently serves as Immediate Past Chair of the Public Relations Society of America’s 1,300-member strong Public Affairs and Government (PAG) Section, and has been a member of the PAG Executive Committee for more than a decade. She also currently co-chairs PRSA’s Section Council. Ms. Gibson is a Gold Life Member of the NAACP, and serves as the Environmental and Climate Justice Chair for the California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP. Prior to joining Valley Water, Rachael served as a senior policy advisor to a regional elected official and successfully lobbied and advocated for several landmark policy initiatives in the areas of land use, parks and recreation, and agriculture.