Nadia Vanderhoof, MA

🌪️ Exploring the remarkable work of crisis communicators during Hurricane Beryl. Part 1 of a series. 🚨 New Series Announcement! In the next two newsletters, we’ll highlight the stories of two exceptional public communicators who excelled before, during, and after Hurricane Beryl ravaged the Houston area on July 8. The storm left over 2.6 million people without power, and at least 23 people died due to the storm and ensuing power outages. 🏡 Local Insights: Houston Summers Losing power in Houston is not just uncomfortable; it means all the food in your refrigerator spoils. After a hurricane, you're left with tree limbs and sometimes entire trees that need to be sawed up and hauled away. It’s a colossal mess, and people rightly expect their government agencies to help clean it all up and get life back to normal. 🌳 The Woodlands Township's Response: We’ll start with the story of how LeaAnn Dearman Petersen, CPC, CPM of The Woodlands Township, a suburb north of Houston, handled the impact. Next time, we'll share the perspective of the City of Houston’s Office of Emergency Management public information officer, Brent Taylor. 📅 Programming Note: GGF will be taking its annual beach sabbatical next week, so we'll be back with Part 2 on Friday, Aug. 9. 🚀 Stay tuned for more inspiring stories of public service! 🔗 Read more and subscribe to Good Government Files. https://lnkd.in/gQhWWDaA #CrisisCommunications #PublicService #HurricaneBeryl #GoodGovernmentFiles #EmergencyManagement #Houston

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A severe and troubling scenario for travelers could play out at airports this summer travel season if Congress enacts an amendment by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and John Kennedy (R-LA) to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill. According to a U.S. Travel Association analysis, the proposed amendment could result in travelers waiting an additional 120 MILLION HOURS in TSA lines each year by significantly slowing both TSA PreCheck and standard screening lanes. Further, the proposal threatens national security by effectively banning TSA’s use of facial recognition technology for non-PreCheck passengers–which mal-intentioned individuals could exploit. Tell Congress to #ProtectPreCheck.

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In a comprehensive annual review, Rod Cartwright's "Reputation, Risk and Resilience 2024" highlights the complex challenges and opportunities for corporate communicators, offering a fresh perspective on global risks. 📊 Despite the challenging outlook, as PR professionals we must see risk management, crisis preparedness, and resilience-building as sources of positive value. 🚀

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The Analysis of the 2024 Fonteva State of Membership Survey Results is now available and includes insights and resources from Susan Noell of AMCP, Rick Bawcum, CAE, CISSP of Cimatri, Katherine Davis of Sidecar, and Amanda Lea Kaiser, MBA of Kaiser Insights LLC. Get your copy of this informative piece today! https://lnkd.in/ey9QPJT3 #associations #associationmanagement #membershipmanagement #membershipmatters

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As a #comms leader, there are several takeaways I appreciate about this article, the primary one being: communications work is strategy work. (It's not an accident that Biden's Chief Strategist is also his speechwriter.) The act of framing and messaging a decision is often what helps leaders to more fully appreciate, and feel secure in, the impact and implications of their choices. Time to kick off the campaign of a lifetime... #LetsGo

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Event Planners on #GSA Schedule! I was sent this note today! MAS Blogger posted "Embrace innovation: Help GSA take the next step with federal acquisition training" in the Multiple Award Schedule GSA Interact community. GSA is seeking event management services for a potential national, in-person training conference in 2026 through Multiple Award Schedule SIN/Category: 561920, Conference, Meeting, Event and Trade Show Planning Services.   Vendors interested in providing event management services should respond to GSA’s Request for Information before August 2. GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service prides itself on leading the charge in creating an effective acquisition ecosystem for federal agencies. Central to this mission is our ongoing commitment to enhancing training opportunities. On July 19, GSA posted an RFI seeking event management services for a potential in-person training event and industry conference designed to unite industry partners and customers in a collaborative setting. GSA’s team is looking to partner with a qualified provider under Multiple Award Schedule SIN 561920. If your company provides event management services, provide your feedback before the August 2, 2024, deadline. By providing feedback, your company will contribute to shaping the future of GSA acquisition training, ensuring it addresses the evolving needs of federal agencies and industry partners. More details about this initiative will be shared in the coming months. https://lnkd.in/gvGYFiDW

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September is #NationalPreparednessMonth, making it the perfect time for #PIOs everywhere to do a "gut check" and assess whether their agency is prepared for unexpected emergencies. As a “recovering City PIO” myself, I remember wildfire season and the intense preparation that came with it. In fact, I still have “go bags” stashed at home, work and in my car – because once a PIO, always a PIO. 😉 The reality is disasters like wildfires, storms, cyberattacks, and public health crises are truly inevitable. And in an emergency, effective communication is often the key difference between order and chaos—and in some cases life and death. How can you ensure you are ready when the next crisis comes? This month, JPW Communications is sharing five essential tips for emergency readiness in our latest blog. Check it out. 👉 https://lnkd.in/gqX4SwjJ #preparednessmonth #beprepared #PlanAhead #EmergencyPreparedness #ReadyTogether #beready #crisiscommunications #localgov #emergency #PIO #PreparedNotScared

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I am proud to announce the release of our 2023-2024 impact report, which highlights the results of our work to build a better government and a stronger democracy. The report explores the difference we made for public servants, their agencies, and our good government allies over the past year and our future plans to help the federal government keep pace with the world. The health of our democracy depends on the ability of our government to connect with and deliver for the people it serves, regardless of partisan battles and election outcomes. At a time when our democracy faces several challenges, including low trust in public institutions, political polarization, and increasingly virulent attacks on the nonpartisan civil service, our accomplishments, and plans for the future are critical. Read the full report to learn more about our work.  https://lnkd.in/dPCZcTw6 

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If this isn't a PSA to bring in your communication leader in early and often.... Read a lot of great commentary from my comms colleagues on this piece, interesting parallels and case studies to watch. Couldn't agree more with Darren Brandt from Sloane on the acceleration of the 100 day plan for new leaders. It is now a Day One plan onward. Often. Timely. Authentic. Clear. #executivecommunications #leadershiptransitions #transitioncommunications https://lnkd.in/gAD_DnKA

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Crisis management requires foresight, and attacking the legal system only complicates efforts to rebuild trust. Erin Powers, founder of Powers MediaWorks, underscored the need for prevention and foresight. "The important lesson organizational leaders can learn is the importance of prevention and risk management. Someone needs to be asking: ‘What risks do we face and how will we respond?’" Balancing legal defense with public communication is challenging, particularly when trying to preserve political capital, and being combative could backfire. https://bit.ly/3XK5kKV #CommPRO #PR

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Are the tools of journalism applicable to #corporate communications? Without a doubt. I recently had the opportunity to discuss three of those tools, and how to apply them, at a gathering of comms professionals from Method Communications, Sling & Stone and other teams from our VCCP family. I’d love to hear about other skills from #journalism you think are applicable to helping companies tell their best stories in authentic, media-genic ways. Comment below!

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20+ years of writing and reviewing press releases has left me with a deep hatred of the words "iconic", "innovative", and especially "paradigm shifting"! This is a smart piece by Eleanor Hawkins. And I agree - as long as the time investment is kept to a minimum and all parties are aligned on the goals of a "press release", there's still a place for them in the comms toolkit as a way to memorialise a moment in time. One add though. With data hungry LLMs looking for more and more content to ingest, and given the shift among many publishers to block the use of their IP, will we see a resurgence in the impact of press releases as influencers of AI answer engines? I predict yes.

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With so much change going on, this Ragan Communications and PR Daily article by Justin J. provides a good case study for all communicators to review. Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday after losing more than $2.2 billion since the start of the pandemic and communicated with bondholders, customers, and external audiences relatively well. Ted Birkhahn shares they did a great job communicating directly to customers. I shared they should emphasize regular, clear, and empathetic communication with their employees. Change communications can be complex, but taking a step back to understand the needs of all stakeholders and addressing them will smooth the way forward for all. https://lnkd.in/e7CiEKAZ #changemanagement #internalcommunications

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The role of Chief Communication Officers (CCOs) is evolving, with many now taking on additional business functions, leading to the rise of the "CCO+" title. A report by the Observatory on Corporate Reputation (OCR) shows an 88% increase in CCO+ roles among Fortune 1000 companies since 2019, now outnumbering traditional CCO positions. These expanded roles often pair communications with marketing, human resources, or ESG. By integrating communications with key functions like marketing, ESG, and HR, companies can create a more cohesive and strategic approach to managing their public image. This integration allows for more consistent messaging, better alignment with corporate values, and a stronger focus on stakeholder engagement, all of which can enhance reputation. #stakeholdermanagement #reputationmanagement #corporatecommunications #reputation #corporatereputation https://lnkd.in/eqB62cWs

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These highlights from Cision's 2024 State of the Media Report offer important insights about interacting with journalists. Download the full report (see last slide) to get all the details. #mediarelations #PR #journalists

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Community involvement is crucial to preserving local airports. Learn how to engage residents and highlight economic benefits to ensure a sustainable future. #CommunityEngagement #Aviation #EconomicImpact https://hubs.ly/Q02G-bHC0

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Are the tools of journalism applicable to #corporate communications? Without a doubt. I recently had the opportunity to discuss three of those tools, and how to apply them, at a gathering of comms professionals from @Method Communications, @Sling&Stone, @Harvard and other teams from our @VCCP family. I’d love to hear about other skills from #journalism you think are applicable to helping companies tell their best stories in authentic, media-genic ways. Comment below!

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