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TCU’s Certified Public Communicator™ Program honors 2018 graduates

The Department of Strategic Communication proudly recognizes the fifth graduating cohort from the Certified Public Communicator™ program, the nation’s advanced executive education program for public information professionals. The TCU program is conducted in partnership with four professional associations: the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (founding partner), the National Association of County Information Officers, the Texas School Public Relations Association, and the City-County Communications and Marketing Association.

Twenty-four public communication professionals from across the country participated in the cohort. The program includes 95 hours of instruction, which these students started in July 2017 and completed in July 2018. The post-baccalaureate, graduate-level residential program includes extensive coursework and each graduate must create a three-year comprehensive communication plan. These plans are reviewed and approved by their organizations and by strategic communication professors from TCU’s Department of Strategic Communication, part of the Bob Schieffer College of Communication.

After five years, 116 professionals have graduated from the program, which focuses on internal and external communication, as well as crisis communication planning. Some students also create comprehensive marketing plans for their school districts, cities, counties, or other public sector agencies, such as economic development groups, municipal water or electric utilities, and statewide associations.

Registration and more information about the program for 2019 is at: http://www.certifiedpubliccommunicator.org. Co-directors of the program are TCU professors Laura Bright and Jacqueline Lambiase, and they are joined by almost two dozen faculty members from TCU and other universities, with specialties in advertising, public relations, marketing, management, public administration, creativity, architecture, law, and ethics.

The 24 graduates serve as directors of marketing and communication, public information officers, and other strategic roles. The names of the 2018 class are listed below, along with their organizations:

Chelsey Aprill, City of Allen, TX
Susan Ard, Cleveland ISD (TX)
Ann Beck, City of Mansfield, TX
Emily Conklin, Northwest ISD (TX)
Destiny DeLillo, City of Robinson, TX
McKenzie Farrell, Association of Oregon Counties
Angela Ramsey Hahn, Capital Area Council of Governments, Austin, TX
Michelle Hammontree, City of Pinecrest, FL
Jasmine Maignan Jones, Broward County, FL
Greg S. Lang, Association of Oregon Counties
David Marino, City of Buda, TX
Renae Murphy, Rockwall ISD
Tracie Lorene Neiswonger, City of Burbank, CA
Susan Prosoco, City of Carrollton, TX
Valerie Reyes-Braun, Irving ISD (TX)
Rachel Slade Reynolds, City of Keller, TX
Stephanie Roberts, North Central Texas Workforce
Andrea Roshaven, Hillsborough County, FL
Sandra L. Slade, Belton ISD (TX)
Alana Presley Taylor, Texas Woman’s University
Bethany K. Warner, City of Granbury, TX
Jason A. Wheeler, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD (TX)
Dorothy White, City of Garland, TX
Peyton Woodson Cooper, LBJ Hospital (Houston, TX)

Photo credit: Savannah Coleman

TCU’s Certified Public Communicator™ Program honors 2017 graduates

The Department of Strategic Communication, in partnership with the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers, the National Association of County Information Officers, and the Texas School Public Relations Association, proudly recognizes the fourth graduating cohort from the Certified Public Communicator™ program, the nation’s advanced executive education program for public information professionals.

Twenty-three public communication professionals participated in the cohort, which included 95 hours of instruction in residence since July 2016. The post-baccalaureate, graduate-level residential program includes extensive coursework and each graduate must create a three-year comprehensive communication plan. These plans are reviewed and approved by their organizations and by strategic communication professors from TCU’s Department of Strategic Communication, part of the Bob Schieffer College of Communication.

Congratulations to summer graduates from these cities and other public-sector organizations:

Ashley Aukes, Region Nine Development Commission, Minnesota
Janice Burgess-Thompson, City of Fort Worth, Texas
Greg Collette, South Suburban Parks and Recreation, Colorado
Chad Doran, City of Appleton, Wisconsin
Cecelia Jones, Little Elm ISD, Texas
Christina Kane-Gibson, City of Caribou, Maine
Elizabeth Kimbrough, Garland Power and Light, Garland, Texas
Catherine Lazarko, Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Brian Ligon, City of Roundrock, Texas
Jill Lind, City of Southlake, Texas
Melissa Martinez, El Paso ISD, Texas
Lori Maugans, Humble ISD, Humble, Texas
Marshall McIntosh, City of Brownwood, Texas
Casey Moore, City of Edmond, Oklahoma
Marty Nevil, City of Prosper, Texas
Tiffany Norton, Dorchester County, South Carolina
Megan Overman, Eagle-Mountain Saginaw ISD, Texas
Blake Rextroat, City of Weatherford, Texas
Vicki Schiber, City of Southlake, Texas
Nancy Sharp, Lubbock ISD, Lubbock, Texas
Angela Shelley Brown, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, Texas
Arianna Vasquez-Hernandez, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD, Texas
Connie Watson, Williamson County, Texas

TCU’s Certified Public Communicator™ Program honors 2016 graduates

The Department of Strategic Communication, in partnership with the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers, the National Association of County Information Officers, and the Texas School Public Relations Association, proudly recognizes the third graduating cohort from the Certified Public Communicator™ program, the nation’s advanced executive education program for public information professionals.

Twenty-two public communication professionals participated in the cohort, which included 95 hours of instruction in residence since July 2015. The post-baccalaureate, graduate-level residential program includes extensive coursework and each graduate must create a three-year comprehensive communication plan. These plans are reviewed and approved by their organizations and by strategic communication professors from TCU’s Department of Strategic Communication, part of the Bob Schieffer College of Communication.

Congratulations to summer graduates from these cities and other public-sector organizations:

Sparkle Anderson, City of Pearland, Texas
Mitch Beaumont, City of La Vista, Nebraska
Shannon Blackwell, Waypoint Montessori, Texas
Amanda Bubela, Sugarland ISD, Texas
Lori Burton, Region 11, Texas
Erin Causey, City of Corinth, Texas
David D. Dorton, City of Auburn, Alabama
Joe Flores, City of Burbank Water District, California
Molly Fox, City of Flowermound, Texas
Jodi B. Gardner, Forsyth County, Georgia
Diane K. Gonzolas, City of Lincoln, Nebraska
Brette Lea, Austin Community College, Texas
Jennifer Marshall-Higgins, Region 12, Texas
Terry Miller, City of Longview, Texas
Jamie Mount, Humble ISD, Texas
Kelli D. Narde, City of Littleton, Colorado
Emily Parks, Sherman ISD, Texas
Jenna Roberson, City of Yukon, Oklahoma
Jayme Shelton, City of Moore, Oklahoma
Kristi Sykora, City of Nassau Bay, Texas
Lisa M. Thompson, City of Texarkana, Texas
Anthony Wilson, City of San Angelo, Texas

TCU’s Certified Public Communicator™ Program honors 2015 graduates

The Department of Strategic Communication, in partnership with the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers, proudly recognizes the second graduating cohort from the Certified Public Communicator™ program, the nation’s advanced executive education program for public information professionals.

Twenty public communication professionals participated in the cohort, which included 95 hours of instruction in residence since July 2014. The post-baccalaureate, graduate-level residential program includes extensive coursework and each graduate must create a three-year comprehensive communication plan. These plans are reviewed and approved by their organizations and by strategic communication professors from TCU’s Department of Strategic Communication, part of the Bob Schieffer College of Communication.

Congratulations to summer graduates from these cities and other public-sector organizations:

Ginger Awtry, Westlake, Texas
Dana Baird, Frisco, Texas
Jessica Beyer, Blue Earth County, Minn.
Corky Brown, Cedar Hill, Texas
Catherine Carlton, MHMR Tarrant County
Angela Fritz, Rosenberg, Texas
Jennie Huerta, Cedar Park, Texas
Lacey Lively, College Station, Texas
Erin Mynatt, Melissa, Texas
Maria Rios, Texas Council of Community Centers
Pilar Schank, Southlake, Texas
Arianne Shipley, Mansfield, Texas
Sabreana Smith, Cedar Hill (Texas) ISD
Beth Trimble, DeSoto (Texas) ISD
Terri Waggoner, Pflugerville, Texas
Jay Warren, Arlington, Texas
Stephanie Zavala, (Water) Fort Worth
Karen Zitomer, Roswell, Ga.
Two additional students will receive certificates later this year.

The curriculum offers leadership training and coursework designed for the complexities and challenges of communicating with residents and stakeholders specifically for professionals working for cities, counties, school districts and other public and public-private agencies.The third cohort is already underway with 24 participants stretching nationwide to include representatives from cities and counties in Alabama, California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas, plus from several schools, school districts and colleges in Texas.

Since 2013 TCU has partnered with TAMIO to offer this first-of-its-kind program to public information professionals. Early in 2015, another group joined the partnership: The National Association of County Information Officers.

ABOUT TAMIO: TAMIO is an affiliate of the Texas Municipal League, which represents some 98 percent of Texas’ urban population through its more than 1,000 member cities and towns. Organized in 1913 as an information association of 14 municipalities, TML today is a progressive, multi-million dollar enterprise offering a wide variety of services to Texas cities. As partners, TML and TAMIO offer the best in representation and assistance to cities and their respective colleagues.

ABOUT TCU’s DEPARTMENT OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION: Based in the Bob Schieffer College of Communication, the department serves about 400 undergraduate and master’s students studying advertising and public relations through an integrated curriculum. The school, with 13 full-time faculty members, has offered the Certified Public Communicator™ program since 2013. For more information about the school, please visit www.stco.tcu.edu ; for more information about the certificate program, please visit www.certifiedpubliccommunicator.org.

First cohort of professionals to graduate from certificate program in August 2014

FORT WORTH, Texas (February 3, 2014)—Communication professionals working for the public sector deliver critical information to citizens every day—and especially during times of crisis—to ensure public safety and government transparency. A new partnership at TCU provides support for information officers and marketing directors doing this important work within government.

Since 2013, TCU has partnered with the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO) to offer the Certified Public Communicator™ program. TCU partners include the Bob Schieffer College of Communication, the School of Strategic Communication, and Extended Education. The first cohort of 27 students started the 95-hour residential program in July 2013 and will graduate in August 2014.

“With nothing of its kind in the country, the Certified Public Communicator™ program will have national significance for the thousands of communicators, videographers, webmasters and public information officers it will affect,” said Shannon Gowan, president of TAMIO and director of communications for the city of Temple. “As an organization of professional government communicators, TAMIO is impressed by TCU’s vision and honored by the university’s commitment to create this program.”

The curriculum, developed by strategic communication professors Jacqueline Lambiase and Laura Bright, offers leadership training and coursework designed for the complexities and challenges of communicating with citizens and stakeholders. It is designed for public information managers and professionals working for cities, counties, school districts, and other public and public-private agencies.

“Participants stay on campus for a week during two summers, so that they can engage in focused study with other public-sector professionals,” Lambiase said. “They also develop three-year communication plans for their organizations, working with public relations, advertising and marketing experts. So, their cities, counties and districts will gain from the experience, too.”

Both summer sessions present an integrated communication approach that is infused with ethics, transparency, public affairs, branding, customer relations, and social influence, as well as theoretical and applied approaches.

Government professionals leave the program with three-year communication plans and policies for their organizations, which are put into action during the year with time for testing and revisions before graduation. In addition, students work with their professional cohort of colleagues, attend keynote presentations with other communication professionals, and engage in a year-long process of professional growth and goal-setting. Organizations that send their managers and communicators to the program receive tested communication plans for social media policies, research-based strategies and crisis communication.
“TAMIO is proud to stand with TCU at the threshold of this groundbreaking program for government professionals,” Gowan said.

The start dates for the next program will be July 27-August 1, 2014. The cost for the 95-hour program is $3,850, which will include tuition, summer housing (one week each summer), most meals, and course materials.
For more information, please visit www.certifiedpubliccommunicator.org

CONTACT: Jacqueline Lambiase, Ph.D. PHONE: 817.257.6552 | EMAIL: j.lambiase@tcu.edu