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Senior Public Engagement Specialist at Michael Baker International and President-Elect for the National Association of Government Communicators.

Leslies LinkedIn

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To learn more about Nextdoor www.nextdoor.com/agency
Joe's Email -  [email protected]
Twitter - @josephporcelli

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Captain Sheila Kelliher made history by being appointed the first female PIO in the history of the Las Angeles County Fire Department. 

Captain Kelliher earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communications prior to graduating from the LACoFD’s Recruit Academy, Class 102, in 2000.  She spent the next two decades promoting her way up the ranks from firefighter to paramedic and eventually to fire captain. Her most recent assignment was with Fire Station 125 in the City of Calabasas.

Committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive workforce, Captain Kelliher has been actively involved in several initiatives through the Department’s Community Outreach, Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion (CORDI) Section where she has volunteered her time and talent to assist with the Explorer Program, the Girls’ Fire Camp, and Women’s Fire Prep Academy to recruit and mentor youth from underserved communities as they pursue careers in the fire service.  Captain Kelliher is also a founding member and board member of the Women’s Fire League.

“As the first woman to hold this office, I think representation is important,” emphasized Captain Kelliher.  “It is important that young girls see themselves as strong leaders in their communities.”

When Captain Kelliher is not on the job, she is a devoted wife and mother to 11-year-old twins (daughter, Marley, and son, Maximus).  With five gold medals won in previous World Police & Fire Games events, she is also a competitive athlete who enjoys playing golf, bodybuilding, and weight training.

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In this episode, we talk about Dallas PD's use of TikTok for recruitment and connecting to the younger age groups.

Melinda's BIO: Melinda is an experienced Public Information Officer in the Office of the Dallas Police Department. Previously I was assigned to the Northeast Patrol Division as a patrol officer and also as a Neighborhood Police Officer from March 1999 to July 2008.

In August of 2008, I was transferred to the Jack Evans Police Headquarters to help facilitate the department's fleet. While working as a fleet coordinator, I was promoted to Senior Corporal. As a fleet coordinator, I was responsible for the operational readiness and maintenance of the department's entire fleet of police vehicles. I was part of the team that was instrumental with the color change of the department's future fleet vehicles, taking them from blue/white to black/white.

In February of 2011, I became the department's Social Media Manager and a Public Information Officer, tasked with managing and maintaining the department's social media accounts. As a PIO, I have served the department through numerous high-profile incidents and emergencies. I continue to serve as a PIO and Social Manager.  I am an experienced Public Information Officer in the Office of the Dallas Police Department. Previously I was assigned to the Northeast Patrol Division as a patrol officer and also as a Neighborhood Police Officer from March 1999 to July 2008.

In August of 2008, I was transferred to the Jack Evans Police Headquarters to help facilitate the department's fleet. While working as a fleet coordinator, I was promoted to Senior Corporal. As a fleet coordinator, I was responsible for the operational readiness and maintenance of the department's entire fleet of police vehicles. I was part of the team that was instrumental in the color change of the department's future fleet vehicles, taking them from blue/white to black/white.

In February of 2011, I became the department's Social Media Manager and a Public Information Officer, tasked with managing and maintaining the department's social media accounts. As a PIO, I have served the department through numerous high-profile incidents and emergencies. I continue to serve as a PIO and Social Manager.

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For more than 30 years, Lissa has established a powerful reputation– from Los Angeles to Chicago and New York – as a highly seasoned communications strategist, crisis management leader, nine-time Emmy award-winning television journalist, media consultant, guest lecturer, and tireless client advisor. In addition to leading the Strategia team, she is counseling clients on issues at the intersection of government affairs and lobbying, crisis communications, municipal relations, media relations/training, corporate communications, internal/external communications strategy, and social media.

During her eight years with Serafin & Associates, Lissa’s clients included
large and small corporations, celebrities, municipalities and law enforcement agencies across the United States and, in some cases, the world. She spent 13+ years with CBS Television both in Chicago and Los Angeles before capping her television career as the executive producer launching the Comcast SportsNet network in Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, and New York, winning the 2009 Chicago Journalism Award in Sports. She has written and produced for news, entertainment, and sports. During the 1990s, she covered headline stories including the Persian Gulf War, the Oklahoma City bombing, the O.J. Simpson murder trial, and the Chicago Bulls championships.

Lissa is the recipient of the National 2019 Professional Women in Advocacy Award and the 2016 Filipo Mazzei Award for Excellence in Public Affairs. In 2018, she received one of the highest honors from the Italian government: induction as a Cavaliere dell’ Ordine della Stella d’Italia, or Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy. Bestowed upon her by the President of the Italian Republic, His Excellency Sergio Mattarella, this honor is a direct result of her deep commitment to championing the Italian culture and supporting the Italian American community in the Chicagoland area.

She is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Jarrett Payton Foundation and serves on the board of Milan – Chicago Sister Cities International. Lissa is also Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Get Growing Foundation. She is on the engagement committee of The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii Italian American church and is a member of the National Italian American Foundation.

Lissa's LinkedIn

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Brians BIO: Naval Construction Battalion Center Public Affairs: Gulfport, MS 06/2016 - Present
Public Affairs Officer
Promoted from Assistant Public Affairs Officer. Charged with media/community outreach and managed internal information and media/communications programs. Served as ambassador and liaison for NCBC to the local community.

•  Manned crisis communications testing in Emergency Operation Center; relayed real-time Hurricane Nate information to all audiences.
•  Coordinated special events and ceremonies; collaborated with external stakeholders and secured venue; cultivated extraordinary working relationships to align with project goals. 
•  Won Senior Civilian of the Quarter and earned recognition by the installation director for improved media relations campaigns.
•  Analyzed, gathered, and evaluated complex data; recommended specific courses of action to move forward on communication processes. 
•  Instituted new community outreach campaigns as well as supported local parades and festivals; disseminated information to appropriate agencies and highlighted local NCBC personnel and their mission.

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Some background about today’s guest, Andrew D. Gilman is the President/CEO and founder of CommCore Consulting, a public relations and communications firm based in Washington DC. He is an award-winning journalist and lawyer. Mr. Gilman has handled some high-profile crisis issues, including counsel to Johnson & Johnson in the Tylenol crisis, the Government of Canada during the SARS Outbreak, and global training assignments for General Motors, PepsiCo, and several pharmaceutical companies. He is also the author of the best-seller, Get to the Point: How to Say What you Mean and Get What You Want. 

During Andrew's interview, we covered the following:
What areas of crisis communications do you see that public sector PIO's need to improve upon? 
Q – How can the Public Information Officers improve trust in the community of their police officers?
Q – The speed of social media has impacted the news cycle; we are reminded of it daily. You conduct training for executives and corporations. What type of training should public information officers do for their executives and staff?
Q – Public Information Officers have vast responsibilities, including being in the room with the decision-makers. Yet some public sector executives continue to keep them out of the decision-making process. How does the PIO get themselves into that room?
Q – Crises occur in all types, natural disasters, technological and manmade disasters. Planning and preparing for these types of incidents are crucial. Where should the PIO be looking for training to assist 

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In this episode, we interview Sgt. Stewart Smith from the Troup County Sheriff's Office in Georgia. 

• Things that we discussed included his 20-year career with Troup County and how he became the PIO. 
• Stewart describes the size of the Sheriff's Office and the county population. 
• Besides being a PIO, Stewart has a variety of other responsibilities, and he details them for you.
• We asked what challenges he faced coming into the Sheriff's Office as the first dedicated PIO. 
• Stewart is also a regional director for National Information Officers Association, and we discuss how he got involved in the NIOA and what his duties are. 
• Last, we discussed what does he see as the greatest area needed for improvement for Public Information Officers today?

Of course, there are always rapid-fire questions.

Stewart Smith's email 

Support the show

Our premiere sponsor, Social News Desk, has an exclusive offer for PIO Podcast listeners. Head over to socialnewsdesk.com/pio to get three months free when a qualifying agency signs up.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Our premiere sponsor, Social News Desk, has an exclusive offer for PIO Podcast listeners. Head over to socialnewsdesk.com/pio to get three months free when a qualifying agency signs up.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Our premiere sponsor, Social News Desk, has an exclusive offer for PIO Podcast listeners. Head over to socialnewsdesk.com/pio to get three months free when a qualifying agency signs up.