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Kristie has been with the Elgin Police Department since 1998, serving as the Public Information and Community Outreach Manager since 2018. Prior to this role, she served as the department’s senior analyst where she undertook several initiatives, such as analyzing crimes and trends, writing and securing grants, including the first round of body-worn camera funding released by the Bureau of Justice Administration in 2015 and most recently funding for social worker positions through 2023.  She began the department’s social media presence in 2012, since amassing more than 81,000 Facebook followers. She also manages the department’s records, mobile, and corrections software projects and recently released a comprehensive transparency website she constructed to help her department build trust with the Elgin community. She has a Master’s of Science degree in Adult & Higher Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Sciences. In her spare time, she enjoys refinishing antiques and spending time with her family and her dog.

Kristie is retiring from the Elgin Police Department in the next month but she can be reached through her LinkedIn account, or via her personal [email protected].

The Elgin Police Department Transparency Dashboard can be found here

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Michael Pruitt is a 36 year veteran of the fire service, having served 28 of those as a career firefighter. He started his fire service career full time with the City of Franklin, Indiana Fire Department. After seven years, he was hired as a Firefighter / Paramedic with the Wayne Township Fire Department in Indianapolis, Indiana, where we rose to Captain's rank. During his tenure with Wayne Township Fire, he served as a Suppression Captain, Deputy Chief of Special Operations, and the department's Public Information Officer.  He retired from the Wayne Township Fire Department in February 2020. He was hired as the Deputy Chief of the Bargersville Indiana Fire Department, where he oversees the daily operations and serves as the PIO. The Bargersville Fire Department Facebook Page.

 Michael also serves as a FEMA Urban Search & Rescue Team member, Indiana Task Force 1 as a Safety Officer and PIO. He has responded with the team to multiple natural disasters around the country. He has also served as a Wildland Fire PIO with deployments to several western states. In 2017 he was appointed as a PIO to the FEMA Urban Search & Rescue Incident Support Team and the FEMA US&R Public Affairs workgroup. Altogether, Michael has served as a PIO for over 20 years.

 Outside of serving as a PIO, Michael serves as a Special Deputy / SWAT Medic with Johnson County Sheriffs Office and was recently elected to serve as the Johnson County Coroner. He is a US Navy Veteran of Desert Shield/ Desert Storm. Michael is currently working on his Bachelor's Degree in Emergency Management from Purdue Global. He is married to his wife Angela, and they have one son Morgan who just started his fire service career with the Wayne Township Fire Department.

Mike's Twitter account can be accessed here.

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Ashley McDonald is the Public Information Officer/Programs Coordinator for Rutherford County Government.
 
She was previously with Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department for over 12 years and served as Public Information Officer since 2012.
 
A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, McDonald also serves as PIO for the Tennessee Firemen’s Association and the Tennessee Fire Chiefs Association’s Mutual Aid System as a deployable asset for the statewide Incident Management Team (IMT). McDonald is the current President of the National Information Officer’s Association and co-presented in Clearwater at the 2018 conference. She is a member of the Heart of TN Chapter American Red Cross Community Outreach Committee.
 
 She is also a member of the Public Relations Society of America. Additionally, McDonald serves as a Firehouse Expo Murfreesboro HOT Site IMT member.
 
 In 2019, McDonald was presented the prestigious President’s Award from the Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs at their joint conference with the Tennessee Fire Chiefs Association.

She can be found on Twitter

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In today's episode, we interview Rebekah Mena, Deputy Chief of Public Affairs for the District of Columbia's - Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency we will be covering her experiences working in Public Affairs in the nation's capital. 

Rebekah's Bio:
A passionate and highly motivated communications professional, Rebekah Mena serves as the Deputy Chief, Public Affairs for the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA). As a member of HSEMA’s Office of Public Affairs, Rebekah oversees the agency’s internal and external communications efforts. Through her role, Rebekah utilizes the power of social media and public-facing websites to communicate emergency alerts and emergency preparedness tips and resources to ensure District residents and visitors get the right information at the right time so they can make informed decisions.
 
Additionally, Ms. Mena serves as the agency’s Internship Coordinator and is responsible for onboarding and coaching undergraduate and graduate interns entering the fields of homeland security and emergency management. Prior to joining the HSEMA team, Rebekah spent time working for the State of Florida and in the private sector at a digital marketing firm. Ms. Mena holds a bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology from the Florida Institute of Technology and has recently completed her master’s degree (MA) in communication management and public relations from the University of Denver.

Rebekah can be found on twitter @rebekah_mena or on LindIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekahmena/

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Today Robert interviews Deputy Chief Chris Hsiung of the Mountain View Police Department. 

 Chris  Hsiung, Deputy Chief soon to be sworn in as Police Chief, of the Mountain View Police Department. Chris manages the day to day operations and spearheading efforts in leadership development, succession planning, and maintaining the Mountain View Police Department’s role as a progressive law enforcement organization in the 21st century. 

Chris is passionate about helping government and communities connect and engage with each other. He is a digital media influencer, conference speaker, and innovator on the topic of social media, crisis communications, management, community engagement, and digital strategy. 

 Chris leads the City of Mountain View Strategic Communications Team, serves as president for the Government Social Media leadership council, committee member on the IACP Police Professional Standards, Ethics, & Image Committee, and commissioner on the City of San Mateo Community Relations Commission. 

 Chris can be found on Twitter @Chief_Hsiung or on linked in at https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishsiung/

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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.