The NIOA Board members are working hard to prepare for the 2011 conference in Phoenix, Arizona. We know that there are budget concerns for many agencies, travel monies are few and some agencies are not providing funds for training.

We also believe that this conference is the finest conference available for PIOs to hone their skills, receive new insights to help them improve themselves as PIOs and therefore benefit their agencies, and of course, to build networks with others that can help when help is needed.

As past NIOA Presidents have done, I am providing a letter for members to share with their chief or administrator to help show the value of the annual training conference. Please download, print and present it to your leaders so that they might better understand the overall value of this conference.

We look forward to seeing you in Phoenix.

Jack Goldhorn
2010-2011 President
NIOA

Tammy L. Chatman, NIOA Region 5 Director, has shared the Powerpoint presentation that she delivered at the August 2010 NIOA Conference in Clearwater.  The presentation, “Twitter, Facebook, Yammer, Blogging: What’s Your Policy?” addresses the need for developing a social media policy within your agency.

You can download this document:

Twitter, Facebook, Yammer, Blogging: What’s Your Policy?

   We have been getting a number of emails kicked back from our membership due to bad email addresses and unacceptable emails directed to certain email domains.

  Please take time to check your email address on the NIOA website by clicking on this link http://www.nioa.org/members/search.htm and confirming that your contact information is correct. If it is necessary to update your information please click on this link to submit your updated information http://www.nioa.org/members/update.htm

   If your information is correct please ensure that you allow the address NIOA@comcast.net to your list of Safe senders. You may have to have your domain administrator to set these permissions.

California State University San Bernadino is conducting a survey of fire department public information officers on if, or how, they use social media in their work.

The survey is anonymous and should take 10-15 minutes to complete. Copies of the completed survey will be available later in 2010 from Kevin Slusarski at slusarsk@csusb.edu.

To take the survey, go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LX97Z92
[This link has been corrected from an earlier edit. Please note that the hyphen in the printed copy of the NIOA News is incorrect.]
- From the July-August 2010 NIOA News

In conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), an interdisciplinary team at Ball State University is developing a training program on advanced crisis communication for emergency communications professionals. This training will be offered free of charge. The Advanced Crisis Communications Team (ACCT) has been working diligently to prepare the course.

The ACCT has requested that the NIOA executive board provide you with a link to a survey to help them better understand the potential audience.

The survey asks questions related to training you receive for your job. ACCT specifically is targeting individuals in Public Information Officer (PIO) roles in different emergency management agencies, and is seeking responses only from those persons.

Please take a few moments to answer the survey at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/acct

For additional information about the ACCT and to view their course timeline visit http://www.bsu.edu/acct/

From Mike Tellef, NIOA Past President

The mission of the AMBER Alert program is to develop and coordinate the efforts of law enforcement, transportation, and the media to increase public participation in safely recovering abducted children through targeted education, increased communication, and effective sharing of resources. To help keep those lines of communications open and to ensure that you as a PIO/PAO are up to date below is a link to the 13th Edition of the AMBER Advocate.

www.amber-net.org/Documents_WordExcel/AA13_Web.pdf

There is much more information on the AMBER web site at www.amber-net.org/

The NIOA has long been involved with AMBER, having nvited them or people we heard speak through them, to present at our annual training conference. The NIOA also provided members to be part of the pilot class for AMBER and the Media in January 2006.

The Institute of Policy Technology and Management has provided one free registration to the Police Media Relations Course to be held in Jacksonville, Florida June 7-10, 2010.

If you would like to participate in a drawing to receive this course registration, email a message to Executive Director Lisa McNeal before May 1, 2010. The recipient of the registration must be a member of NIOA in good standing. This registration does NOT cover travel or housing expenses.

Find out more about the IPTM Police Media Relations Course

Jack Goldhorn, Norfolk Fire-Rescue, has been elected to the National Information Officers Association Board of Directors as Vice President for 2010. Elections were held Tuesday, August 25 during the 2009 Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

Goldhorn has been an active member and has attended every training conference since becoming a member of NIOA. He assisted with the hosting of the 1999 Conference in Norfolk, VA.  He has worked for the City of Norfolk Fire-Rescue for 25 years and has been an active public information officer since 1995.

Jack says, “Being active on not only local and regional PIO councils has given me the passion to continue on the national level to share my experience and guidance with NIOA.”

Lou Thurston, Newport News Police Department, has been elected NIOA Secretary. This is a two-year term commencing at the end of the 2009 conference through the end of the conference in Phoenix in 2011. Thurston is not new to the role. He has served previously as secretary of the NIOA and is a past-president. Andrea Summers, Delaware Department of Highway Safety, served as secretary for two-years.

Marlee Boenig, Bowling Green Fire Department (KY), assumes the role of president of the NIOA for one year. She served as vice-president of the association this year and has been active in increasing communications to the membership and to the regional director team. Rich Palmer, Washington Township Fire Department (Montgomery County, OH), will continue to serve on the Board of Directors as Immediate Past President for one year.

from the May/June 2009 NIOA News

Two candidates have met the June 1st deadline established by NIOA by-laws* to declare their intent to seek the Vice-Presidency – Jack Goldhorn and Krystn McArthur. Lou Thurston is the only candidate to submit his intent to run for Secretary. Both positions will be up for election at the annual Training Conference in Nashville in late August.

If you would like to vote for one of these candidates, but are unable to attend the conference, absentee ballots are available. Please follow the directions* on the ballot clearly, or the vote will not be counted. Download the ballot form here.

Candidates for NIOA Vice-President

Jack Goldhorn, Norfolk VA Fire/Rescue
“As an NIOA Regional Director for six years and organization member for 13 years I have decided to declare for the office of Vice-President. I have been an active member and have attended every training conference since being a member of NIOA and hosted the 1999 Conference in Norfolk, VA. I have worked for the City of Norfolk Fire-Rescue for 25 years and have been an active PIO since 1995. Being active on not only local and regional PIO councils has given me the passion to continue on the National level to share my experience and guidance with NIOA. I look forward to another fine conference that has been planned for Nashville and ask for your vote.”

Krystn McArthur, City of Mukilteo, WA
“I am excited to have the opportunity to run for a leadership position within the NIOA. I have long believed our organization to be very unique and special, which sets us apart from other national organizations in our field. I value and appreciate the friendships, networking opportunities and wealth of information and training the NIOA provides to its membership, constantly working to keep abreast of the latest in media, ever-changing technology and best-practices. I spent more than a decade of experience in public relations, communications and over twenty four years in local government. I retired in 2004 from the United States Air Force and held positions in the Security Forces and the Office for Public Affairs, from 1984-2004. Presently, I am the Communications Officer and Assistant City Administrator for the City of Mukilteo, Washington (including the Mukilteo Fire Department) where I oversee media relations and community outreach efforts, direct the production of the city newsletter and is leading the city’s brand management campaign. I am also responsible for cable television programming, and other promotional strategies for the advancement of the City. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Public Administration from City University. I have been a member in good standing with the NIOA since 2005 and have served as Regional Director of Region 10 of the NIOA since 2006. I sincerely thank all of you for this outstanding opportunity to serve our membership and the NIOA.”

Candidate for Secretary

This candidate is running unopposed, therefore no ballot vote is necessary.

Lou Thurston, Newport News VA Police
“First of all I want to express my gratitude to the Board of directors and all who have worked diligently to provide what promises to be another outstanding conference. Until you have experienced the frustrations of putting such an event together, it is difficult to understand everything that is involved. I sincerely believe this year will be extremely beneficial to everyone who attends.

I have notified the Board of my intention to seek election to secretary at this year’s conference and I ask for your support. I have been an active member of the NIOA for over fifteen years, have served previously on the Board and hosted the conference held in Virginia Beach. I have watched this organization grow from a handful of public safety PIOs to the highly respected international organization of today. I am extremely proud to have had the opportunity to work with the NIOA to bring the high quality of training for, and the professional recognition to, the PIO profession. Having worked as a PIO, then in the media, and now as a PIO again, has provided me a much broader perspective and respect for what we do. I am extremely passionate about media relations, particularly when it comes to public safety agencies. I am a firm believer in “working with, not dealing with the media”. I carry this same passion when it comes to the NIOA. I will say this, if elected secretary, I will continue to work as a member of the “NIOA team”, which includes the Board of Directors, the Regional Directors, the Past Presidents Council and, most importantly, you the membership. I believe that in order for any organization to be effective there must be good communications with the membership. I pledge to make myself available to any member who may have a suggestion, question or concern. I can’t promise I will be able to fix every issue or make everyone happy all the time. I can promise to keep the best interest of the NIOA and its membership in the forefront and to communicate as a member of “the team”. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in Nashville and hope that you will consider selecting me to be your secretary for the next two years. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or if I can, in any way, be of assistance.”

From the by-laws

*XII. ELECTIONS
C. Proxy votes may be cast by filling out a form provided by the Executive Director, and will only be counted if received by mail (USPS or commercial delivery service), postmarked by August 1st. No email proxy votes or proxy votes presented via other members at the Annual Training Conference will be accepted.