This session is designed for organizational leaders, public information officers and those whose duties may include preparing or releasing information to the media, other agencies or the public. Participants will take an active role in determining the best method for providing information early in the crisis; working with partners to coordinate messages; preparing the most appropriate messages and avoiding the pitfalls of ineffective communication.
Presenters:
Bret Atkins
Public Information Officer
Ohio Department of Health
Bret Atkins is a public information officer for the Ohio Department of Health. In addition to responding to media inquiries, he plans and directs communication strategies related to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies for the state public health agency. While at ODH, Bret has instructed staff and local health departments on crisis communication techniques and produced training videos on the topic used by Ohio local health departments and emergency responders.
Bret wrote Ohio’s public-health crisis communication plan, and communications plans for the smallpox vaccination program and SARS. He was a contributing author to the Ohio Homeland Security communications plan and assisted in planning and writing of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Strategic National Stockpile public information and communication toolkit. In 2005, Bret wrote a communications exercise for public health and emergency response partners. That exercise, called JIC in a Box, details how joint information centers can be used during a crisis.
Pat D. Hemlepp
Director, Corporate Media Relations
American Electric Power
Pat Hemlepp is director – corporate media relations for American Electric Power. Hemlepp and his staff are responsible for working with national, international, regional and trade media on a variety of corporate issues. Hemlepp joined AEP’s Kentucky Power operating company in May 1995 as manager – public affairs. He became manager – corporate media relations for AEP in January 1996 and director – corporate media relations in April 2001. Prior to joining AEP, Hemlepp was with Ashland Inc. and was part of a team that handled national media and crisis communications for all of Ashland’s operations during his seven years with the company. Before joining Ashland, Hemlepp had 15 years of newspaper experience, winning state, regional and national awards for investigative reporting, news reporting, photography, sports reporting and newspaper design.
Kathy Clayton
Biologist
Threat and Consequence Assessment Division
National Homeland Security Research Center
U.S. EPA
Kathy Clayton is a Biologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Homeland Security Research Center. NHSRC’s goal is to develop and deliver reliable, responsive scientific expertise and products that are widely used to prevent, prepare for, and recover from public health and environmental emergencies. Science-based risk communication is one of Ms. Clayton’s research areas. Prior to working with U.S. EPA, Ms. Clayton served as an air quality expert and public health emergency responder for state and local agencies in Ohio and Arizona.
Meg Olberding
Public Information Officer
City of Cincinnati, Ohio
Meg Olberding is currently the Public Information Officer for the City of Cincinnati in the City Manager's Office. In this role, Meg serves the City Manager as well as the 16 departments of the city by responding to media inquiries, strategizing issues, overseeing technology communications, as well as coordinating homeland security communications preparedness. She has worked with the Environmental Protection Agency in message planning and crisis communications preparation and is assisting in a national program involving crisis response and communications.
Currently, Meg is helping to coordinate communications preparedness training for a regional multi-disciplinary emergency response.
