The PIO Podcast
The PIO Podcast is a platform for Public Information Officers (PIO's) and Public Affairs Officers (PAO's) in public sector organizations, including Police, Fire, EMS, FEMA, state, local, and federal government organizations. The podcast aims to facilitate learning, growth, and discussion of issues that PIO's/PAO's may encounter within their profession. If you would like to support the podcast and connect with other PIO's/PAO's, please email us at thepiopodcast@gmail.com.
Episodes
189 episodes
S5 - E 15: Ashlee Bradshaw, Public Information Officer, Kyle Police Department, Kyle, TX
Summary of the Podcast: in this episode, Ashley Bradshaw, the Public Information and Engagement Specialist for the Kyle Police Department, shares her journey into law enforcement communication. She discusses the challenges and opportunit...
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30:04
S5 - E14: Molly McPherson - Molly McPherson Public Relations
Episode Summary: In this episode of the PIO podcast, PR expert Molly McPherson shares her insights on navigating media crises, the importance of social media in crisis management, and the common pitfalls faced by public information offic...
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Season 5
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Episode 14
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25:15
S5 - E13: Jeff Wenninger, CEO Law Enforcement Consultants, Ohio
Summary: In this episode, Jeff Wenninger, a retired LAPD officer and CEO of Law Enforcement Consultants, discusses his unique background and the challenges facing law enforcement today. He emphasizes the need for cultural change within p...
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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41:00
S5 - E12 Hollie Stark - Outreach Program Manager, Washington Emergency Management Division
Episode Summary: In this episode of the PIO Podcast, host Robert Tornabene interviews Holly Stark, Outreach Program Manager with the Washington State Emergency Management Division. Holly shares her journey from journalism to emergency ma...
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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39:44
S5 - E11: Kevin Strauss - Communications Manager - Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency
Summary of the Interview: In this episode of the PIO podcast, Kevin Strauss, the communications manager for the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency, discusses his journey from college athletics to public communication. He shares insights o...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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28:52
S5 - E10 Lauren Burden, Director of Communications and Community Relations, Douglas County District Attorney's Office, Douglasville GA
Summary: In this episode of the PIO podcast, Lauren Burton, the Director of Communications and Community Relations for the Douglas County District Attorney's Office in Georgia, shares her unique journey from victim advocacy to her current role....
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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27:16
S5 - E9: Summer Derrey - Assistant Communications Manager, South Central Region - Washington State Department of Transportation
Summary - In this episode of the PIO podcast, Robert Tornabene interviews Summer DeRay, an experienced Public Information Officer (PIO) with a rich background in communications and community engagement. Summer shares her journey from wor...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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28:41
S5 - E8: Donna Rossi - Director of Communications - Phoenix Police Department, Phoenix, AZ
Summary: In this episode of the PIO podcast, Robert Tornabene interviews Donna Rossi, the Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the Phoenix Police Department. Donna shares her unique journey from being a police officer to a broadcas...
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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33:57
S5 - E7 Taylor Merriss - Special Projects Coordinator - Evansville Police, Evansville Indiana
Summary: In this episode of the PIO Podcast, Special Projects Coordinator Taylor Merriss from the Evansville Police Department shares insights about her role, community engagement strategies, and the importance of transparency in law...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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29:06
S5 - E6 : Bridget Truxillo - Law Lady Shield
Bridget has firsthand experience with harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and a hostile work environment. As the only female on the SWAT team, along with her time on patrol and as an undercover narcotics investigator, she knows what ...
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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45:51
S5- E5: Victorian Simmons - Public Information Officer, City of Apex, Apex NC
Victorian Simmons currently works as the Public Information Officer for the Town of Apex. Prior to her position with Apex, she was the Community Engagement Specialist for the Greensboro Fire Department. Victorian has been published in Firehouse...
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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51:57
S5 - E4: Jonee Lewis, Director of Communications - Tampa Police Department
Jonee Lewis is an Emmy-award-winning Journalist who is now the Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Tampa Police Department. Jonee’ is a Lakeland native with 13 years of experience in the media industry, having prev...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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26:55
S5-E3: Chata Spikes, Executive Director of Public Affairs, Atlanta Police Department
As the Executive Director of Public Affairs for the Atlanta Police Department, Chata Spikes manages the department’s overall communication strategy which includes developing organizational messaging both internal and external. Ms. S...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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31:43
S5 - E2: Stephen Combs, Public Information Officer - Bluffton Township Fire Department, Bluffton, SC
Stephen Combs currently serves as the Public Information Officer (PIO) for Bluffton Township Fire District, having joined the agency in February 2023. In his role, he oversees all communications for the district's nine stations, including handl...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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36:16
S5 - E1 Sarah Loyd - Head of Product Success and Evangelism - Social News Desk
Sarah Loyd is the Head of Product Success & Evangelism at Social News Desk, where she has spent more than a decade helping to develop cutting-edge software that supports social media workflows for government, journalism, and education. With...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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16:09
Summing up the Titles and Topics of 2024 from the Life of A PIO Podcast
It should be noted that this entire podcast episode was created with the assistance of Notebook LM. The information was gathered from blog posts to the Life of A PIO Blog, which comes out weekly. To subscribe to our substack. Please follow the ...
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21:37
Season 4 Finale with Robert Tornabene
In our season finale, we highlight the 10 most listened-to episodes of 2024. 1 S4 - E6 Alexa Boylon, Director of Communications, Indianapolis Metro PD2 S4 - E1 Kayla Gneck Smith, PIO Tempe PD3 S4 - E2 Jesse Carr, PIO Dall...
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23:05
Robert Tornabene with a Thanksgiving Message
The host of the PIO Podcast wants to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving Holiday!
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0:25
Laurin Parthemos - Principal - Kotter Inc.
Every organization faces the challenge of accelerating change. We help you turn that challenge into an opportunity.Kotter pioneered the science of change through decades of Harvard research and real-world experience. Transformation powe...
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Season 4
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Episode 47
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42:28
Lexi Qass'uq Trainer - Anchorage Fire Department, Anchorage, Alaska
Lexi Qass’uq Trainer (Cup’ik/Yup’ik) is a communications and storytelling professional. As an Alaska Native woman, Lexi is passionate about giving back to her community and preserving her cultural heritage. She actively incorporates her traditi...
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Season 4
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Episode 46
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42:58
Lt. Patrick Juliano, Public Information Officer - Palm Coast Fire Department, Palm Coast, FL
Lt. Patrick Juliano began his career with the Palm Coast Fire Department in 2006 as a Volunteer Firefighter and became a career firefighter in 2008. He earned his Firefighter Certification from First Coast Technical College, obtained his EMT Ce...
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Season 4
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Episode 45
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35:05
Zack Seipert - Marketing and Communications Specialist CUWCD, Utah
Zack Seipert is the Marketing & Communications Specialist for the Central Utah Water Conservancy District and co-author of “The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever.” Zack knows how to get important messages seen, heard, and understood in today...
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Season 4
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Episode 44
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36:20
Sarah Lux, Public Information Officer - Lake County Florida
Sarah Lux earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Central Florida and a master’s degree in public relations from Full Sail University. Sarah has practiced Public Relations for ten years, focusing on community edu...
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Season 4
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Episode 43
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39:01
Laura McElroy - McElroy Media Group
Laura McElroy is an award-winning journalist and communication strategist with 33 years of experience. She has managed high-profile crises and large events, like the Republican National Convention and Super Bowl XLIII. She consults for governme...
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Season 4
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Episode 42
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40:28
Anna Smith, PIO, Morehead City, NC
Anna Smith is the Public Information Officer for Morehead City, NC, and has more than a decade of professional communications experience. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in Print Journalism and Spanish before moving to North Carolin...
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Season 4
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Episode 41
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32:11
