Board of Directors
2025-2026 Board of Directors
CAPIO’s Board of Directors is elected by the membership each spring. Board terms are two years, with approximately half of the positions rotating each year according to the schedule outlined in our bylaws. All CAPIO members in good standing are eligible to serve on—and vote for—the CAPIO Board.
Brie Anne Coleman, APR
President
Brie Anne Coleman, APR is communications manager for the Placer County Water Agency. Since 2014 she has evolved her role within the agency, integrating the power of visual storytelling into her work. With a background in freelance photography and graphic design, she applies a “more than words” approach to effectively communicate complex concepts in an accessible and impactful manner. She coordinates projects with cross-functional teams, fostering a collaborative and results-driven work environment.
Placer County Water Agency
144 Ferguson Rd
PO Box 6570
Auburn, CA 95603
Sonja Dosti, APR
President-Elect
Treasurer
Sonja Dosti, APR is the Communications Director for the County of Fresno (County Administrative Office), which serves over one million residents. She has more than nine years of experience in public sector communications and PR, having served as the head of communications at Central Unified School District before moving to the County of Fresno. Prior to working in communications and PR, she worked in the film and TV industry in Los Angeles as a production, studio, and network executive.
County Administrative Office
County of Fresno
2281 Tulare Street, Room 304
Fresno, CA 93721
Tom Christensen
Immediate Past President
Tom Christensen has been a communications specialist with the County of San Diego since 2006 and has worked in government communications for nearly 30 years. He coordinates and monitors nearly 100 accounts as part of the County’s nationally-recognized social media efforts. He was the 2021 CAPIO Communicator of the Year and part of the team that won the 2018 CAPIO Frank Potter Cowan Crisis Communications Leader Team Award. He previously served on the CAPIO Board as the Vice President – Conference.
County of San Diego
1600 Pacific Highway
San Diego, CA 92101
Sylvia Ornelas
Vice President - Conference
Sylvia Ornelas is a seasoned strategic communications professional, water education coordinator, and event planner. Sylvia has more than 10 years of combined experience in both the public and private sectors and non-profits. She is currently the Community Affairs Supervisor for the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.
Prior to EVMWD she held a position as the Senior Strategic Communications Representative for Western Municipal Water District.
Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District
31315 Chaney Street
Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
Steven Baird
Vice President - Awards
Steven Baird is a communications and water professional dedicated to impacting the communities he serves and lives in through positive, inclusive and accessible communications. Creatively driven with a background in photography and graphic design, Steven leverages emerging technologies, platforms and tactics to tell the unique story of the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District to create positive change in the public.
Las Virgenes Municipal Water District
4232 Las Virgenes Rd
Calabasas, CA 91302
Pam Allen
Vice President - Communications
With over two decades of experience, Pam Allen is a dynamic marketing and communications professional known for driving results and building strong relationships. Pam loves turning complex challenges into clear, actionable plans that deliver measurable results. Pam is the Marketing & Communications Manager for the City of Roseville focusing on the Parks, Recreation & Libraries Department.
316 Vernon St, Suite 400
Sacramento, CA 95816
Christine Brainerd, APR
Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives Chair
Christine Brainerd is a seasoned communications professional with nearly 20 years of experience in public information, public relations, and journalism.
City of Folsom
50 Natoma Street
Folsom, CA 95630
Julie Prayter, APR
Education and Professional Development Chair
Julie Prayter has over twenty-five years of experience serving in the private and non-profit sectors, in addition to the government sector at the local, state, and federal levels. She has successfully applied the principles of strategic communications and public relations in the fields of public safety, medical device patient safety advocacy, and Western water policy, management, and infrastructure.
Eric Palmer
Social Media Chair
Eric has nearly 20 years of experience in local government communications and social media management in Monterey, California. Eric served the City of Monterey as their media specialist for 15 years before moving to his current communications role at ReGen Monterey (Monterey Regional Waste Management District). He’s brought his storytelling skills to these agencies as an award-winning documentary filmmaker.
ReGen Monterey
14201 Del Monte Blvd.
Salinas, CA 93933-1670
Maurice Chaney
Northern CA Regional & Membership Chair
Maurice Chaney is a strategic communication professional with more than 20 years of combined experience in both the public and private sectors. He is a Public Information Officer for the City of Roseville’s Environmental Utilities—a suite of community-owned utilities for a community of 140,000.
City of Roseville
2005 Hilltop Circle
Roseville, CA 95747
Teresa Collins
Southern CA Regional & Membership Chair
Teresa Collins has been in the communications field for over 18 years, holding various jobs in both the private and public sector. She started off her career by writing copy for radio commercials and found her way to a role as the marketing director for a local non-profit. She eventually ended up as a professional government communicator.
City of Escondido
201 N. Broadway
Escondido, CA 92025
Shelly Cone
Central CA Regional & Membership Chair
Shelly Cone is the PIO for the County of San Luis Obispo Public Works Department. She has more than 11 years experience in public relations and government communications having previously worked as PIO for the City of Santa Barbara and operated a boutique PR agency.
County of San Luis Obispo
976 Osos Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
Amy Orr
Association & Conference Manager
Amy Orr began working with CAPIO in 2010 as conference manager. In 2015, her role expanded to association management, and she now handles the day-to-day operations of the organization in addition to managing the annual conference under the direction of the conference committee and Board leadership.
P.O. Box 8840
Chico, CA 95927