In a post-COVID world, the American public doesn’t trust the media or government agencies. How are the media and public agency communicators combatting this sentiment and communicating to their skeptical audiences? What obstacles do the news media encounter when holding public agencies accountable? Conversely, what would public agency communicators want the media to understand about their role? Join us as we hear from industry pros on how they work with the public and one another. They will also speak on the delicate balance between having positive media relationships while also holding one another accountable. There will also be a time of Q&A with the audience.

DATE:  Tuesday, January 14, 2025
TIME: 3:30pm – 5pm for the media roundtable event, and 5pm-6:30pm for the Media Mixer afterward

MEDIA ROUNDTABLE LOCATION: The William H. Armstrong Transit Center, 785 Third Street, Clovis, CA 93612
MEDIA MIXER:  Sponsored by Outfront, includes one drink ticket for a beer or soft drink and a Mexi-Q BBQ dinner for each attendee.  Location: Burning Sun Brewery, 1131 Railroad Ave; Clovis, CA 93612

COST:  $10 for CAPIO members and $20 for non-CAPIO members

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Ally Triolo is Kern County’s Chief Communications Officer who leads both internal and external communications for the third-largest county by size in California. With nearly 40 departments, Triolo brings residents closer to government by elevating her agency’s messaging through thoughtful and heartfelt storytelling. She is a former award-winning broadcast news anchor and has utilized her journalism skills to reimagine how Kern County is marketed to not only her region’s residents, but to the rest of the world. Triolo is a 2023 Telly Award receipt for Social Video and General Branding, 2023 LIT Commercial Awards recipient for Branded Content – Tourism and Government, and received the Kern Cog Regional Award of Merit for her weekly government newscast, “Around Kern County.”  She is also a Rotarian, member of CAPIO, and Kern Leaders Academy graduate. Triolo holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, as well as a Creative Writing Certificate.

Bill McEwen, the most awarded journalist in the San Joaquin Valley, is the news director at GV Wire, where he oversees a nine-person team of reporters, videographers, and artists. He has led GV Wire since 2017 after a 37-year career at The Fresno Bee. GV Wire focuses on local news with an emphasis on government and politics, but also is a syndicated partner of the New York Times and the Associated Press. In 2022, the California News Publishers Association named GV Wire the best mid-sized digital news site in the state.

Jacqueline McLean is a three-time Emmy Award-winning Assignment Manager and Executive Producer at KFSN ABC30. She has worked in local TV news for almost 30 years. With a keen eye for compelling stories and a talent for orchestrating complex projects, Jacqueline has overseen numerous special projects that have captivated audiences both locally and nationally. Her leadership extends to producing critically acclaimed documentaries that have been featured on major platforms such as Hulu and Disney+. Jacqueline’s career is characterized by her dedication to journalistic integrity, creativity, and a passion for uncovering narratives that resonate deeply with viewers. She is not only a trailblazer within her field but also a mentor to aspiring journalists, inspiring the next generation to push the boundaries of what is possible in local journalism.

Danielle Bergstrom is a journalist and the founder of Fresnoland, an award-winning nonprofit investigative and explanatory news organization covering Fresno and Madera County, which launched in 2020. Danielle was a 2023 Knight Fellow in Poynter’s Media Transformation Challenge and a 2021 California Journalism Fellow with the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism. Prior to becoming a journalist, Danielle worked for over a decade as a city planner. She has a Masters’ Degree in Regional Planning from Cornell University and a Bachelors’ Degree in Biology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. 

Nikki Henry serves as the Chief Communications Officer for Fresno Unified School District, where she oversees public engagement for over 70,000 students and more than 10,000 employees. A dedicated leader, Nikki has been instrumental in guiding Fresno Unified through strategic planning. She has led efforts to transform the district’s communications approach, shifting from a reactive, crisis-driven model to one that is proactive and strategic. Nikki is passionate about humanizing the district—what she fondly refers to as ‘The Fresno Unified Family’—and is committed to fostering pride and confidence in both the school district and the greater Fresno community. Beyond her professional role, Nikki is a proud mom to her toddler, Betty Mae, and wife to her Fresno firefighter husband. She is also a strong advocate for cultivating authentic, diverse, and supportive leadership.

Sonja Dosti, APR is the Communications Director for the County of Fresno County Administrative Office (CAO), which serves over one million residents.  She has more than nine years of experience in public sector communications and prior to that, she worked in the film and TV industry in Los Angeles as a production, studio, and network executive.

At Fresno County, both the CAO and District Attorney’s Offices received the 2023 CAPIO Epic Award of Achievement for their Fresno County Fentanyl Awareness Campaign as well as the 2023 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The Juvenile Correctional Officer Promotional Video won the 2023 CAPIO Award of Distinction. She and two of her county colleagues won the Frank Potter Cowan Crisis Communicator of the Year Award in 2024.

She has served CAPIO for two years as the Central California Regional and Membership Chair.

Chad McCollum serves as the Economic Development, Housing, and Communications Director for the City of Clovis.

Prior to working for the City of Clovis, Chad spent more than 20 years working at local television news stations across state, most recently as News Director at KSEE24 and CBS47. Before coming to Fresno, he produced newscasts at KCBS/KCAL in Los Angeles, was the executive producer of a five-hour morning newscast at KUSI in San Diego, and kicked off his career producing news at KSBY in San Luis Obispo.

Chad is a graduate of Brigham Young University, serves on the board at CMAC, and is passionate about Charlie, his Australian Labradoodle.