Public-sector communicators are often expected to move quickly, respond to competing requests, and deliver tactics on tight timelines. In that environment, planning is frequently compressed or skipped altogether, making communication decisions harder to explain, defend, and evaluate.

This in-depth, in-person CAPIO regional workshop focuses exclusively on the RPIE framework, Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation, a nationally recognized planning model and the gold standard used in the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) process. Rather than treating RPIE as a template or academic exercise, this session emphasizes how the framework functions as a practical decision-making tool for real-world public-sector communications.

Through guided instruction, facilitated discussion, and hands-on exercises, participants will learn how to:

• Use research intentionally to inform decisions, not justify them after the fact
• Distinguish clearly between objectives, strategy, and tactics
• Write SMART objectives that define what success looks like
• Develop strategy as an approach, not a list of activities
• Select tactics that align with strategy and available resources
• Evaluate effectiveness in realistic, defensible ways
• Apply RPIE thinking to everyday requests, prioritization, and leadership conversations

Participants will work through realistic public-sector scenarios and practice building clear, defensible communication plans that can be confidently explained to leadership, colleagues, and the communities they serve. The workshop prioritizes clarity over complexity and focuses on strengthening planning habits that improve both decision-making and outcomes.

This workshop is good for the following credits:

• J. Lindsay Wolf CAPIO Certificate in Communications - Strategic Communications
• APR CEU

Speakers:

Pam Allen
Marketing & Communications Manager
City of Roseville

Christine Brainerd, MPA APR
Communications Director
City of Folsom

Brie Anne Coleman, APR
Communications Manager
Placer County Water Agency

DeDe Cordell
Communications Manager
Yuba Water Agency

Julie Prayter, APR
Senior Public Information Officer
Sacramento Area Sewer District

Date: March 26, 2026

Check-in: 8:30 a.m.
Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: City of Roseville – Maidu Community Center
1550 Maidu Drive
Roseville, CA 95661

Lunch and light refreshments are included.

Register

Cost: $100 – CAPIO Members/$165 – Non Members

BIOS

Pam Allen

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.

Christine Brainerd, MPA, APR

Christine is a seasoned, award-winning communications professional with nearly 20 years of experience in government communications, public relations, and journalism. As communications director, she manages the city’s comprehensive communications program, including news media relations, public information, and community relations.

Christine joined the City of Folsom in 2015. She previously served the City of Elk Grove for nearly nine years as the public affairs manager and public information officer. She also worked at two Sacramento-based public relations firms, where she managed national and statewide public relations and marketing campaigns. Christine’s career started in journalism. She has written for a weekly newspaper and worked as an assignment editor at KTXL-TV FOX-40 News.

Brie Anne Coleman, APR

Brie Anne Coleman, APR, is an award-winning communications leader and the Communications Manager for Placer County Water Agency, where she leads agency-wide strategic communications that connect 10 departments with the communities they serve. With a foundation in photography and design, she has grown her role from creative execution to agency-wide communications leadership, guiding messaging across complex, technical, and highly visible initiatives.

Known for her “more than words” approach, Brie Anne specializes in translating complex issues into clear, collaborative communications that build trust, understanding, and long-term public confidence. She partners closely with internal teams to develop solutions that are not only well crafted, but purposeful, empowering staff and stakeholders alike to engage confidently with the agency’s work.

An Accredited in Public Relations professional, she brings a strategic, people-centered lens to every aspect of her work, blending creativity, clarity, and collaboration to deliver communications with real impact.

DeDe Cordell

DeDe Cordell has been the communications manager for Yuba Water Agency since 2017. Her prior government experience includes work for Placer County, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Army. She began her career as a broadcast news anchor and reporter in both television and radio. She continues to flex those muscles via her part-time role as a voice-actor for commercials, documentaries, corporate videos and more.

DeDe has a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from CSU Sacramento (stingers up!), and a Master of Science in Management, Public Relations from University of Maryland Global Campus. She is also a very proud Rotarian, and is the immediate past president of her Rotary club.

Julie Prayter, APR

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.

Julie believes communication and outreach efforts are most successful when they strategize to connect and resonate with target audiences. Meeting people where they are through an omni-channel approach and leading with empathy is the key to developing audiences’ understanding of what can be complex, technical projects and concepts. 

Julie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and earned her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) in 2022. She has been awarded the Public Information Officer (PIO) credential from the Center for Public Safety Excellence and is an FAA-licensed unmanned aircraft system (UAS) pilot. She has been honored to receive numerous industry awards for her communications and photography work.