When it comes to constituent communications and engagement, do you sometimes feel like you are riding on rails but making no gains? You are not alone. Consider the value of a formal “check under the hood” of your communications operations to get yourself in higher gear. In this one-hour webinar, consultants from Raftelis will share their approach for assessing a local government’s communications program. This multi-point inspection shows where to top off depleted resources, replace worn ideas, and repair broken processes. Clients will join the conversation to share the insights these assessments revealed and what kind of actions they are taking for a smoother ride into the future.

What You’ll Learn:

SPEAKERS

Date: June 4, 2025
Time: 11 am to 12 p.m.

Register

Cost: $30 CAPIO members/Free for Professional+/$45 non-members

This session is good for: APR Continuing Education Unit

SPEAKER BIOS

Samantha Villegas, APR, Fellow PRSA

Sam is an award-winning communications and outreach executive, with over 30 years of experience in public communication and participation. At Raftelis, Sam helps utilities and local governments develop relationships and engage equitably with their stakeholders around critical topics like affordability, public health, and environmental protection. Sam counsels executives through programmatic changes, strategic planning, and reputational crises, and she designs and implements strategic communication and stakeholder engagement programs that bring diverse interest together in support of efforts that benefit communities’ triple bottom line. Prior to Raftelis, Sam led communications programs at American Water, Loudoun Water, and for EPA’s Office of Water. Sam also owned her own communications agency for seven years, serving clients in the water sector, including AWWA, WRF, ASDWA and several utilities. Sam is actively involved in AWWA, WEF, NACWA, and PRSA (the Public Relations Society of America). She holds a master’s degree in environmental policy from Johns Hopkins University, she is accredited in public relations from PRSA and a member of its College of Fellows, and she holds certificates in public participation from the International Association of Public Participation. 

Gina DePinto, APR

Gina is an award-winning and accredited public relations professional with 35 years of experience and leadership in crisis communications, community outreach, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, marketing, and media relations in the public and private sectors. Gina’s leadership experience includes communications program management for $2 billion in public transportation and water infrastructure projects, including the Port of Long Beach bridge replacement program and the Orange County Groundwater Replenishment System. The GWRS has been covered by international media including National Geographic, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BBC, CNN, and NPR to name a few. Prior to joining Raftelis, Gina served the residents of Santa Barbara County as the first executive Communications Manager in the county government’s 171-year history. She advised the Executive Team on strategic communications programs, crisis communication, media relations, issues management, internal communications, branding, and culture change. During her tenure, the County Emergency Operations Center was activated 19 times and included two federally declared disasters, a global pandemic, two mass casualty incidents, and a $2M embezzlement.

Born and raised in Arizona, Gina served as a public information officer for the City of Phoenix, public relations director for Farnam Companies, Inc. (animal health and pet products), and coordinated publicity for Olympic and World Champion figure skater Dorothy Hammill prior to relocating to California. Gina has a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication from Arizona State University, is accredited in public relations from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and holds certificates in Public Participation from the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2). Gina is currently a member of PRSA, the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO), Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC), and American Water Works Association.

Laine Hendricks, M.A.

Laine Hendricks is a nationally recognized leader in public relations and communications, with nearly 20 years of experience guiding organizations in government, healthcare, environmental, and nonprofit sectors. As Communications Director for the County of Marin, Laine oversees communications for 22 departments, leading countywide public engagement, digital media strategy, and crisis response efforts. Since stepping into this role in 2016, she has been instrumental in strengthening internal and external communications and building public trust.

Prior to her government service, Laine spent seven years as Director of Public Relations for The Salvation Army’s Golden State Division, where she led everything from regional media relations and caused-based marketing to crisis response and live event production for over 60 offices, stretching from San Francisco to the Mojave desert.

Laine is passionate about empowering others to use strategic communication as a tool for building influence and meaningful connections. She is an active member of CAPIO— holding a J. Lindsey Wolf Certification and earning multiple EPIC awards—as well as 3CMA. In addition, she is an active volunteer with Rotary International, sharing her communications expertise to support both local and global service initiatives. In recognition of her leadership and community impact, Laine was named one of the North Bay Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” in 2022.

Hope Morris

Hope Morris is an accomplished communications professional with extensive experience in strategic communications, public engagement, and advocacy. Currently serving as Communications Manager in the Office of Communications and Public Engagement for Frederick County Government, Hope plays a pivotal role in shaping the county’s communication strategies and enhancing public awareness of key initiatives.

Prior to this role, Hope was the Director of Communications at the Health Facilities Association of Maryland. In this position, Hope developed and executed integrated communications and government relations strategies, successfully advocating to advance long-term care priorities in Maryland.

Hope’s career began in Washington, DC where she worked for the U.S. House of Representatives and on the government relations team at ArentFox Schiff LLP.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Hope holds dual bachelor’s degrees in public relations and political science from Penn State University.