Working for Navajo County, AZ
Economic Development
Besides serving as the unofficial Public Information Officer for the Board of Supervisors (called County Commissioners in other states), I also helped develop a regional economic development council.
I did this with the help of past Navajo County manager James Jayne and former District IV Supervisor David Tenney (who went on to serve as Coconino County Manager and Arizona’s Director of the Department of Forestry and Fire Management, respectively).
We brought six slightly suspicious city and town managers to the table every month for years, along with Arizona Department of Commerce liaisons, to talk about what our future could be in Navajo County. Over time, trust grew between this group and they began to share business leads with each other over that table.
I also spearheaded the first ever asset inventory of Navajo County as a whole, that went through natural resources and the demographics of every community.
That group grew to be the Real AZ Corridor, which won the Governor’s Excellence Award for Innovative Economic Development shortly after I left in 2010. I believe the group continues today.
It was during this job that I discovered a love of public policy as it intersects with public services. Navajo County is my home county. I was born and raised there, and I know full-well that our blue-collar workforce needs more varied, stable employment to reflect its strengths.
Someday I hope to get back to my roots and see what I can do to help with that.
Tribal Collaboration
I worked with three Native tribes: Navajo, Hopi and White Mountain Apache.
I documented and took notes about meetings between elected officials and Native leaders on public health initiatives, transportation issues, and financial gifts to local service centers.
I worked closely with our lobbying team the Tomhave Group to develop presentation materials they used in 2009 to show to federal partners in order to garner funding for roads and schools on tribal land.
Recognition Programs
I developed a county-wide employee newsletter (print and digital) and recognition program which still continue today.
I gathered info from 500+ employees spread across 200 square miles to get in that newsletter, and I made every scrap fit. I recognized every birthday, I included photos of favorite pets, I congratulated employee’s kids who got on the honor roll or went to state in sports.
When we announced there would be a monthly Employee of the Month program, nominations came flooding in from supervisors all over the county. Some of these folks had never been spotlighted in 10+ years of service, so we made sure to publicly recognize them in the Board of Supervisors meeting, give them a framed certificate, a fruit basket, and coordinate for their photo to be in the local paper.
Today the program runs very similarly, now with social media shout-outs. I am proud of beginning that tradition.
Public Information Officer
I served as the unofficial Public Information Officer for the Navajo County Board of Supervisors (called County Commissioners in other states). I also helped other elected officials during election years with press releases and publicity management.
I compiled Navajo County’s first ever comprehensive list of press contacts for print, digital, television and radio across 200 square miles and three Native tribes. I then used this contact list to manage messaging with press releases.