Feeling in the Facts: Connecting with Disconnected Audiences Workshop

Communicators must include influential cognitive factors at all levels of risk communication frameworks for successful messaging outcomes. Risk messaging must be transparent, relatable, simple, straightforward, and clear, and the source of the communication must be trusted.

This interactive, virtual workshop addresses the importance of storytelling, myths versus truths of risk communication, and the effects of cognitive dissonance on risk communication. At the end of the workshop, participants will apply risk communication concepts and messaging best practices to produce desirable public reaction and solidify public sentiment.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify solutions for connecting with disconnected audiences using influential cognitive factors.
• Develop strategies for addressing risk communication myths versus truths to better inform intended audiences.
• Demonstrate the ability to incorporate storytelling into risk communication strategies.
• Discuss best practices and lessons learned.

Interactive Engagement:

• Knowledge Checks
• Polling
• Breakout room activities
• Scenario-based interactive exercises

Who Should Attend:

• Corporate Communications
• Decision-Makers
• Emergency Management
• Emergency Medical Services
• Executives
• Fire & Rescue Services
• Government
• Health Care
• Higher Education
• Human Resources
• Law Enforcement
• Leadership
• Management
• Public Health
• Public Relations
• Public Safety Communications
• Public Works
• Senior Leadership
• Subject-Matter Experts

Please note this workshop is open to anyone present in the United States at the time of the online event.

Registration Deadline

Register by April 26, 2021 to participate in this interactive workshop.

Your Facilitators:

Mark Basnight, SummitET® Vice President of Communications and Marketing

As Vice President of Communications and Marketing, Mark is responsible for developing and implementing the long-term communication & marketing vision for Summit Exercises & Training®.

Mark is a John Maxwell Team certified speaker, trainer, coach, and a graduate of the Charlotte Leadership Forum. He is a member of the National Association of Government Communicators, and a U.S. Army Veteran. Mark is a founding member and a past Chair for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Virtual Social Media Working Group. He served as a Lead Public Information Officer during the 2012 Democratic National Convention and had a significant role in planning, coordinating and implementing the Joint Information Center for Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Mark is an alumnus of the inaugural FEMA 389 Masters Public Information Officer Program and a former adjunct instructor for the Emergency Management Institute (Emmitsburg, MD). He has been a keynote speaker, trainer, and panelist for numerous conferences including the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) Communication School, National Information Officers Association (NIOA) Conference, National Emergency Manager Association (NEMA) Conference, National Radiological Emergency Preparedness (NREP) Conference, Government Social Media Conference, Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Conference, and Great Lakes Homeland Security Conference. Mark has also been a speaker and trainer internationally for the governments of Seoul, Korea, Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Taipei, Taiwan.

Ron Edmond, Ed.D. SummitET® Strategic Communications Crisis Communication SME

As the Crisis Communications SME at SummitET®, Ron develops, and delivers public affairs, risk and crisis communication and emergency public information training, exercise support, and technical assistance. Ron also develops publications and training materials to enhance the advancement of crisis communications for public health and safety systems and governmental agencies.

Prior to joining SummitET, Ron was Acting Technical Director with ORAU’s National Security Program Emergency Management Laboratory (NS-EML). He supported crisis and risk communication efforts for Departments of Energy (DOE), Homeland Security (DHS), Health and Human Services (DHHS), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the commercial nuclear industry. Additionally, he created the first-ever Department of Defense environmental risk communication program. He also conducted crisis communication trainings for Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska Emergency Management Agencies, and the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM).

Ron has been a keynote speaker at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Stakeholders Transportation Forum (NSTF), DOE’s Emergency Management Issues Special Interest Group (EMISIG), The World Nuclear University Alumni Summit, Western Governors Association (WGA) Annual Conference, University of Tennessee-Howard Baker Public Policy Center’s Institute for Nuclear Security, National Radiological Emergency Preparedness (NREP) Annual Conference, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Taskforce, the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) Emergency Management Conference, local, state, and tribal authorities, and business and industry professionals.

Ron served as a first responder in the DOE’s Oak Ridge Reservation Joint Information Center where he managed a cadre of technical experts and provided risk and crisis communication expertise to Federal, state, and local government agencies. He developed and taught risk and crisis communication training for DHS-Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) and DOE’s Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program (TEPP).

Ron currently serves as a faculty member for the internationally renowned Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS). He is an author, facilitator, and nationally known crisis communication speaker. Ron also taught crisis communication at Lee University in Cleveland, TN.

Holly Hardin, SummitET® Strategic Communications Program Manager

As the Strategic Communications Program Manager at SummitET Holly manages, develops, and delivers public affairs, risk and crisis communication and emergency public information training. She also provides exercise support and technical assistance to government and private industry. Holly manages strategic communications research analysis, in addition to developing publications related to the enhancement of advanced communications systems for public safety and health and private industry.

Prior to joining SummitET, Holly served as an Emergency Management Communications Analyst at Argonne National Laboratory and co-established the Public Affairs Science and Technology Fusion Cell, as well as the National Public Affairs Academy. At Argonne, Holly was responsible for assisting government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private sector groups with plans, protocols, procedures, training, and exercises relating to internal and external affairs.

Prior to Argonne, Holly worked for the Department of Justice in counterterrorism programs and was a first responder in the Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation Joint Information Center where she also managed a cadre of technical experts and provided risk and crisis communication and digital/social media expertise to Federal, state, and local government agencies, in addition to the commercial nuclear industry.

Course Agreement:

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