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Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) communications strategy
Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) communications strategy
Project
Project
Harmful Algal Bloom communications strategy for Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality.
Problem
Problem
Most of our harmful algae messaging boiled down to “check for harmful algae” and “check our website for advisories,” backed by temporary signs when an advisory was active. That over‑relied on signage, did not teach people how to recognize harmful algae on their own, and ignored who actually makes recreation decisions in many Utah families.
What I did
What I did
Reframed the strategy around public literacy, focusing on what harmful algae looks like and what to do in the moment, not just where to find advisories.
Identified white, middle‑aged conservative men as a primary influence audience and designed messaging with them in mind so they could better protect their families and social circles.
Built a more structured plan that pairs on‑the‑ground signs with education and partner outreach instead of treating signs as the whole solution.
What this says about how I work
What this says about how I work
I look at the highest goal, then identify who could influence the public the most in the direction of that goal, and design communications that directly reach that audience where they live and work.
Tags
Tags
Stakeholder engagement
Charge Your Yard air quality incentive campaign
Charge Your Yard air quality incentive campaign
Project
Project
Charge Your Yard incentives campaign for residents and businesses to switch from gas to electric yard equipment.
Problem
Problem
Gas leaf blowers are a large but invisible source of emissions. Our incentives programs were also hard to explain and ran in narrow application windows that did not match when people think about yard work.
What I did
What I did
Helped the team land on the “one hour of blowing is like driving from Ogden to Disneyland” comparison to make emissions feel real and shareable, which went far and wide.
Pushed to shift from short, hard‑to‑communicate application windows to an ongoing program structure that fit public behavior better.
Coached subject matter experts on what ongoing outreach looks like, including community events, conferences, local partnerships, and stronger tabling practices.
Used the “how did you hear about this” application question to confirm that campaign channels were driving steady, high engagement.
What this says about how I work
What this says about how I work
I connect campaign messaging with program design so the story we tell and the way people actually access the program support each other.
Tags
Tags
Stakeholder engagement
Outreach for overburdened communities and incentives
Outreach for overburdened communities and incentives
Project
Project
Strategic outreach for air quality incentives in overburdened communities, including Spanish‑speaking landscapers.
Problem
Problem
Programs aimed to help high‑pollution, low‑income communities, but the applications and outreach assumed people were formal businesses, spoke English, and had time to track limited‑window programs.
What I did
What I did
Worked with the team to simplify how incentives were explained, including clearer steps and more realistic expectations for applicants.
Helped target outreach toward Spanish‑speaking landscapers and other hard‑to‑reach groups, acknowledging that many operate informally and may not be on typical business lists.
Paired outreach with incentives and forms work so the process itself felt less like a maze for the people we most wanted to reach.
What this says about how I work
What this says about how I work
I try to design communications and processes together so support is actually reachable for the people with the least spare time and attention.
White Mesa Mill feedback groundwork
White Mesa Mill feedback groundwork
Project
Project
Feedback survey and early outreach design for White Mesa Mill work with Tribal community members.
Problem
Problem
Past outreach around the mill felt one‑way and digital, and there is a history of agencies promising to return with updates and not doing so. Subject matter experts wanted to hold listening sessions, but we did not yet know how this community wanted us to show up, what to talk about, or which channels they trusted.
What I did
What I did
Helped design a short feedback survey focused on one clear goal: ask Tribal community members how and where they want us to engage before scheduling events.
Pushed for paper and digital versions, knowing digital‑only outreach had not worked well for them in the past.
Included specific questions about event types, locations, times, preferred channels like email or Facebook, and what questions they have for us.
Supported the SME team as they used early responses to shape plans for future listening sessions.
What this says about how I work
What this says about how I work
I prefer to ask communities how they want us to show up and build the outreach plan around that, instead of assuming our standard formats will work everywhere.
Legislative and executive briefings
Legislative and executive briefings
Project
Project
Redesigning annual legislative presentations for DEQ leadership and divisions.
Problem
Problem
Year after year, our department and division briefings to lawmakers were dominated by charts and dense slides about missions and past year activity. They were accurate, but they were not engaging, and they buried the human impact of the work.
What I did
What I did
Partnered with directors and scientists to strip out most of the charts and replace them with clearer narrative arcs and a few well chosen visuals.
Integrated video and higher quality graphics into slide decks so lawmakers could see and feel the issues, not just read about them.
Balanced what leadership felt they “had to show” with what lawmakers could realistically absorb in the time they had.
What this says about how I work
What this says about how I work
I help experts let go of slide clutter so the people they are presenting to can actually connect with the story and remember why it matters.
Cross‑channel content and campaign support
Cross‑channel content and campaign support
Project
Project
Aligning web, email, print, and social content for DEQ programs and campaigns.
Problem
Problem
Program outreach often happened channel by channel, which meant web pages, emails, social posts, and print pieces did not always tell the same story or point to the same next steps.
What I did
What I did
Provided copywriting and editing across web, email, print, and social so people heard consistent messages wherever they encountered us.
Worked with Public Information Officers and program staff to shape key messages and talking points that were realistic to deliver across multiple channels.
Checked content against what audiences were actually trying to do and what they were likely feeling, so we were not just repeating internal talking points in many formats.
What this says about how I work
What this says about how I work
I think in terms of journeys and ecosystems, making sure each piece of content supports the same clear story instead of competing for attention.
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