When a mass shooting occurred in Hesston, Kansas, in February 2016, the small town was flooded with national media overnight. Public information was a major component of the emergency management response. This session, led by Erin McDaniel, director of communications, City of Newton, will focus on how public information officers worked with the media, disseminated information, and helped promote community recovery in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Erin McDaniel has been with the City of Newton since 2005. As Director of Communications, she is responsible for public information and marketing activities for all City departments, including media relations, social media and crisis communications. Before coming to the City, she worked as a copy editor / designer for the Wichita Eagle and Lawrence Journal-World newspapers.