Jayli Barkley, Principal Information Specialist for the Riverside County District Attorney’s (DA) Office, has been chosen to receive the California Association of Public Information Officers (CAPIO) second ever Rising Star award. This distinction honors an individual who has utilized the first five years of their career to showcase exceptional abilities, growth, and determination in advancing public engagement and outreach for their agency. In her last 3 years with the District Attorney’s office, Jayli has proven with her exceptional work and skillset to embody the CAPIO definition of a Rising Star.

“Jayli’s continued dedication to excellence, ability to share her knowledge through writing and speaking, and innovative communication strategies have quickly solidified her reputation as a communications leader,” remarks Amy McKenzie, Communications Division Director for Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. “Her achievements set her apart and underscore her commitment to significantly impacting our industry.”

Jayli began her communications career by joining the Riverside County District Attorney’s office as a DA Information Specialist in January 2022, rising to Principal DA Information Specialist by 2024. While quickly establishing herself as a professional asset, Jayli was also looking to strengthen her skillset academically, earning a Master’s Degree in Strategic Communications, graduating with honors and earning the Graduate Scholar of Excellence designation from California Baptist University. 
While serving as Information Specialist with the Riverside County District Attorney, Jayli has crafted countless campaigns and resource initiatives, their success and impacts highlighted by her inclusion of the essential foundations of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her “Get to Know Us” Cultural Awareness Month and “RivCoDA United” campaigns utilized social media to showcase staff member’s varied backgrounds and histories while fostering unity and cultural celebration to connect with the community. Jayli also provided invaluable cultural insight to the award winning, Faces of Fentanyl campaign, ensuring equal representation and community diversity. 
Always open to collaboration and supporting other departments with her expertise and commitment to cultural representation, Jayli has significantly increased the DA’s social media presence and success of many recent campaigns. She facilitated the “Marsy’s Law Mondays” social media series with the Division of Victim Services, informing victims of their rights and how to exercise them. This initiative became a model for her agency’s interdepartmental teamwork, effectively using storytelling to create engaging content. Jayli was instrumental in a partnership with the Cold Case Unit in launching a high-impact multi-platform campaign, its promotional visuals and full-length video went on to gain over 120,000 views and generate more than 110 actionable investigation tips for the District Attorney. Similarly, Jayli spearheaded the “Justice No More” series to engage the community in discussions on public safety and justice, which amassed over 130,500 social media impressions, with 80.1% (104,533 impressions) coming from NextDoor.  She also developed the 2024 #MovingTheCultureForward campaign, expanding participation in underrepresented cultural months. Despite having no budget, the campaign reached over 62,000 social media impressions, demonstrating the power of collaboration and inclusivity.

Jayli’s ability to drive innovative communication strategies has earned her widespread recognition in her field, countless speaking engagement invitations, and internal office awards including Employee of the Quarter and Year. Her dedication, creative communication strategies, and ability to engage and inspire set her apart as a leader in her field. By integrating scholarly communication theory and models into her work, Jayli has led impactful campaigns, strengthened public relations, and earned widespread acknowledgment from her peers.

ABOUT CAPIO

CAPIO is the premier professional association for California’s government communicators, serving more than 1,000 professionals across the state.

Established in 2024, the Rising Star award recognizes an individual who demonstrates exceptional abilities, skills and talents in growing their skillset and contributing to the advancement of public engagement and outreach for a public agency in the first five years of their career.

For more information about the Rising Star award or CAPIO, visit www.capio.org.