Shelly Cone is the PIO for the County of San Luis Obispo Public Works Department. She has more than 11 years experience in public relations and government communications having previously worked as PIO for the City of Santa Barbara and operated a boutique PR agency.

She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Prior to her work in government communications and PR, she enjoyed a 20-year career as an award-winning journalist. In that capacity she won several awards for her reporting including acceptance into the Pulitzer Prize competition for her team’s reporting.

Just prior to entering government communications, she created a show that followed several women who shared their motherhood experiences from a Latina perspective. That experience, along with her journalism background, helped her understand the importance of giving everyone a voice or representing those without one. 

Driven by that understanding, she strives to create strategies that allow her agency to tell its story, while providing the community with a better understanding of how those services touch their lives.