In 2025, public-agency communicators will encounter fresh challenges and opportunities that require continuous evolution in strategies, priorities, and best practices to ensure effective communication and community engagement.

During CAPIO’s 2025 State of Communications webinar, attendees will learn about the pivotal issues influencing the California communication landscape. The webinar will spotlight insights from CAPIO President Tom Christensen, who will outline CAPIO’s strategic focus areas for the year.

Participants will also hear from veteran communicators, who will delve into emerging trends and offer practical advice to bolster communication initiatives in the forthcoming year. Join us to keep pace in the rapidly changing realm of public-sector communications.

 Key takeaways from this webinar include:

• Statewide topics that will affect public sector communicators in 2025
• CAPIO’s areas of focus for the new year
• Innovative approaches to reaching communities with distinct cultural, linguistic and community needs
• How to deploy AI into your communications strategy 

Speakers

Date: February 26, 2025
Time: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Cost: $30 CAPIO members/ Free for CAPIO Professional+/$45 non-members

Register

BIOS

Tom Christensen

Tom Christensen has been a communications specialist with the County of San Diego since 2006. He coordinates and monitors nearly 100 accounts as part of the County’s nationally recognized social media efforts and writes stories for CountyNewsCenter.com. He was part of the team that won the 2018 CAPIO Frank Potter Cowan Crisis Communications Leader Team Award and has worked on crisis communications during several wildfires, a county-wide blackout and an outbreak of hepatitis A.

He has done presentations, webinars, and interviews on government use of social media for CAPIO, the National Association of Counties (NACo), Government Social Media Organization, National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC), the California Department of Public Health, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Philadelphia Health Department’s 12 Days of Social Media in Emergency Management, California Office of Binational Border Health, and several local governments and community organizations.

Prior to joining San Diego County, Tom was the Communications Director for the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives for 11 years and was a daily newspaper reporter and weekly columnist in Minnesota for more than a decade. He also hosted a morning Top 40 radio show.

Jayli Barkley

Jayli Barkley became a member of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office in 2018 after more than 10 years in the private and nonprofit sectors. She began as a Victim Services Supervisor, supporting staff who served victims and witnesses of crime through the criminal justice system.  

Jayli joined the Communications Division in 2021 as a DA Information Specialist, acting as the organization’s lead for community engagement, public relations, program development, cultural initiatives, and social media strategy. She now serves as the Principal District Attorney Information Specialist, where she oversees daily staff operations, manages large-scale projects, and directs internal communications and social media efforts. Jayli is dedicated to fostering employee engagement and delivering exceptional customer service. Her passion lies in creating innovative content that reflects the office’s mission, instills pride among its nearly 800 employees, and builds meaningful connections with the 2.5 million residents it serves.

Jayli earned an associate’s degree in Liberal Arts from the College of Southern Idaho, a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, and a master’s degree in Strategic Communication from California Baptist University.

Eliana Lopez

Before joining the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office in 2023, Eliana Lopez served as Press Chief for the Antioquia Police Department in Colombia. She later moved to the United States and worked as a news anchor on the Univision and Telemundo television channels in the Coachella Valley. She also has experience in news production and specialized programs after working for the Estrella TV channel in Los Angeles. 

Eliana’s current role as the Spanish-language media relations District Attorney Information Specialist expands the office’s ability to connect with Riverside County’s prominent Spanish-speaking population, ensuring vital information reaches as many community members as possible. This opportunity for inclusivity makes Eliana’s role critical for reaching and informing their residents. Additionally, Eliana produces the office’s social media publications and other content in Spanish, consistently growing their digital platform engagement presence and following. 

Eliana is a graduate of the Pontifical Bolivarian University in Medellin, Colombia, where she studied social communication and journalism, specializing in marketing and public relations. One of her passions is photography, which she tries to incorporate into her daily work. Eliana also has two daughters who are her entire life.

Chelsea Palacio

Chelsea Palacio is the Public Information Manager for the City of San José’s Information Technology Department, where she oversees citywide IT strategic communication plans, public engagement, and media relations. She is responsible for promoting and conducting public outreach for the San José 311 service, as well as IT-specific projects, including emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). In her role, she promotes equity and transparency in the City’s technology initiatives and ensures that all public communications are available in the community’s top four languages: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese.

As the public information manager for the San José IT Department, Chelsea also facilitates communications for the GovAI Coalition, a nationwide AI initiative started by the City of San José in 2023. Within just one year, the GovAI Coalition has grown to over 1,500 members, representing more than 550 government agencies.

Before joining the IT Department, Chelsea supported the City of San José’s communications efforts as part of the Emergency Public Information Officer (EPIO) team during the COVID-19 pandemic and atmospheric river emergencies, serving as the Content Development Unit Lead. She also worked in the San José Housing Department, supporting communications related to affordable housing, rent stabilization, and homelessness initiatives.

Chelsea graduated from the University of the Pacific in 2015 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design. She earned her Advanced Public Information Officer certification from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2023.