Category Archives: Communications

Puget Sound counties rank high in digital communications

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Three Puget Sound counties were named top 10 digital counties in the U.S, according to the 2015 digital counties survey: King (5th), Snohomish (7th) and Pierce (8th). Skagit County ranked 5th among small counties. Congratulations to all!

What do the top digital counties have in common? Many embrace new technology to improve service and engage with citizens. They strive for open government and collaboration. Many top digital counties use computer programs and store information on the cloud. Employees have mobile technology. Customer-focused, they make decisions based on data.

Check out this infographic from govtech.com that shows the most widely used technologies, priorities, “winning formula” and strategies for moving forward. It’s good information to improve efficiency and increase engagement.

We’re exploring the universe with technology and social media

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Photo of Pluto

First close-up of Pluto. Original photo from NASA on July 14, 2015.

After travelling nine years and three billion miles, the spacecraft New Horizons gave us a “close-up” of the farthest planet, Pluto. Pluto looks very different than what we imagined. It has mountains, plains and five different moons. The first image NASA shared showed a planet with a “heart.”

The Pluto “flyby” happened early in the morning on July 14. NASA promoted the flyby for days in advance of the event, including asking people to follow the action on the live computer simulation called “Eyes on the Solar System.” NASA also asked volunteers to capture the moment when the countdown reaches zero. We downloaded that program and watched the closest approach at approximately 4:49 a.m. on the West Coast. Here’s our screen grab at 0.2 seconds to closest approach!

Photo of NASA's live computer simulation
Using NASA’s live computer simulation, we “saw” the spacecraft get the closest ever to Pluto.

At that early hour, we had lots of company! Twitter lit up with the hashtag #PlutoFlyby. NASA quickly conducted an online briefing and took questions through social media. Social media continues to be an effective way to share Pluto’s never-seen-before photos.

About a week later, we saw Earth from about a million miles away. A NASA camera and telescope called EPIC took this picture — what a wonderful world!

How exciting to imagine what scientists, technology and space exploration will find next. If Pluto’s flyby is any indication, scientists will continue to share their discoveries and encourage public engagement through social media.

More about the EPIC photo of Earth from NASA’s press release.

More information about the spacecraft New Horizons.

Presentation on storytelling at regional environmental conference

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Annette Frahm and I will present on storytelling at a regional environmental conference in June. Last fall, we provided information about using stories to engage your audience at the Puget Sound Partnership’s ECO Net Summit. At this next conference, we’ll share information about storytelling through video and social media. More details to come!

43 bells and 43 trees honor Oso one year after landslide

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One year after tragedy struck the small community of Oso, residents, rescuers, volunteers, and more gathered to honor the victims, survivors and community – still Oso Strong. On March 22, 2014 the hillside came down, blocking State Route 530 and the Stillaguamish River and burying homes in up to 70 feet of mud. One of Washington’s worst disasters, the SR 530 slide took the lives of 43 people. Yesterday a bell rang out for each of these 43 victims. On the first year after the disaster, the Seattle Times pays tribute to the Oso community in this article.

Photo of Liz and therapy dog

Liz with Pickles, the therapy dog.

When Snohomish County asked for assistance  last year, people quickly responded – including communications professionals. I am proud to have served as a public information officer for two days on the SR 530 slide, working in the Joint Field Office in Everett. I met people from throughout Washington State and the country who wanted to help. The rescue and therapy dogs made a big difference, too!

Yesterday, one year after the landslide, 43 trees were planted along the hillside to honor the victims. I hope these trees will grow as strong as the Oso community’s resilience and courage. I will continue to remember Oso, the people who came to help, and the people who call it home. Oso Strong.