Weathering the Storm: Lessons from the 2024 Hurricane Season

Just before the start of another hurricane season, join us for an insightful exploration

into the critical strategies that emerged during the historic 2024 hurricane season in

Tampa Bay, which brought impacts from three storms. This multi-speaker event is

designed for communicators who seek to enhance their crisis management skills from

real-life examples and lessons learned. Lunch is included.

Sessions:

The Unspoken Truth About Hurricane Communications

In 2024, Pinellas County faced a devastating blow from two back-to-back major hurricanes. This is the story of how the county's communications team dove beyond the traditional crisis strategy and tackled a new set of communications challenges. Key presentation takeaways: how to plan the unknown secondary crises, how to staff for success, how to demonstrate ROI and retain your seat at the table.

Combating Misinformation During a Storm

Misinformation continues to be a growing threat for our country and our organizations. Learn how the Southwest Florida Water Management District tackled the surge of misinformation during Hurricane Milton and how these tactics can apply to other scenarios.

Business Resilience: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Recovery Efforts

Many residents were hit with a double punch when not only their homes, but businesses faced damage from the storms. This session talks about the key lessons regarding business recovery, focusing on strategies for economic restoration and building long-term resilience.

Speaker Bios:

Robyn Felix, APR, is the bureau chief of Communications & Board Services for the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) and provides strategic leadership for communications and outreach to internal and external audiences, strategic planning efforts and support services to the District’s Executive Team and 13- member Governing Board. Felix has more than 19 years of experience at the District, serving in a variety of roles. Robyn earned a bachelor's degree in telecommunications(news) from the University of Florida.

Dr. Cynthia Johnson is the director of Pinellas County Economic Development and the executive director of Pinellas County’s Economic Development Authority. Since 2000, she has been a leader in the organization and is a trusted adviser to businesses large and small, government agencies, policymakers and community leaders throughout Florida. She is a proud graduate of Florida Memorial University, Miami with a Bachelor of Science degree in education and holds a doctorate in educational leadership & organization from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale.

Barbra Rigaud, APR, CPRC, is the senior manager for Customer Marketing at Unite Us, the nation's premier technology provider for transforming social care. In her role, she works with Pinellas County to promote Care About Me, an innovative program that connects residents with mental health, substance use and addiction treatment services. She previously served as the director of communications for Pinellas County government, where she led public information and community engagement for nine years. She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a bachelor’s degree in public communications. She earned a master’s degree in magazine, newspaper and online journalism from Syracuse University.

Also check out other Health & Wellness events in Clearwater.