Community Engagement committee February update
The Community Engagement and Communications Committee of the UHPGB met for the fifth time on Feb 26, 2025.
Summary by Sandra Coyner, HCAO/HCAO-Action (SandraCoyner@hcao.org)
The main business was a guest presenter, Patty Wentz, who emphasized communicating values and stories, with less emphasis on data/facts and not overwhelming folks with fear. The committee is now turning to work on its goal to develop communications plans and materials to use with both specific stakeholders and for the general public. (Previous meetings discussed general communication theory, and existing organizational resources for setting up communication opportunities.) Discussion today also touched on several phrases and names that seem to generate either positive or negative responses in people.
The Committee approved a staff draft on how to give public comment in UHPGB and Committees, instructions that are more accessible than what is already online, and that may encourage more people to give public comments.
In April the committee will re-engage with its consultant to develop specific questions for communication events about the work of the other committees, who are expected to have decisions ready for communicating by June.
