As previously reported, MACo will hold a Social Media Symposium on June 6, 2013 at the North Laurel Community Center in Howard County, MD from 9:30 am – 3:00 pm. The event is worth 2 Elective credits in the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance.

This Symposium, sponsored by Howard County Parks & Recreation and the Local Government Insurance Trust (LGIT), will focus on strategic public outreach, current best practices in the use of social media, and a framework for structuring a social media plan. The registration brochure and online registration are available.

This is a FREE event for MACo members: county elected and appointed officials, and county staff members. Other Government Registrants are $50 each and Commercial/NonProfit Registrants are $60 each.

One of the sessions, County Best Practices for Social Media, will feature representatives from four Maryland counties who will explain how they’re using social media to communicate about services such as emergency management and public safety updates, health issues and news, parks and recreation, and county promotion.

MACo is pleased to announce our county panelists for the session, County Best Practices for Social Media:

Clay Stamp, Director, Talbot County Department of Emergency Services
Mr. Stamp serves as the Director of Emergency Services and as an Assistant County Manager for Talbot County, Maryland. Additionally, he serves on FEMA’s Hurricane Liaison Team which operates out of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida providing coordination.

Samantha O’Neill, Special Assistant and Social Media Manager for Howard County Executive Ken Ulman
Ms. O’Neil currently serves as the Special Assistant and Social Media Manager for Howard County Executive Ken Ulman. She previously helped the position as the Director of Outreach and Community Partnerships for the Howard County Health Department, where she was responsible for the direct development and implementation of the Healthy Howard initiative, assisted in policy research and led outreach efforts. Ms. O’Neil has an extensive background in writing, capacity building and community relations.

Chris Tassa, Network Administrator and Webmaster, Calvert County Health Department
Mr. Tassa came to the IT industry in 2000, as one of the first two charter members of the Washington Metropolitan Area’s Geeks On Call, a computer repair service that provides immediate solutions for all IT support, including computer and mobile device repair for home and office. He has been at the Calvert County Health Department for seven years, overseeing the website re-design, maintaining and troubleshooting the website, and implementing the Department’s social media program.

Jeremy Kortright, Recreation Superintendent, Frederick County Parks & Recreation
Mr. Kortright has been with the Parks & Recreation Department for 14 years. As Superintendent, Mr. Kortright oversees ten full-time staff, who manage the county’s camps and special events, operate the Rose Hill Manor Park and Children’s Museum of Frederick, two nature centers, and seven park schools that are shared with the Board of Education.

Other sessions include:

How to Integrate New Media, Tools and Techniques into your Public Outreach Plan
An expert in the field will review the available communications tools and teach you how to identify your county’s communications priorities so that you can pick the best tool for the job and integrate it into your current outreach plan.

Roundtable Discussion
Brainstorm with your peers – discussion leaders will help you discover your common communications struggles and share methods and ideas for overcoming them.

Content-First Messaging for Maximum Reach #MakeItCount
A media relations specialist will discuss how to create content that will help your message thrive in a social media format.

For more detailed information, download the Symposium brochure. Space is limited, so register today!