MACo’s PIOs and Communications Professionals Affiliate Group welcomed a new leadership team during the 2026 MACo Summer Conference and is already looking ahead to a major first: an in-person conference dedicated to Maryland’s county communicators.

Sarah Kilmon of Talbot County will serve as President, Sarah Campbell of Frederick County as Vice President, and Victoria Zelefsky of the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation as Secretary.

The Communications Affiliate brings together public information officers, communications professionals, and others working to inform and engage residents across Maryland’s county governments. The group provides a forum to exchange ideas and resources, discuss common challenges, and learn from communications efforts taking place throughout the state.

Kilmon succeeds Beth Malasky of Queen Anne’s County, who served as President over the past year.

“Beth has done a tremendous job building this group and creating opportunities for county communicators to connect and learn from one another,” Kilmon said. “One of the greatest strengths of the Communications Affiliates is knowing that we have this network of professionals to lean on for ideas, resources, and support. I’m excited to build on that foundation alongside Sarah and Victoria.”

During the Affiliate’s meeting at the MACo Summer Conference, members reflected on some of their biggest communications successes and challenges from the past year and discussed opportunities to strengthen collaboration among county communications professionals.

First In-Person Conference Planned for 2027

Among the group’s priorities for the coming year is planning its first-ever in-person conference for county communications professionals, targeted for spring 2027.

With support from MACo, the leadership team will work with members to develop programming around the evolving needs of local government communicators.

“We want to create more opportunities for our members to learn from each other and from experts in the field,” Kilmon said. “County communicators are navigating many of the same issues, from emerging technology and accessibility to media relations, public engagement, branding, and crisis communications. Bringing everyone together for a dedicated day of learning and conversation is an exciting next step for the group.”

In addition to planning the conference, the Communications Affiliate will continue its regular meetings and professional development opportunities throughout the year, featuring speakers and discussions on issues relevant to county public information and communications professionals.

PIOs and communications professionals working for Maryland’s county governments and Baltimore City are invited to join the Affiliate. For membership information, contact MACo Communications Coordinator Shantelle Malcolm-Lym at shantelleml@mdcounties.org.