Mandy Cawby
Director of Customer Relations, WaterOne
Mandy Cawby serves as Director of Customer Relations for WaterOne, the largest water utility in Kansas. WaterOne serves suburban and corporate communities in the southwest Kansas City metropolitan area. As Director, Mandy oversees Customer Service, Meter Services and Communication teams. She serves as the spokesperson for WaterOne, and during the pandemic has experienced firsthand how strategic communication and clear-cut decisions are the foundation of earning public and employee trust and ensuring public health. Mandy has previously served in roles in city management.
Technical Difficulties: Communicating About Water Quality
Co-Presenter: Kelley Dearing-Smith
Abstract: How do you take a technical water quality message and deliver it to a diverse audience? Using the real-life example of the COVID-19 pandemic and the mass closures and re-openings of commercial businesses after lockdown, we’ll show how experienced communication professionals at water utilities delivered a strategic communication that protected public health. Learn step-by-step practical advice and strategies on building your own rapid response communication campaign. This presentation includes key messages, strategic communication models and campaign tactics that can be tailored to small, medium and large utilities.