I'm a communication and community engagement researcher and practitioner who specialises in disaster but has wide experience across industries from mining, to government to education. I'm about to move on from the University of Southern Queensland and I've not long finished with Queensland State Emergency Service co-designing a community engagement training package with and for SES volunteers.My particular skills are facilitating collaboration, writing and research, especially building connective and motivating campaign creative and key messaging from what the data shows us. In 2020, I was made a Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of Australia after 35 years in PR practice and teaching.A career highlight was a recent Natural Hazards Research Australia project with QUT and Macquarie: we learned of the devastating and ongoing impact of the 2022 floods in Queensland and Northern NSW. In another key project, I worked with Prof Kim Johnston and Prof Maureen Taylor to develop a specialised model of community engagement for emergency management - no more IAP2! We did this by mapping emergency agency practice and aspiration in community engagement for preparedness in Australia. It links community engagement techniques to specific community types. My role at Queensland State Emergency Service filled the gap between the research and the practice in this area, and it was certainly great to use my knowledge of flood preparation and recovery in that role. My PhD was on how people look for information when their community experiences a disaster (ie channels and sources) and done localised research on community engagement to motivate people to get ready for bushfire.I have 35 years experience in journalism and communication management, including local government, Bayly Willey Holt (part of global firm Porter Novelli), The Big Event Company, and various positions managing the PR function, specialising in writing and organising. As well as a CPRA Fellow, I'm a founding Fellow and former Chair of Emergency Media and Public Affairs.
Listed skills include Strategic Communications, Crisis Communications, Corporate Communications, Public Relations, and 15 others.