The PIO Podcast

Todd Fox is the Founder and Managing Director of the Close Protection Corps, a specialized services firm that works with celebrities, dignitaries and C-suite executives in challenging environments. The company was founded in 1999 with initial services focused on the Latin market. Fox’s company became known for protective service operations in challenging environments such as Mexico, Colombia, Haiti, Iraq, Balkans, Turkey and Russia...

She was the first female to ever achieve the rank of Major and Jenell Atlas was the first female captain ever placed over the Indiantown substation.

Jenell Atlas is an award-winning officer; as Public Information Officer, she regularly took interviews from national news organizations (Good Morning America, New York Times, etc..) about the Martin County Sheriff Office for nine years, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Many of her ide...

Amazon - A Practical Guide to Starting Your Own PR Firm

Liselle serves as founder and president of DeGrave Communications, a boutique
public relations firm, and podcaster for the “PRessing On in Public Relations”
podcast. Having grown up with Cuban refugee parents, her drive to create and
live the American dream has always been rooted deep inside her. As a young girl,
Liselle gave tap lessons to her neighb...

Sgt. English has been with the Joliet Police Department for nearly 25 years and has held the role of Public Affairs Sergeant at my department for the past 3.5 years.  Sgt. English is the Assistant Commander of our Crisis Negotiator Team, a member of our peer assistance team, and a member of our department’s pipes and drums band.  Outside of the department,  he is a pre-licensed psychotherapist.  Sgt. English has been married to my ...

Shelley Lynch joined the FBI as the Public Affairs Officer for the Charlotte Division in 2011. She has handled many high-profile cases and countless investigations of fugitive and missing children in North Carolina. Lynch assisted with crisis communications after the Boston Marathon Bombing and the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. She regularly coordinates with FBI Headquarters, FBI offices nationwide, and state and local law e...

Recently retired Chief Gary Woodruff is a 40-year law enforcement veteran, serving in the US Army Military Police/Criminal Investigations Division, Frankfort (IN) Police Department, and Lawrence (IN) Police Department.

Gary started his career in 1983, joining the US Army Military Police, where after completing Basic Training & MP School at Ft McClellan, AL, he was assigned to the US Forces Police station in Kaiserslautern, Germa...

Ashley Turner, APIO is an award-winning Social Media Manager and Public Information Officer renowned for her crisis communication and social media expertise. With a focus on customer-centric strategies, she has elevated trust and service delivery in calm and challenging situations. Leading a team of 50 social media administrators across 36 social media accounts, Ashley has implemented award-winning training programs, policies, repo...

Brent Weisberg is the communications administrative director for the Salt Lake City Police Department. Weisberg joined the department in July 2021 after spending three years as the communications director for the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office in Portland, Oregon. Prior to his time overseeing strategic communications for the district attorney’s office and Salt Lake City Police, Weisberg spent 10 years as a television r...

Scotty Leamon is the Public Safety Information Officer for the Coconut Creek Police Department, and Coconut Creek Fire Rescue. Born in Athens, Tennessee, he graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 1998 with a degree in Mass Communications. He spent nearly 15 years as a TV reporter, working in Bowling Green, KY (WBKO), Myrtle Beach, SC (WFXB & WBTW), and Roanoke, VA (WSLS). He joined the PIO ranks in 2013 when he too...

Cara Cruz is a former broadcast journalist with close to 20 years of experience as a producer and reporter with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Vancouver, Toronto, and Washington, D.C.

She has been with the City of Pittsburgh since 2019 as a Public Information Officer for the Department of Public Safety, which includes Pittsburgh Police, Pittsburgh Fire, and Pittsburgh EMS. 

Cara is a former competitive f...

After working in local news for nearly a decade, Alexa decided it was time to use her strategic communication storytelling skills for a new and meaningful cause.

Currently, she am responsible for telling the story of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) as their Chief Communication Officer.  She also has the honor of showcasing the brave men and women who protect and serve Indy in a monthly video called “...

Irene Mahoney joined the Mesa Arizona Police Department in 2018 after more
than 15 years in the news business. As an Executive Producer and News Director, Irene managed newsrooms across the country, in various markets including Los Angeles, Boston, San Diego and Portland.

She is a multiple Emmy Winner, Peabody Award recipient and has also received
an Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence and various Associa...

Julie Mann has worked over three decades as an award-winning journalist in the city of Chicago and suburbs as a reporter, anchor and managing editor of WBBM Newsradio. She was named one of the 10 Most Powerful Women in Chicago Journalism in 2014, 2017, and 2019.  In 2021, she accepted the Public Information Officer position with Kane County Government, where she serves as liaison for local and national media on behalf of the county...

Jenny Weekes is a marketing strategist and owner of Hartwood Creative, where she helps agencies elevate their online presence. With more than 20 years in the fire service, she educates agencies on how to serve their community at the highest level through training and coaching.

Throughout her fire service career in Washington State, she has served as the lead PIO for a variety of large-scale events, including multiple train...

Jesse Carr is the Senior Public Information Officer with the Dallas Police Department and Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. With a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Southern Methodist University (SMU), Jesse’s expertise includes roles in community engagement, media relations, and crisis response.

Support the show

This episode is sponsored by John Guilfoil Public Relations. From crisis communications to website dev...

Kayla has been with the Tempe Police Department since August 2016. Prior to my police years, I worked in the hospital, specifically the ER, for ten years on the administration side before making the change to policing. Most of my police career has been in patrol. I have held many ancillary duties from the Mounted Unit, SVU liaison, Intelligence, PIO (before full-time), Crisis intervention, and more. I work full-time in the PIO offi...

Erika Thomas is the Public Information Officer Manager for the Lincoln Police Department in Lincoln, Nebraska. Prior to starting at LPD in March 2023, Erika spent 20 years working in TV and radio as an award-winning journalist. She was most recently the evening anchor for the CBS affiliate in Northwest Arkansas.

Email: lpd3627@cjis.lincoln.ne.gov
Cell: 402-805-7469

Erika Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/real...

As the Public Information Officer for the Town of Summerville, SC, my passion for effective communication and commitment to the community drives my work as a PIO. With over six years of experience, Christopher has a proven track record of success. Christopher has led projects such as rebranding initiatives, website redesigns, crisis communications, social media growth, and launching the first municipal-based podcast in the Lowcount...