Event Information

<p>I&#39;m a nationally award-winning communicator and advocate for public schools. Just recently, I was identified as a Front-Runner by the National School Public Relations Association, or NSPRA. I am the Assistant Director of Communications for Arlington Public Schools (APS) in Virginia. At APS, I&#39;ve launched several successful initiatives for the school division from a new staff recognition program&mdash; called APS All Stars&mdash; to giving new life to the division&rsquo;s social media accounts.<br /> <br /> I also received the 35 Under 35 Award from NSPRA and a Golden Achievement Award for the APS All-Stars program. I currently serve as the President-Elect for the Chesapeake Chapter of NSPRA where I&#39;ve assisted in growing the membership and programming for the chapter by more than 50% in the past few years.</p>

<p>Ashley-Michelle Thublin, APR is serving in her tenth year of School PR.&nbsp; Prior to her current role as Dublin City Schools Director of Strategic and Crisis Communications, she served as Asheville City Schools&rsquo; Executive Director of Communications as well as the Public Information Officer for North Carolina&rsquo;s Richmond County Schools .&nbsp; She has been an active member of both Georgia and the National School Public Relations Association.&nbsp; She currently represents the Southeast Region on NSPRA&rsquo;s Accreditation Committee and received the distinction of NSPRA 35 under 35 in 2017.&nbsp; Additionally, Ashley-Michelle presented at the NCSPRA Fall 2018, Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 conferences about the district&rsquo;s comprehensive, strategic year-round communications plan, entitled #TheACSWay and about earning her Accreditation in Public Relations as well as at the NSPRA Summer 2020 and Summer 2022 Annual Conference.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>As a member of her Superintendent&rsquo;s Leadership Team, Ashley-Michelle&rsquo;s role include crisis communications, issues management, community relations, marketing, media relations, strategic planning and, of course, &ldquo;all other duties as assigned,&rdquo; but her favorite days are spent visiting schools so she can tell the the stories of Dublin City&rsquo;s students and staff members.</p> <p>Ashley-Michelle was one of four communications professionals across the country to earn a 2022 NSPRA Gold Medallion, the highest honor for School Public Relations.&nbsp; Under her leadership, her districts have also earned six Best of the Bests from both the North Carolina and Georgia School Public Relations Association.</p> <p>Ashley-Michelle holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Journalism and History from New York University.&nbsp; After an arduous year and a half long process (which included both a new superintendent search and COVID), she earned her Accreditation in Public Relations in September 2020 before becoming a momma to Judah Thomas Cook on January 15th.&nbsp; To learn more about her district (and see cute baby photos), check her Twitter @amthublin.</p>

<p>Catherine Carbone Rogers, APR is the chief communications officer at Highline Public Schools. Catherine started in Highline as the public information officer over 20 years ago. Today, she leads a team of six that consistently earns state and national awards for its work.</p> <p>Catherine serves on the National School Public Relations Association&rsquo;s Equity and Diversity Task Force and is a past president of the Washington School Public Relations Association. She is a frequent presenter at NSPRA and WSPRA conferences and has led sessions for the AASA Superintendent Certification program.</p> <p>Catherine began her career as a television news reporter and anchor. She holds a bachelor&rsquo;s degree from the Edward R. Murrow School of Communications at Washington State University and has earned accreditation in public relations.</p>

<p>Erin Dunsey is the proud communications manager for the Peoria Unified School District, a booming suburb northwest of Phoenix, Ariz. When she and her husband had their first child in 2009, they sought to plant roots in an area known for its exceptional schools. They landed in Peoria, Ariz., with a school district known for its longstanding excellence in education. In 2011, she began her career at the Peoria Unified School District and her role shifted from wife and mother to also a dedicated member of the Peoria Unified family.</p> <p>Peoria Unified is home to 42 schools, 4,000 employees and more than 35,000 students. As the communications manager, Dunsey focuses on developing and implementing strategic communications plans for its key publics, including students, employees, families, community members, business owners, retirees, and alumni.</p> <p>Her role includes marketing, crisis communications, media relations, community engagement, special event planning and more. She se rves as a liaison to the Peoria Education Foundation and provides support to more than a half dozen scholarship opportunities for students and grants for Peoria Unified teachers.</p> <p>Her accolades include earning a Copper Medallion in 2023 for Peoria Unified&rsquo;s project submission, &ldquo;Calling All Kindergarteners,&rdquo; and delivering a professional development training for school administrators at the National School Public Relations Association at the 2018 and 2022 summer conferences. She previously held the role of vice president of membership of the Arizona School Public Relations Association (ASPRA) and currently serves as President of ASPRA.</p> <p>Dunsey has been happily married since 2008 and she and her husband Randy have two beautiful children.</p> <p>Dunsey may be reached at <a href="mailto:edunsey@pusd11.net">edunsey@pusd11.net</a> or erindunsey@gmail.com.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>