Edelman’s 2024 Trust Barometer Results: How Communicators Can Navigate and Make Connections in a Polarized World

Join CAPIO and SiOC for this special event featuring veteran communicators Matt Notley and Courtney Mains, who will present findings from the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer. 

Following the presentation there will be a special moderated panel discussion with panelists representing state, city and county government. 

Edelman’s global research measures the public’s trust in government, business, media, and NGOs to deliver information and solve problems. This year’s focus is on innovation.

Data presented during this webinar will help public-sector communicators guide their communications strategies throughout the year.

Moderator: 

Emily Hamann

Sacramento Business Journal 

Speakers: 

Matt Notley

Vice President
Edelman Sacramento

Courtney Mains

Vice President
Edelman 

Adrian Hightower, PhD, PE, ENV-SP

Sustainability and Resilience Manager
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

Roy Kennedy

Assistant Secretary, Communications
California Government Operations Agency

Elizabeth Smith

Deputy Commissioner, Office of Public Affairs
California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation

BIOS

MATT NOTLEY

Matt Notley, a Senior Vice President at Edelman, leads the corporate reputation and public affairs activities for several clients with a focus on natural resources, energy, water, and agriculture, providing media relations and strategic communications advice as his clients develop statewide management plans, policy reform and public education programs.
 

COURTNEY MAINS

As a Vice President on Edelman’s Corporate Reputation team, Courtney Mains is a strategic corporate communications leader with experience leading teams focused on corporate storytelling, reputation management, thought leadership and social impact. Her client roster spans sectors, working with an array of Edelman’s top global clients in her seven years at the firm such as Starbucks, Gensler, PayPal, Charles Schwab, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, McKinsey & Company and Del Monte Foods.

ADRIAN HIGHTOWER, PhD, PE, ENV-SP

Dr. Hightower is an experienced manager, educator and consultant with depth of knowledge in organizational change management and technical expertise in renewable energy and sustainable water treatment. Currently, Dr. Hightower is the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s Sustainability and Resilience Manager working on an aggressive agenda to reduce the water industry’s carbon footprint as well as strengthen its resiliency to climate change. Metropolitan’s Sustainability, Resilience, and Innovation Office is working across the organization to develop strategies, programs and policies to address many environmental concerns including energy use, conservation, pollution, environmental justice, and climate resilience. Dr. Hightower supports his organization’s adoption of Envision Sustainable Infrastructure Standards and renewable energy investments to complement the adopted Climate Action Plan as well as support Metropolitan’s emergency operations programs. Dr. Hightower leads the development of Metropolitan's Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) reporting program, Environmental Justice Policy and our Climate Vulnerability Risk Assessments. He enjoys consulting as a licensed engineer and certified sustainability professional with innovative teams in the energy storage, electric vehicle infrastructure, microgrid and power utility industries. Dr. Hightower has published numerous papers in these fields, holds several patents, and has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences and received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. is from the California Institute of Technology.

Roy Kennedy

Roy Kennedy is the assistant secretary of communications for the Government Operations Agency (GovOps), a position he began in Dec. 2022.  Roy works directly with department communications staff on all media inquiries, produces a monthly video featuring state employees called “GotAMinute?” and supports coordination with the Governor’s press office.  

ELIZABETH SMITH

Elizabeth leads the public affairs and communications for the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, the state’s financial services regulator and consumer protection agency.

Elizabeth is a veteran integrated marketing and communications professional with experience in branding, media relations, issues management, volunteer engagement, donor relations, fundraising communications and customer acquisition. In addition to DFPI, Elizabeth has served as chief communications and marketing officer for the City of Santa Cruz, the nonprofit Code for America, San Francisco State University and Saint Mary’s College of California.

Elizabeth holds master’s degrees from Northwestern University and the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University.

Emily Hamann

Emily Hamann is a Staff Writer at the Sacramento Business Journal. She covers health care, government, agriculture and tourism for the Sacramento Business Journal.

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Websites

https://www.edelman.com/offices/sacramento  
https://www.edelman.com/research