Beaumont Launches a New City Communications Division to Increase Transparency with Citizens in the New Year
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2022
If you've noticed a change in tone and messaging lately from the City of Beaumont, you're not imagining it. The new City Communications Division has been quietly taking over the various social media accounts and websites and ramping up for a full rollout in 2022.
An initiative that started at the request of the City Council to be more transparent with citizens, a new Communications Division was created to better communicate to the public what the City has done and what they are doing, raise awareness of the various departments, divisions, programs, and City services, and ultimately build trust through more positive interactions and proactive messaging.
"We're slowly making our way through meeting the 38 departments and divisions to uncover those lesser-known services and programs. There's tons of things the average person would have no clue the city does, and it has truly been eye-opening and rewarding to share some of these untold stories, see what goes on behind the scenes, and to meet so many employees so passionate about their jobs," said Lauren Monitz, Communications Director.
"We'll be utilizing every content creation tool at our disposal from articles and blogs to a new in-house videographer to tell our story and will be pushing out messaging through social media, PR, email, TV, and the web to reach as many residents as possible," she continued.
"Improved communication with residents has been a longstanding need, and we're glad to have a division solely focused on telling our story," said City Manager Kyle Hayes.
"There's far too much misinformation circulating the internet. Beyond just negativity, people share things that simply aren't true, which too many people take at face value. Our goal is to become the #1 source of trusted information about the City of Beaumont and to encourage the public to come to us if they have a question or concern," said Monitz.
With over 25 years of combined experience, the team is well suited for the job. With over 200K social media followers of her own, Lauren Monitz has a BS in advertising from the University of Colorado and a Master's in E-business from Depaul. She has worked with over 100 brands on content programs and communications projects and was previously the Marketing & Tourism Developer at the Beaumont Convention & Visitor's Bureau. Kevin McGee, Videographer + Multimedia Specialist, has over seven years of video experience with Lamar University's Office of Marketing Communications. He also teaches Corporate Video and Advanced Digital Editing at LU. A double Cardinal, he holds an MBA with an emphasis in marketing + leadership. His undergraduate degree emphasized in broadcasting and film. Paige Reed, Content & Social Media Specialist, also brings a wealth of skills and experiences, previously working in marketing at Ford Park and digital advertising at Beaumont Enterprise. An LSU Alum, she is a published author and has worked with several chambers + CVBs.
ABOUT THE CITY OF BEAUMONT: On the border between Louisiana and the Lone Star State, Beaumont is a little bit Cajun, a lot Texan, and 100% unique to the South. One of America's original Boomtowns, the City of Beaumont, is at the heart of the Golden Triangle and a great place to live.
