ABOUT LAST MONTHS MEETING:
USING LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT
TO PROMOTE YOUR CAUSE
In these uncertain times it gets harder and harder to find the resources to promote your organization’s cause. The best way to get your message out is to team up with local and state government on parallel projects.
State of California
Michael Sicilia, former award winning reporter now Public Affairs Manager with the California Emergency Management Agency, (Cal EMA). He is project manager of the Public Officials Initiative, which trains and exercises elected officials on their crucial role as crisis communicators in catastrophic emergencies.
Los Angeles County
Frank Kwan is the Director of Communications for the Los Angeles County Office of Education and the Executive Director of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association. Prior to his time with the schools he has been a producer, director and host with KNBC-TV for 18 years. He also held management positions at KFWB, KLOS and KUSC radio stations in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles City
Chief Steve Rueda is a 30 year veteran of the Los Angeles City Fire Department. He has served two tours as the Commander of the Public Information Office for the LAFD. He was instrumental in developing media relations with the largest metro media industry in the United States.
All of the panelists have worked with non-profits in various programs/campaigns and will discuss what it takes to be considered a ‘good fit’.
About Our Speakers
Michael Sicilia
Michael Sicilia is Public Affairs Manager with the California Emergency Management Agency, (Cal EMA). He is project manager of the Public Officials Initiative, which trains and exercises elected officials on their crucial role as crisis communicators in catastrophic emergencies. From 1999-2003 he was Deputy Director of Communications for California Governor Gray Davis.
Mr. Sicilia helped devise and supervise the communications strategy for the Y2K preparedness efforts. During the Energy Crisis of 2000-01, he was spokesperson for the Department of Water Resources, charged with purchasing power for near-bankrupt utilities. Michael participated in the successful execution of the Capitol evacuation and reconstitution of government operations on 9/11. He served as the governor’s liaison to the State Joint Information Center during the Southern California Wildfires of 2003. During the wildfires of 2005, he was assigned to management roles at the Joint Information Center and the FEMA run Joint Field Office during recovery operation last fall. During this summer’s fire events, assisted Butte County in developing a Joint Information Center.
An award winning broadcast journalist, from 1997-99, Mr. Sicilia was state capitol reporter for The California Report, heard on NPR stations statewide. He also covered the Sacramento region for KCBS-AM, San Francisco and KFBK-AM, Sacramento. He covered the trial of convicted Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski for Westwood One radio network Agence France Presse (AFP).
Sicilia won three Southern California Radio and Television News Director Golden Mike Awards for his news, political and documentary reporting. Mr. Sicilia was trained in journalism at California State University Northridge where he won the Associated Press Clete Roberts Scholarship and was a William Randolph Hearst Scholarship winner.
Frank Kwan
Frank Kwan is Director of Communications for the Los Angeles County Office of Education and the Executive Director of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association.
The Los Angeles County Office of Education is a regional agency providing educational and business services to the 80 school districts and 1.7 million students in Los Angeles County; the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association includes more than 600 board members from district governing boards throughout the County.
Frank is experienced in communications, media relations, crisis management and media production. He has been a facilitator and trainer in strategic planning, organizational development, media and parent involvement.
Frank’s marketing and communications background includes work for the National School Boards Association, the U.S. Department of Education, California Department of Education, the California School Boards Association, and the Council on Urban Boards of Education.
He has served as a vice president of the National School Public Relations Association, and was a member of the National PTA Board of Directors. Frank is a long-time community volunteer with many organizations, and is a former member of the University of Southern California’s Board of Governors.
Frank’s professional work has been recognized with major national awards from the Public Relations Society of America and school public relations associations. Prior to his present position he was a producer, director and host with KNBC-TV for 18 years, and receiving four Emmy Awards and a Golden Mike. He also held management positions at KFWB, KLOS and KUSC radio stations in Los Angeles, California. Frank is a co-founder of the Asian American Journalists Association.
Chief Steve Rueda
Stephen J. Ruda is a 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles City Fire Department. He is a graduate of California State University at Northridge. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Relations in 1975. Upon graduation, he was accepted into Officer Candidate School for the United States Marine Corps. Ruda was commissioned a 2 nd Lieutenant in August of 1975. He was assigned as a Platoon Commander and later selected to serve as the Aide De Camp to General David M. Twomey. He attained the rank of Captain of Marines before his honorable discharge from active duty in 1978.
As a Fire Officer for the Los Angeles City Fire Department, Captain Ruda has served in the busiest stations in the city. He received from the California State Firefighters Association’s the Medal of Valor. While gang members ambushed patrolling Los Angeles Police Officers with automatic gunfire, one of the Officers was hit and lay seriously wounded. Ruda and his Fire Company saw what had happened and exposed themselves to deadly gunfire as they successfully rescued the wounded officer. He also holds three commendations for bravery, including the Medal of Merit. This award is one of the Fire Department’s highest award for valor. Captain Ruda was selected as “Firefighter of the Year” for 2005.
He has served two tours as the Commander of the Public Information Office for the LAFD. He was instrumental in developing media relations with the largest metro media industry in the United States. He has been featured on many news programs aired locally in Los Angeles as well as nationally. His experience and dedication to the Department and its image has won him honors by the news industry. The Radio, Television News Association awarded his unit a special “Golden Mike Award”. During his watch he and his staff handled the Los Angeles Civil Unrest of 1992, the Great Floods of 1993 and the destructive Fire Storms of 1993. He was involved in the 6.7 Northridge Earthquake as both a departmental spokesperson and a member of the LAFD’s elite Urban Search and Rescue Team.
As the Task Force Commander of Fire Station 27 in the “Heart of Hollywood”, Ruda leads one of the largest fire stations west of the Mississippi River.
