April 2023
Live! from Arlington, it's the TAMIO Annual Conference

In just six weeks, hundreds of TAMIO members will gather in one of the state's most dynamic cities for another annual conference. Arlington promises to be one of our best, filled with loads of learning, nights of networking, tons of trophies and hopefully a score in the win column.

It's time to report to the team because you certainly don't want to be missing from this lineup. So, here's some important "know before you go" info.

You have to pay to play
The deadline for TAMIO members to receive the early registration fee of $370 is 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 23. After that, the registration fee is $390. Non-member registration is $445.

If you know a student or intern that could benefit from the TAMIO conference, there are 15 spots open for them to register at the reduced rate of $285 (based on availability). After May 23, the fee is $305.

The registration fee includes all Wednesday through Friday conference sessions (excluding pre-conference), breakfast on Thursday and Friday, lunch on Thursday, breaks and the TAMI Award reception and banquet.

Before the fun starts, check out pre-conference sessions
An additional $40 fee gets you into one of two pre-conference sessions:
  • Canva Brandcamp
  • Behind the scenes tour of AT&T Stadium

Get a room, they're going fast
The conference is at the Live! by Loew's hotel in Arlington's Entertainment District. The discounted room rate is $199 per night until May 23 or until the block sells out.

If you can't get a hotel room for Tuesday night at conference hotel, we have a courtesy block of 20 rooms at the Hilton Arlington, located two miles north of Loews. The rate for this night is $169 plus taxes. To make your reservation, call 817-640-3322 and be sure to tell them the group is TAMIO.

Take me out to the ballgame
In lieu of our regular Restaurant Romp event, TAMIO members will head next door to Globe Life Field for a dinner of typical ballpark fare and nine innings of Texas Rangers baseball. An additional fee of $50 gets you a ticket for a seat in TAMIO's reserved skybox and dinner.

Celebrating outstanding work
The annual TAMI Awards banquet, celebrating the outstanding work of our members, is Thursday night of the conference. Your registration gives you one ticket to the event. Additional tickets for guests may be purchased for $60. No tickets will be sold at the conference. Although you have a ticket with your registration, you are required to RSVP for the dinner to be guaranteed a seat at the banquet.

Conference lineup
The schedule-at-a-glance is available on the website. Conference keynote speakers and conference concurrent details will be posted by mid-May.
May Webinar Looks at Communicating During Transportation Emergencies
As communicators we know crisis situations can occur anywhere, anytime and in any place. Being prepared for any emergency is what we all strive for.

The TAMIO webinar for May takes a look at managing crisis communications in a very specific area: transportation. "Navigating Transportation Emergencies: Communicating During Air + Rail + Road Emergencies" at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 17.

Spend this hour with our planes, trains, and automobiles counterparts as we discuss ways we can all support one another when disaster strikes. The webinar goal is to:

  1. Understand the roles, responsibilities and constituencies of our counterparts in the transport (air, rail, road) sector during joint emergencies.
  2. Understand our roles, responsibilities and constituencies during joint emergencies.
  3. Understand how cities and transportation sector PIOs can work more effectively together.

Panelists for the webinar include Augusto Bernal, director of communications for Houston airports; Richard Zientek, senior director of public affairs for Union Pacific Railroad; and Bambi Hall, public information officer for TxDOT. TAMIO member Thomas Reeves, director of public affairs for the City of Baytown, will serve as moderator. 
Applications open for the 2023 TAMIO
One-on-One mentor program
 
The 2023 TAMIO "One-on-One" mentor program is now open and accepting applications for mentors and mentees.

The program pairs participants based on mutual interest and experience, giving members a permanent space for connection with an experienced TAMIO colleague. This direct access to an experienced government communicator offers additional learning opportunities, networking, personal support and guidance.

Mentors and mentees must be current TAMIO members and work in the area of government communications and marketing. If you are interested in being either a mentor or a mentee, please complete the application on the TAMIO website.
Survey on TAMIO Knowledge Project closes April 28
The survey seeking member feedback on the TAMIO Knowledge Project closes Friday, April 28.

The goal of the Knowledge Project is to document and quantify the various areas of knowledge and skills you need to succeed and grow in our profession. Your responses to this survey will also help shape the education TAMIO presents to members at the annual conference, in our webinars and on the website.

This survey will take you no more than 20 minutes to complete. Those 20 minutes have the potential to impact the career lifespan of thousands of government communications professionals – including you. Thanks for your participation. 
Who's Hiring?
Looking for a new position at a city? Look no further… TAMIO pulls communication job postings directly from TML and posts them to our website. More than 12 positions are currently available with openings in almost every TAMIO region. Go to texastamio.org/career-center to discover your next career move. 
Welcome to our newest members!
New Members since March 1, 2023
Karen Anderson - Town of Fairview
Cassandra Balderas - City of Pflugerville
Stephanie Brady - City of High Plains
UWDC District No. 1
Sonia Browder - City of Elgin
Cynthia Cano - City of Mansfield
Casey Carranza - City of Baytown Fire
Department
Brandon Castellanos - City of Harlingen
Brent Dollar - City of Pflugerville
Jennifer Gilmer - City of Mesquite
Reagan Hunter - Town of Addison
Shay Jung - City of Hutto
Andrea Kidd - City of Wichita Falls
Nathan Kocmoud - Trinity River Authority
Roxanne Lerma - City of Edinburg
Hanna Lowery - City of Nassau Bay
Nohely Mackowiak - City of Temple
Lauren Monitz - City of Beaumont
Caleb Naylor - Trinity River Authority
Ronni Orr - City of Colleyville
Richard Powell- Williamson County
Francisco Ramos - City of Duncanville
Calista Reyes - City of Harlingen
Steve Richards - Williamson County
Jasmine Richardson - Trinity River Authority
Carlos Sanchez - Hidalgo County
Amie Schultz - City of Iowa Park
Karin Spinks - City of South Padre Island
Chrislord Templonuevo - City of Tomball
Carolina Teran - Hidalgo County
Kim Thompson - City of Robinson
Mariah Tijerina - City of Justin
Clay Tucker - Williamson County
Kathryn Vogel - City of Pflugerville
Brett Watson - City of Killeen
Shared Files
Need a social media policy? Maybe a job description? Possibly a presentation or a press release? Don’t reinvent the wheel… check out the TAMIO Shared Files. Simply go to texastamio.org/shared-files and you may just find what you are looking for. Have something to share? Send your files to Lauren@TML.org and she will get them posted to our shared webpage. 

Member Retirement Recognition
Are you or a coworker retiring? TAMIO would love to recognize them with a small gift and certificate. Find the requirements and the form here.

TAMIO Thoughts
Check out our blog entries here.