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Letitia Austin |
The Santa Paula Unified School District has hired its first Public Information Officer, Letitia Austin.
She was chosen from a list of several candidates for the position, following a lengthy interview process. Her duties as PIO include assisting the Board and Superintendent in planning, organizing, developing, communicating and disseminating information and publicity pertaining to various District related events. She will also work with the media, local business organizations, civic leaders and community partners to help project a positive image of the school district.
“I am delighted to join the Santa Paula Unified School District,” said Austin who was hired on January 9, 2015. “I look forward to developing and maintaining effective working relationships with members of the Santa Paula community. I am here to coordinate the flow of public information regarding the District to parents, students, teachers, and the local community through a variety of communication strategies.”
One of the first things on her list of tasks was to establish the District’s presence on social media. The SPUSD can now be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Austin was born and raised in Ventura County and has over 20 years of experience in public relations, communications and marketing. She has worked as a Public Affairs Specialist for the federal government, was the Marketing and Print Director for a national nutritional supplement company, and did a stint as an on-air personality for a local radio station. Most recently, Austin was the Director of Marketing and Communications for the United Way of Ventura County.
Austin graduated from the Ventura Leadership Academy. She has also volunteered for several local Ventura County events.
Austin holds a B.A. degree in Broadcast Journalism from California State University, Northridge (Calif.) and an Executive M.B.A. in Marketing from National University (La Jolla, Calif.)
