Communicators must include influential cognitive factors at all levels of risk communication frameworks for successful messaging. Risk messaging must be transparent, relatable, simple, straightforward, clear, and the source of communication must be trusted. 

This interactive, virtual workshop addresses the importance of storytelling, myths versus truths of risk communication, and the effects of cognitive dissonance on risk communication.   At the end of the workshop, participants will  apply risk communication concepts and disaster management messaging best practices to produce desirable public reaction and solidify public sentiment.  

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Registration Deadline April 26, 2021

Meet the Facilitators

Mark Basnight

SummitET® Vice President of Communications and Marketing

As Vice President of Communications and Marketing, Mark is responsible for developing and implementing the long-term communication & marketing vision for Summit Exercises & Training®.

Mark is a John Maxwell Team certified speaker, trainer, coach, and a graduate of the Charlotte Leadership Forum. He is a member of the National Association of Government Communicators, and a U.S. Army Veteran. Mark is a founding member and a past Chair for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Virtual Social Media Working Group. He served as a Lead Public Information Officer during the 2012 Democratic National Convention and had a significant role in planning, coordinating and implementing the Joint Information Center for Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Mark is an alumnus of the inaugural FEMA 389 Masters Public Information Officer Program and a former adjunct instructor for the Emergency Management Institute (Emmitsburg, MD). He has been a keynote speaker, trainer, and panelist for numerous conferences including the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) Communication School, National Information Officers Association (NIOA) Conference, National Emergency Manager Association (NEMA) Conference, National Radiological Emergency Preparedness (NREP) Conference, Government Social Media Conference, Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Conference, and Great Lakes Homeland Security Conference. Mark has also been a speaker and trainer internationally for the governments of Seoul, Korea, Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Taipei, Taiwan.

Holly Hardin

SummitET® Strategic Communications Program Manager

As the Strategic Communications Program Manager at SummitET Holly manages, develops, and delivers public affairs, risk and crisis communication and emergency public information training, exercise support, and technical assistance. Holly also manages strategic communications research analysis, in addition to developing publications related to the enhancement of advanced communications systems for public safety and health.

Prior to joining SummitET, Holly served as an Emergency Management Communications Analyst at Argonne National Laboratory and co-established the Public Affairs Science and Technology Fusion Cell, as well as the National Public Affairs Academy. At Argonne, Holly was responsible for assisting government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private sector groups with plans, protocols, procedures, training, and exercises relating to internal and external affairs. Prior to Argonne, Holly worked for the Department of Justice in counterterrorism programs and was a first responder in the Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation Joint Information Center where she also managed a cadre of technical experts and provided risk and crisis communication and digital/social media expertise to Federal, state, and local government agencies, in addition to the commercial nuclear industry.