City Of Buda Public Information Officer Completes TCU Certified Public Communicator Program

Participants of the program stay on campus for a week during two summers so that they can engage in focused study with other public-sector professionals.

BUDA, TX —  David Marino, City of Buda Public Information Officer, recently completed Texas Christian University‘s (TCU) Certified Public Communicator Program.

The Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO) became the founding partner with TCU in 2013 for the Certified Public Communicator Program.

The curriculum, developed by TCU strategic communication professors Jacque Lambiase and Laura Bright, offers 95 hours of leadership training and coursework designed for the complexities and challenges of communicating with citizens and stakeholders.

It is designed for public information managers and professionals working for cities, counties, school districts, and other public and public-private agencies and organizations.

“TCU’s certificate program was created to do two things. The first is to help cities like Buda continue to build capacity for meaningful and useful communication for its residents. The second is to provide professional development for communicators themselves,” said Jacque Lambiase, TCU Professor of Strategic Communication.

Participants of the program stay on campus for a week during two summers so that they can engage in focused study with other public-sector professionals. They are also required to develop three-year communication plans for their organizations.

“David’s completion of the Certified Public Communicator program is another demonstration of the professional and dedicated staff that we have in the City of Buda,” said Micah Grau, Assistant City Manager.  “As a department of one, David is able to do amazing work that helps connect the City with its residents. The three year communications plan that David created as part of the program will also help strengthen and focus our communication efforts with residents, businesses, and visitors to our City.”

“I am thankful to the City of Buda for investing in my continuing education. In this day and age, communications professionals need to deliver information to residents across multiple platforms. Whether it is creating a video, sharing information on social media or  websites, or utilizing new technology to tell an organization’s story,  the world of communications continues to evolve,” said Marino. “I began the Certified Public Communicator Program in the summer of 2017.  The program provided instruction from experts in public relations, advertising, marketing, crisis communications, and more. I was also required to write a three-year communications plan for the City of Buda. This program has helped me grow immensely. It pushed me to be strategic in my thinking and to be more focused on long-term planning. I would like to thank TCU professors, Jacque Lambiase, Laura Bright, and Ashley English for their instruction and encouragement throughout the year-long program.”

Since the program was founded in 2013, about 125 people have enrolled in the 13-month program to earn the certificate.

“It was wonderful and easy to work with a talented storyteller like David. He developed a plan that made visible all of the good connections, messaging, and relationship building that he does every day,” said Lambiase. “Through his plan, your city can continue to elevate its good work in your community.”