Spokesperson Development and other Crisis Comm Topics: Cindy Cunningham

It's a beautiful thing when science and communications are done well. Dr. Mindy Brashears does both very, very well. She communicates complicated information in a way that's simple to understand, and she's a very likeable person. She shares stories of her research in the United States and South America, plus she tells us about her experience as the Under Secretary for Food Safety. 

Communicating about severe weather is something we all need to understand. However, the current system in the United States can be a little confusing. Dr. Chris Weiss, professor of atmospheric science at Texas Tech explains the system for us, then tells us about the research he's conducting.I would love to hear from you.Contact me at [email protected] my book here. 

Lots of crises can be prevented when they're in the issues phase through good communication, leadership, and management.Earlier this year, I attended a webinar hosted by today's guest, Frankie Gould, on issues management and communication. Plus, I've known Frankie for years through the Association for Communications Excellence, and have always enjoyed her wisdom and experience she shares. Frankie is the vice president for strategic communications and outreach for the Louisiana State University Ag Center. 

Communicating the climate crisis is a difficult and emotional task. Texas Tech University's Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is a scientist that communicates a tricky subject, yet she remains positive and continues with her work. She's active on LinkedIn and Twitter. Subscribe to her newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/fae4224ba66d/subscribe-to-katharine-newsletter

Severe weather comes in lots of forms: drought, blizzard, thunderstorm, tornado, flooding, dangerous heat, extreme cold, and possibly more. However, weather can be hard to forecast consistently, and sometimes the public is jaded to the weather warnings.Yet weather is one of the most important factors to a successful agricultural operation, and that's why I asked KAMC-TV (ABC, Lubbock) Chief Meteorologist Ron Roberts to join me for this episode of the podcast. My husband started working with Ron in the mid 90s, I joined the staff in the late 90s, and I have enjoyed visiting with him ever since. Ron has a fun sense of humor, he's well read, and he loves to talk weather and farming. In this episode, he shares his experience of forecasting some scary situations. Ron can be found on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ronrobertskamc And on Twitter/X:@RonRoberts.TVThe Crisis Communications Guide for Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources can be found here: https://connect.xanedu.com/.../xan.../store/catalogue/25901/

Cindy Cunningham is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable communicators I know, especially when it comes to preparing for and responding to a crisis. She  worked in the pork industry for several years and is now at Woodruff. She is such a pro, and is always helpful to communicators from across the ag industry. Find Cindy's company, Woodruff here: https://wearewoodruff.com/Link to the Crisis Communications Guide: https://connect.xanedu.com/.../xan.../store/catalogue/25901/

Emily Leonard is the evening anchor for WTVA in Tupelo, Mississippi, and was previously in Lubbock at KLBK/KAMC. She is a Texas Tech graduate and an excellent reporter. In this episode, she tells us how to be helpful to the media in the event of a natural disaster, and for some reason, her area of Mississippi has experienced more than its share of severe weather in the past few years. Emily shares the newscast with her husband, Matt. She talks about him a lot during our conversation. Fun fact about Emily - when Matt proposed to her ON AIR, it made Good Morning America. The clip still makes me smile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q6N-XtX6xw Here's a link to their station:https://www.wtva.com/ Link to purchase The Crisis Communications Guide:https://connect.xanedu.com/serve/xe/xaneducustom/store/catalogue/25901/?fbclid=IwAR1pcfJpzmP7fugqrA0nsenuCoEL9WWQnYTqPnpEYjdTTZEMlVhhKeL-UH4 

David Doerfert is a co-worker, friend, and mentor AND he developed the agriculture crisis management framework. Dr. Doerfert is one of the best researchers I know, and it was a joy to talk about his research and thoughts on the topic of crisis communications. Link to book:https://connect.xanedu.com/serve/xe/xaneducustom/store/catalogue/25901/?fbclid=IwAR3olcrpbEdymSa8ii9cZrQ8owUxULr0o8p5qqH5zA48Z9_ZT2ubepSQtg0

Faith Peppers is now the director of communications for USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. However, in her career, she has managed communications for a major newspaper and the University of Georgia's agricultural extension service. She has a wealth of knowledge and ideas on managing issues and crises and she shares her ideas with us in this episode. The Crisis Communications Guide for Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources is available here: https://connect.xanedu.com/serve/xe/xaneducustom/store/catalogue/25901/ 

For all former students requesting Lindsay Kennedy and I do a show together: we hear you and we grant your request.Dr. Lindsay Kennedy is my coworker, but more importantly, my friend and kindred spirit. Also she is an outstanding communicator.Before she came back to Texas Tech to join our faculty, she worked in the grains industry and had to manage two crises. She shares her experience in this episode.Insta: @Lindsay_ontheflyMy book: https://connect.xanedu.com/serve/xe/xaneducustom/store/catalogue/25901/?fbclid=IwAR0KIrpGvDR2bfZQFUgKsNs5vDNlzJhAOpdk9X8MtBkXkCkJj93TeENy_gY