HCDE Superintendent James Colbert Jr., Chief Communications Officer Danielle Clark and team members from the Communications & Creative Services and Marketing & Client Engagement divisions represented #TeamHCDE on July 14-17 at the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) Seminar in Bellevue, Wash. 

The event brought together more than 1,700 registered public information, marketing and school communications professions – its largest attendance to date – for the seminar’s 70th edition and first return to the Seattle area in nearly 30 years.

Highlighting #TeamHCDE at the conference was Colbert and Clark leading a standing-room-only session. The amplified, 90-minute presentation, “Secret Sauce for Success,” outlined how communication professionals can successfully build a relationship with their superintendent and carry out the initiatives of their organizations. Session attendees were able to brainstorm solutions to challenges facing their respective districts or entities, while receiving action steps to help add the “secret sauce” to the relationships with their superintendents. 

Colbert and Clark debuted this presentation at the Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) annual conference in February 2023. At this year’s state conference, the two showcased, “Secret Sauce 2.0: The Strategy Behind Convocation,” which built on the original session and outlined how the relationship can create memorable experiences for staff at convocation to boost morale. 

All three presentations were led in front of standing-room-only crowds.

HCDE team members spent the remainder of the seminar attending various sessions and networking with communications professionals from across the nation. Presentations included creating digital marketing gurus within organizations, closing generational gaps, crafting narratives in video and podcasting, and navigating artificial intelligence in a changing educational landscape.