Summer 2025 Arizona Communicator Conference

Registration for our Communicator Crisis Training is now open!

Please join us for this valuable training for all Communications professionals and their CEO/General Manager on July 24th and 25th at the GCSECA Summer Meeting in beautiful Flagstaff, AZ!

Hotel Information

Little America Hotel

2515 E Butler Ave

Flagstaff, AZ 86004

Reservation Link

http://bookings.ihotelier.com/bookings.jsp?groupID=4478457&hotelID=4649

Reservation Phone: 800-940-8528 | Ask for Grand Canyon Electric Group

Room Block closes on June 29, 2025. Please reserve your room before this date.

This training will be a fantastic opportunity for communications and public relations professionals to participate in vital training on creating a Crisis Communications Playbook! In a crisis situation, not only does your communications team need to bring their 'A game,' but a spokesperson (typically the co-op CEO or GM) also needs to be well prepared. This training will provide that and more!

Back by popular demand, we have invited Kate Tillotson from The Beacon Group to lead this training.

Kate Tillotson – Principal, The Beacon Group

Kate Tillotson is an award-winning TV journalist and public relations strategist with more than two decades of experience shaping narratives that drive impact. In her role as principal of The Beacon Group, she helps electric co-ops craft and execute communications strategies that position executives as thought leaders, elevate brand reputation and strengthen stakeholder relationships.

Prior to launching The Beacon Group, Kate served as the senior manager of media relations at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), where she spearheaded strategic communications objectives for the trade group’s 900 cooperative members. Largely focused on raising members’ profiles in national and local media, Kate launched and led NRECA’s first national media training program for CEOs, directors and communicators and generated $35 million in publicity value from media appearances she coordinated.

Kate’s television career includes on-air roles at WWMT-TV (CBS) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she received two Emmy nominations for Best Feature Reporting; WRDW-TV (CBS) in Augusta, Georgia, where she received two Associated Press awards for Best Investigative Reporting; and KCFW-TV (NBC) in Kalispell, Montana. She holds a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism from Emerson College.

AGENDA

Thursday, July 24th

• 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.    Continental Breakfast

Training Provided by Kate Tillotson – Principal, The Beacon Group

Silence Isn’t a Strategy – Building Your Crisis Comms Playbook

• 9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.   Welcome & Opening Discussion: What Keeps You Up at Night?  Brief introductions, outline of the day, and a group discussion on the biggest reputational risks co-ops are facing right now.
• 9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.        Speed, Accuracy, and Control: The First 60 Minutes– What should happen in the first hour of any crisis—including internal alerts, external messaging, legal considerations, and operational coordination.
• 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.      Inside the Command Center: Who Owns the Message– How communicators, legal, GMs, and member services each play a part in the flow of information, and why message discipline matters. 
• 10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.      High Voltage, High Stakes: Why Crisis Comms is a CEO-Level Priority - The most credible voice in a crisis is often your CEO. Learn why your top spokesperson matters more than your statement, and best practices for CEO visibility, tone, and timing during high-stakes moments.
• 11:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m.       Case Study: When It All Went Sideways - A deep dive into a real-world utility crisis (e.g., cyber breach, wildfire, customer death, public safety outage). What went wrong, what worked, and what we’d do differently.
• 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.       Lunch (provided)
• 12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.        Building the Crisis Comms Toolbox– Templates, checklists, and talking points you can draft before the storm hits. Includes message frameworks and holding statements.
• 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.          Training Your Team to Be Ready- Media training, internal protocols, and how to prep your SMEs and engineers for tough conversations with press, members, or board members.
• 2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.          Social Media in a Firestorm- How to stay in control when your comments section is not. Best practices for engagement, silence, and monitoring.
• 3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.          The Recovery Phase: Rebuilding Trust and Learning Forward- What to say after the news cycle fades. How to hold a debrief, communicate with members and regulators, and reset public perception.
• 3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.          Wrap-Up & What Comes Next - Key takeaways, final Q&A and suggested next steps for creating or updating your co-op’s crisis comms plan.
• 4:00    p.m.                            Adjournment
  
• 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.                   Optional Networking Dinner and Drinks at Little America’s Silver Pine Restaurant and Bar (this is NOT a sponsored event)                 

   

Friday, July 25th

• 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.          Continental Breakfast and Welcome
• 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.        Communication and Public Relations Committee Round Table Discussion
• 11:30 a.m.                          Adjournment – Safe Travels Home