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Speaker Bios

Sheri Benninghoven

Sheri Benninghoven, APR, is the former Communications Director of the League
of California Cities, and one of California's most experienced public relations
professionals in helping state and local governments develop strategic public
communications programs.

Sheri has extensive experience and working knowledge of journalism, local
government operations and finance, public relations and public affairs, State
government, crisis communications, and communications research. A graduate
of California State University, Fullerton with a degree in Communications and
Public Relations, she also graduated from the Public Sector Marketing series from
Public Technology, Incorporated (PTI) in Washington, D.C.

Sheri is a past member of the adjunct faculty of the University of Southern
California, Annenberg School for Communication in Los Angeles. She joined the
private sector in 1991 to start her own consulting firm after nearly two decades in
local government public communications and media relations, specializing in
helping state and local governments identify messages and communicate
effectively with target audiences. She is a former Vice President/Group
Manager for Ketchum Public Relations (Los Angeles/Sacramento), the world’s
fifth largest public relations firm. She founded their Public Sector Marketing
Group and also created their California Technology Practice Group. Her
technology clients ranged from Packard Bell, NEC and Sun to Mattel’s Barbie
CDs, Encyclopedia Britannica’s CD launch and NetRadio.

Sheri also served as Public Information Officer for the City of Anaheim, preparing
and implementing communications plans for the city and each city department,
including Anaheim Stadium, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Anaheim
Redevelopment Agency, and two city-owned golf courses. She has extensive
crisis communications experience, serving on the front lines handling incident
communications for a myriad of disasters, from wildfires and urban fires to
hazardous materials spills and hostage incidents.

She is a past president of the California Capital Chapter of the Public Relations
Society of America, from which she’s accredited; a member and past board
member of the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) and
a recipient of their lifetime achievement award; is a founder/past board
member of the City-County Communications and Marketing Association
(3CMA); and was a founder of the California Specialized Training Institute’s (CSTI)
crisis communications program.

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