I recently traveled to New York City for a two-day Master in Crisis Communication class at the Public Relations Society of America.
The class was taught by Helio Fred Garcia and Katie Garcia of Logos Consulting Group, two crisis communication experts whose clients include some of the largest and best-known companies and organizations in the world.
Going into it, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. The course was designed for seasoned professionals, and with just about a year in PR after a decade in journalism, I wondered if I’d be able to keep up — or even contribute.
After joining JGPR last August, I quickly learned that our clients — mainly police and fire departments, municipal governments, and school districts — face crises regularly. I’ve been involved in crisis discussions from the outset, helping manage more than a dozen situations so far. But, still, the “master class” label made me wonder: Would I be the youngest person in the room? Would the discussion be too corporate-focused? Would I feel out of place?
It turned out I wasn’t alone in wondering those things, and very quickly learned that I belonged. The class brought together nearly 30 professionals from a wide range of backgrounds — from district attorney’s offices and nonprofit organizations to municipal governments, higher education institutions, and yes, a few corporate PR teams. Participants traveled from as close as New York and as far as Jamaica and Israel. The diversity of perspectives made the conversations richer and more applicable to the variety of crises we all face.
Over two full days, we explored how to anticipate, plan for, manage through, communicate about, and recover from crises that impact companies, brands, and organizations. We discussed patterns that crises tend to follow and learned tools to navigate them — including the “Golden Hour,” the window of roughly 45 minutes in which the public expects to hear from you after a significant crisis. Miss that window, and you risk losing control of the narrative — and the public’s trust.
Just a couple of weeks later, I built on that experience by attending Public Information Basics, a FEMA course focused on the role and responsibilities of a public information officer. Over three days, we covered media relations, working with reporters, and communicating during emergencies. The training emphasized coordination with incident command, the importance of accurate and timely updates, and techniques for handling high-pressure media situations.
Both courses reinforced that crises follow predictable patterns — and that the right training allows you to meet those moments with clarity, speed, and credibility. As a firm working with public safety clients, we can expect certain crises, including officer-involved incidents, controversial video encounters, serious life safety incidents, and more. These trainings gave me new strategies, reinforced best practices, and built my confidence in applying them quickly and effectively in times of crisis.
Walking away from these two very different but complementary trainings, I felt not only more confident in my own skills, but also more committed to the idea that professional growth never stops.
At JGPR, we embrace that same philosophy — training and professional development are ongoing priorities, not occasional checkboxes. We encourage and support our staff in seeking out opportunities that expand their skills beyond day-to-day responsibilities, because every lesson learned makes us better equipped to serve our clients when it matters most.
My experiences this summer reinforced that there’s always more to learn — and at JGPR, we make sure we never stop learning.