We’re excited to introduce you to the newest committee members serving the GSM professional association! The individuals listed below are volunteering their time and expertise to directly benefit your community by elevating your profession and impacting decisions about training, awards and membership.

About the professional association 

Association members get access to exclusive training and networking opportunities and also enjoy special perks at the 2024 Government Social Media Conference. 

Upcoming training includes:

• SocialGov Roundup (12.13.23) - A webinar series designed to provide attendees with the latest social network updates and news in under 30 minutes, through the lens of what is impactful for government. 
• SocialGov Guide to Starting Strong in 2024 (01.09.24) - This live webinar will cover updates on popular platforms, real-world examples of impactful content and the latest on artificial intelligence tools and policies.

Members also get access to discussion boards (including regional spaces) and can join quarterly, regional meetups for casual networking opportunities to get better acquainted with their council representative and others in their area. 

Recruitment for committee members ended in October and we’d like to thank everyone who self-nominated. The following individuals were selected to serve on each committee under the direction of GSM Membership Council representative co-chairs. Co-chairs were selected in September following annual council elections.

Awards Committee

This committee provides direction to maintain and grow an exceptional recognition program that empowers and celebrates work by individuals and agencies to elevate the SocialGov profession. The annual Golden Post Awards program honors outstanding use of social media by government agencies in the United States.

Co-Chairs:

• Katie Grant
  Midwest Region Representative, GSM Membership Council
  Digital Communications Section Manager, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
• Frances La Rue
  Vice President and Southwest Region Representative, GSM Membership Council
  Communications Manager, City of Anna, TX

New & returning members: 

• Jessie Brown
  Iowa Department of Natural Resources
• Lauren Burden
  Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, GA
• Warren Kagarise
  King County, WA
• Richard Yeakley
  City of Longview, TX
• Lisa Gass
  Michigan Department of Corrections
• Zack Seipert
  Central Utah Water Conservancy District

Training Committee

As the social media landscape continues to evolve, it is essential that government social media managers evolve with it. The Training Committee identifies best practices and develops tools that ensure members gain the skills to confidently and effectively communicate their organization's messages.

Co-Chairs: 

• Marie Tweedy
  Northwest Region Representative, GSM Membership Council
  Digital Communications Coordinator, King County Dept. of Natural Resources and Parks
• Mikayla Moskov
  Southeast Region Representative, GSM Membership Council
  Director of Public Information, Horry County Government/Horry County Public Information

New & returning members: 

• Nathan Mueller
  City of Rochester Hills, MI
• Ben Hayle
  City of Blaine, MN
• April Leonard
  City of Kansas City, MO
• Kiley Arce
  City of Visalia, CA
• Lauren Howland
  City of Santa Monica, CA
• Monica McAlister
  Charter Township of Fenton, MI
• Stephanie Yancer
  Michigan Department of Natural Resources - Parks and Recreation Division

Membership Committee

This committee supports the professional association membership experience by providing insight to recruit and retain members, identify their needs, help them connect with one another and their regional representatives, while also elevating the profession and member accomplishments.

Co-Chairs: 

• Andrew Belanger
  President and Northeast Region Representative, GSM Membership Council
  Statewide Social Media, Director and Digital Content Administrator, State of Michigan
• Zack Seipert
  West Region Representative, GSM Membership Council
  Marketing & Communications Specialist, Central Utah Water Conservancy District

New & returning members: 

• Jessica Vanderkolk
  City of Battle Creek, MI
• Dominique Washington
  City of Shreveport, LA
• DiAngelea Millar
  City of SeaTac, WA
• Chelsea Chambers
  Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation
• Cameron Satterfield
  King County, WA
• Warren Kagarise
  King County, WA
• Tom Kuttenberg
  Hanover Township, IL
• Danielle Shepard
  City of Tampa, FL

The most economical association of its kind

Government Social Media is the first professional association for public sector social media professionals and was founded in 2015. 

At GSM, we’re proud to offer several ways to connect with government social media professionals and form a strong community. While our free network is a great resource, our professional association unlocks a support system for government employees handling social media, for only $79/year. 

Grow with us!

More than 500 social media professionals in government belong to our professional association and you can join, too! The association is growing and recently expanded to extend membership for government communicators in Canada. 

Membership perks at the largest social media conference for government 

Professional association membership includes exclusive benefits year-round, but also at the annual Government Social Media Conference. GSMCON is the premier event for government professionals and will take place from April 16-18, 2024 in Palm Springs, California. 

We often hear that networking is one of the best parts of the conference. During GSMCON2024, association members will get to meet with their GSM Membership Council representative and connect with other professional association members in their region. 

Other perks include:

• Joining an Association Member meeting 
• Taking a member-only group photo
• Updating your headshot with a professional photographer (it's free!)

GSMCON is the premier social media conference in the United States for government agencies. Attendees can expect 2.5 days filled with actionable sessions, genuine networking opportunities and much more. While this is a hybrid conference, in-person tickets are expected to sell out! 

Government Social Media empowers government professionals to achieve mastery in social media through conferences, online training, and professional association membership.

Best communicate with the public you serve and get connected with fellow socialgovs by registering for the 2024 Government Social Media Conference happening in Palm Springs, California or virtually from wherever you are! Join our free network for bi-weekly Government Social Media Chats or professional association for member-only webinars. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on training, events and more.