I'm doing what I love to do while helping communities that deserve representation and service.
Autumn McNeill, MPH
Priorities
Autumn gets into the details
What water utilities need to know about meeting the public where they are
When it comes to lead service line replacements, community comes first
Rachel Herbst
What is the connection between public education and public health?
Autumn McNeil
It is crucial to connect public education and public health. Community members need to understand the purpose of different lead-related projects and the science behind them. When it comes to public messaging, communication must be digestible and frequent, and experts need to allow stakeholders to ask any necessary questions. Being responsive to these questions and keeping an open line of communication with the public is paramount for water utilities, and public education to explain the why, the how, and the where do we go from here? We always want to be moving forward.
Rachel Herbst
In areas impacted by lead, how can effective communication promote environmental justice and health equity?
Autumn McNeil
Educating the public always comes first. Many stakeholders know environmental issues exist, but they may not know the causes behind these issues or how to communicate them to their government officials effectively. Awareness is not the concern, revealing the why is. Effective communication allows for open communication. When we circulate resources to teach the public about lead programs, we are always eager for input and feedback. Sometimes, that feedback is pushback, and that is okay, and clear and concise messaging allows utilities to level-set with residents. For example, in cases of service line replacements that require more involved infrastructure work, utilities need to educate properly and often, and educational material needs to be digestible and actionable. Proper communication provides stakeholders with a sense of security to not only ask their questions but to also allow utilities to do the replacements.