Meet your Jan. SocialGov Masterclass speakers

Introducing your January SocialGov Masterclass speakers! Experts Nikki Sunstrum, Sabrina Merritt & Kristy Dalton are leading this single-day, deep-dive to get government social media professionals solutions on one of your top challenges right now: being a team of one or small team. 

Learn methods, tools & expert advice on how to best handle limited resources by reserving your spot today to be a part of the class happening Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021!

How to dig out of that mound of work: Nikki Sunstrum, Director of Social Media & Public Engagement, University of Michigan
Where do you get started & prioritize when it feels insurmountable? What are practical ways to batch & schedule your socialgov content? Nikki Sunstrum is ready to get you practical tools & tips to succeed in the session: Dig out of that mound of work.

Get to know Nikki:
Nikki Sunstrum is responsible for developing innovative solutions to strategically leverage and advance interactive communications at the University of Michigan. She leads the social communications office (#UMSocial) and the strategic oversight of the President’s Public Engagement and Impact Initiative. Her duties include the overarching coordination and leadership of a unified brand presence, standards and policy implementation, consultation, facilitation, and training. These efforts, along with the university Social Integrity project, each aim to ensure that all online communications provide additional value to university stakeholders, while mitigating institutional risk, elevating brand perception, and educating users of all ages, around the globe, of the lasting impact of these critical tools.

Prior to assuming her current role, Sunstrum developed and coordinated the State of Michigan’s statewide social media footprint: reinventing constituent engagement, elevating transparency, and establishing Michigan as a trailblazer and leader for government social communications.

Sunstrum possesses a Bachelor of Science degree from Grand Valley State University and a Master’s degree from Aquinas College.

Getting help when you can’t hire, Mindset strategies to set you up for success: Sabrina Merritt, Founder & CEO, October Social

Learn how to master these two sessions with Sabrina Merritt. She’ll get you advice for working with socialgov volunteers, interns & freelancers, tips on how to talk to your leadership about being understaffed, and how to prioritize social self-care techniques, including how to gracefully turn down work. 

Get to know Sabrina:
Sabrina Merritt is the CEO and Founder of October Social, a social media management, training, and consulting agency for brands and government agencies located in Atlanta, Georgia. Sabrina and her team develop and execute social media communication and training strategies for clients in the public and private sector including Georgia Public Broadcasting, The Consulate General of Canada, Clayton County Water Authority, Georgia Department of Transportation, The City of Chattanooga Public Works and others. 

Sabrina is an accomplished speaker and trainer on social media and entrepreneurship and has been featured on NPR, Black Enterprise.com and spoken at numerous conferences and panels including Government for Social Media, the National Association of Government Communicators, Blacks in Government, and SXSW. Sabrina is also a graduate of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program at Babson College. 

When Sabrina is not planning the latest social media strategy, she is hanging out with her family and friends or reading the latest book on entrepreneurship.

Kristy Dalton, Founder & CEO, Government Social Media
Saving time is key, especially for small teams. Kristy Dalton, founder of Government Social Media, shows you how to set message bots, tips for social media autoresponders & how to set up the right tech to help save your time.

Get to know Kristy:
Kristy Dalton is founder and CEO of Government Social Media, the nation’s largest network of government social media professionals. She served in government for years, launching city social media profiles in 2008 when government agencies were just beginning to explore social. She became known across the country as the creator and host of “GovGirl”, a unique online video show sharing successes and challenges in digital government. 

Kristy founded the Government Social Media Conference (GSMCON) – the only major social media conference in the U.S. specifically for government agencies. She loves bringing government professionals together with representatives of major social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Nextdoor and Snapchat.   

Kristy authored the first Social Media for Government course for the LinkedIn Learning platform, and is the executive director of the Government Social Media professional association. She’s a frequent event keynote and speaker, having presented in most U.S. states and even having served as a delegate at a NATO social media summit in Sarajevo. Kristy enjoys guiding her audience through an entertaining journey, mindset shift and sharing how no concept is ever boring if you teach it the right way!  

Have you reserved your spot yet for SocialGov Masterclass: Solutions for Teams of One? If you’re a team of one or part of a small team, make sure to sign up now for Wednesday, January, 13, 2021, so you’re guaranteed a spot. Here’s how to register.

Best communicate with the public you serve by becoming a part of the free Government Social Media network — only available to full/part-time employees of government or educational institutions. Virtually collaborate with each other, share advice, get input, tips & more by joining the Government Social Media network today. 

We support the largest network of government social media professionals in the U.S. by guiding government agencies through complex social media issues. Government Social Media helps you successfully communicate with the public you serve, protect your agency and keep public trust while finding your support community. 

Interested in submitting a blog for your socialgov community? Just reach out to Sarah with your topic idea!