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Nacogdoches consultant encourages city governments to ramp up social media efforts

Nacogdoches, Texas-based employee development consultant Kent Hutchison will present a social media workshop on Aug. 2 to help workers in government agencies incorporate it into their departments. The presentation is part of Stephen F. Austin State University’s Texas Certified Public Manager program. Hutchison said city departments that use social media more fully embrace open government, and citizens should demand this communication.

“They want to see that transparency. They want to know what you’re doing. They want to see what’s happening at city hall and how their dollars are being spent," Hutchison said, from his office at C.J. Baxter Group, a consulting firm in Nacogdoches. "This is a tool that’s actually going to make you more productive.”

Hutchison will help rising city leaders develop social media plans that relate to marketing and human resources. He said even the most understaffed departments should be carving out time to communicate in electronic circles.

“I think government agencies and departments are starting to see the value of this, and they’re starting to allocate more resources, and seeing this is a legitimate form of communication," Hutchison said.

The Certified Public Manager program takes about a year and a half to complete. It’s geared for city workers who’ve moved up the ranks and are assuming managerial roles.