Boulder Leader

City of Boulder issued the following announcement on June 4.

City Manager Jane Brautigam announced that Sarah Huntley has accepted the position of director of a newly combined Communications and Engagement Department. The promotion is effective immediately. 

Huntley has worked for the city for nearly 13 years, holding a variety of communications and leadership positions, including Police and Fire Public Information Officer, communications manager and deputy director of communications. In each of these roles, she represented the city with skill, clarity and authenticity. In 2017, Huntley was asked to oversee the creation of a centralized engagement team. The work of that team has been extraordinary, resulting in the deepening of both internal and external partnerships and the adoption of best practices across departments. The city earned both national and global Organization of the Year awards from the International Association of Public Participation under her leadership.  

With this promotion, the city will merge its communication and engagement areas of focus under one department. This will allow for streamlined services, better clarity of roles, flexibility to respond to emerging community needs and the creation of more professional development opportunities for the talented staff in the newly combined team. 

“I can’t think of a more qualified person than Sarah to lead this effort,” Brautigam said. “She demonstrates excellence in communications and engagement principles and practices. At the same time, she is committed to building relationships, responding to the emerging needs of her colleagues and our community, and embracing innovation and continuous learning.” 

Huntley called this opportunity her “dream job.” 

“I am so excited to work with my incredibly talented colleagues in Communications and Engagement to bring these critical functions together in a way that recognizes their differences and synergies,” she said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our community in this new way and look forward to continuing to support my engagement team members while returning home to where I started in the city.” 

Huntley has a bachelor’s degree in government from Connecticut College and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. She is a believer in continuous learning and frequently participates, both as a student and instructor, in government- and crisis-focused communications and engagement trainings. 

A champion of the city’s commitment to racial equity, Huntley seeks to make local government more accessible for all community members.   

“Over the past few years, we’ve made significant strides in reaching and lifting the voices of Boulder’s diverse community. I am especially excited about the recent addition of a language access program manager to help us reach our Spanish -speaking community members with timely and relevant information,” Huntley said. “Inclusivity in communication and engagement will remain a priority as our department comes together and charts its future.”  

Original source can be found here.