By Greg Fry

New city communications manager seeks new ways to engage public

Jan 26, 2018 | 3:09 PM

KAMLOOPS — As the City of Kamloops has grown, so has the need to find more effiicient ways to engage with its expanding population base.

Enter newly hired Communications Manger Wendy Heshka, who brings with her 25 years of professional communications experience which includes work in both the public and private sectors including work early in her career across the border in the United States “during the heyday of the Internet” and a return to Canada over a decade ago.

“I’ve been back in Kamloops 15 years and that’s when my consulting experience began.”

During that time she co-owned a company before going out on her own a few years ago. And on top of all of that, she possesses a Bachelor’s degree in communications and a Master’s in education, and feels her vast experiences will serve her well in her new job.

“This is an excellent transition for my career being a public servant. Sharing some of the lessons I’ve learned over the past two decades is very fulfilling.”

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Heshka manages a team of seven communications professionals and says they’ll be actively recruiting for an additional person soon.

She’s taken on the role that was previously held by Tammy Robertson, noting the responsibilities have grown into something that needed to be managed by two people.

“Tammy has taken on the external relations portfolio which means that she’s working with our First Nations partners and other business partners like the airport and business improvement associations.”

Heshka is responsible for serving the internal departments of the city.

“So, for example, Public Works, Human Resources, the Finance Department, Corporate Services, Administration, Parks and Rec, that type of thing.”

She says her goal is to make sure the City of Kamloops “excels at communications, reaches out and engages with the public in creative ways.”

“Allowing people to provide input in ways that they haven’t been able to before. So, we’re really going to look at where residents of Kamloops prefer to get their information and prefer to provide feedack and try to reach people where they already are rather than expecting them to come to us.”

So, what will change with Heshka at the helm?

“I’ll have three advisors working with me. So, between the four of us, we’re able to look at best practices across the country and North America-wide. What are other municipalities doing to reach their citizens? What do residents prefer to engage in these days aside from public open houses and those types of things?”