LEADERSHIP by Jeff Wilser
Dina
Gentry
Communications director El Dorado County Office of Education
EDUCATION
It started with “ The American President .” Dina Gentry watched that 1995 movie for the first time as a child , and when Michael Douglas ’ character , President Andrew Shepherd , gave his rousing speech at the end , she thought to herself , “ I want to be a speech writer for the president of the United States .”
Gentry might not work in the White House , but she followed her dream of helping others find their voice and craft their message . Since 2014 , the Sacramento native has served as the communications director for the El Dorado County Office of Education , a role that impacts thousands of students and families across 15 school districts .
“ I actually work with educators who used to be my school teachers ,” says Gentry , 37 , who grew up in Auburn . “ It ’ s such a blessing to be able to help the community that raised me .” After graduating from Sacramento State with a bachelor ’ s degree in public relations , she stayed in the capital to work on political campaigns , knocked out an MBA from the University of Phoenix in the evenings , and after thriving at ED-
HEALTH CARE
COE she was named one of the “ 35 Under 35 ” leaders by the National School Public Relations Association .
Even in a “ normal ” year , her job means
Vanessa Walker
quarterbacking a dizzying amount of communications across a web of schools — strategic planning , media relations , nonprofit fundraising , grant writing , social media , and on and on . Then came the pandemic . “ It was an ever-shifting landscape ,” she says , as the health and school
MEDICAL DIRECTOR • Sutter Health Valley Area electronic ICU guidelines constantly changed , threatening confusion at every turn . “ We had no playbook for this .”
Crisp communication became essential . “ I made it a mission to try to fill any communication void that people might be experiencing during that period of isolation ,” says Gentry . They whipped up
COVID-19 signage that could be displayed in schools , created pandemic resources for the website and coordinated with the county ’ s Department of Public Health to ensure their statements were accurate . The chaotic time meant not just working long nights and weekends , but also delivering tough and even unwelcome messages . On a Sunday in March 2020 , for example , Gentry was tasked with framing and delivering the grim news that schools would switch to remote learning . Her strategy for conveying tough news ? “ It ’ s always best practice to remain concise , to the point and transparent ,” Gentry says . “ We stayed true to that during the entire process .”
And her optimism is infectious . “ During the beginning of the pandemic , I decided to ground myself in positivity and making an impact to help people ,” Gentry says . As president of the Placerville Kiwanis Club , she led service projects such as bringing people food . She consoled those who were grieving . She injected positivity into the internal communications at EDCOE , like launching a “ team member spotlight ,” where she regularly interviews one of the organization ’ s 600 employees to highlight both their contributions and fun personal tidbits — one spotlight revealed that an IT worker , for example , was also an accomplished chef , delighting the department and boosting morale .
It ’ s these small , human moments that keep an organization humming . “ I think it ’ s important for people to feel that connection , to feel that consistent touchpoint ,” Gentry says . “ And I ’ m passionate about connecting people .”
President Andrew Shepherd would approve .
MURAL BY LORA ZOMBIE
38 comstocksmag . com | July 2021