Description

This past election year SOS Washoe took the community by surprise by passing at 57% after repeated attempts over the last fifteen years to pass a sales tax to build and repair schools. What was different this time? Find out the strategy behind this come back campaign and learn how the SOS Washoe team used the power of persuasion to move hearts and minds in Washoe county. Join Abbi Whitaker, co-founder and president of The Abbi Agency; Alex Bybee, director of development and community relations for The Clark County Public Education Foundation; and Richard Jay, first vice president – investment officer for Wells Fargo Advisors in Reno to learn more about how the community came together to support this initiative.

About Our Speakers:

Abbi WhitakerAbbi Whitaker

Abbi Whitaker is the co-founder and president of The Abbi Agency, a digital, PR and creative agency that’s headquartered in Reno. Her agency, which also has offices in New York City, San Francisco and Las Vegas, is nationally known for the campaigns it has developed for technology clients such as HomeAdvisor, Offerpop and Grand Rounds and tourism clients such as North Lake Tahoe.

For the SOS campaign, Abbi also put to work the skills and knowledge she developed as part of the team that created the Biggest Little City campaign as well as wide-ranging contacts from her work as a leader with The Chamber, EDAWN, NCET and many other organizations. Abbi is a member of the Forbes Agency Council, The Young Entrepreneurs Council and a recent winner the University of Nevada’s Young Alumni Award, RGJ/YPN Twenty Under 40 Award, NCET’s President’s Award, AMA Influencer of the Year, The Chamber Business of the Year Award, RGJ Entrepreneur of the Year and the American Planner Associations Citizen Planner of the Year award.

She’ll share her insights how leading-edge marketing techniques were used in combination with traditional campaign strategies to deliver victory for the SOS initiative.

Alex BybeeAlex Bybee

Alex Bybee is a young politico with a heart and passion for Nevada. A proud alum of the University of Nevada, Reno with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Alex was elected to serve as the vice president of the undergraduate student government and was the association’s director of legislative affairs.

During the spring semester of his senior year, he joined The Abbi Agency where he successfully managed the Save Our Schools campaign in Washoe County, which advocated for an increase in the county sales tax to fund the capital needs of Washoe County schools. The initiative passed decisively with more than 56 percent of the vote, after several previous initiatives failed to achieve a majority of the vote. The revenue generated from the increase will make $781 million in investments to public school infrastructure over the next decade.

Alex currently serves as the director of development and community relations for The Clark County Public Education Foundation. He stays civically engaged, volunteering as a mentor and counselor for The Nevada Youth Legislature, Nevada Association of Student Councils, and the American Legion Nevada Boys State – all programs for which he is an alum.

Richard JayRichard Jay

Richard Jay is a long-time Reno citizen who utilized his financial expertise as a first vice president at Wells Fargo Advisors to help secure funds for Washoe County schools. As Chair of the Business Advisory Board for SOS Washoe, Richard worked to uncover information that would provide insight about everything from funding for schools to the history of funding and taxes for school. Having worked to secure school funding in the past, Richard is proud to have been part of a team that achieved one of the largest voter approved tax initiatives in the history of Washoe County.

Details

2017-03-21 11:30:002017-03-21 13:00:00America/Los_AngelesThe Power of Digital Influence in Politics ft SOS WashoeThis past election year SOS Washoe took the community by surprise by passing at 57% after repeated attempts over the last fifteen years to pass a sales tax to build and repair schools. What was different this time? Find out the strategy behind this come back campaign and learn how the SOS Washoe team used the power of persuasion to move hearts and minds in Washoe county. Join Abbi Whitaker, co-founder and president of The Abbi Agency; Alex Bybee, director of development and community relations for The Clark County Public Education Foundation; and Richard Jay, first vice president - investment officer for Wells Fargo Advisors in Reno to learn more about how the community came together to support this initiative. About Our Speakers: Abbi WhitakerAbbi Whitaker Abbi Whitaker is the co-founder and president of The Abbi Agency, a digital, PR and creative agency that’s headquartered in Reno. Her agency, which also has offices in New York City, San Francisco and Las Vegas, is nationally known for the campaigns it has developed for technology clients such as HomeAdvisor, Offerpop and Grand Rounds and tourism clients such as North Lake Tahoe. For the SOS campaign, Abbi also put to work the skills and knowledge she developed as part of the team that created the Biggest Little City campaign as well as wide-ranging contacts from her work as a leader with The Chamber, EDAWN, NCET and many other organizations. Abbi is a member of the Forbes Agency Council, The Young Entrepreneurs Council and a recent winner the University of Nevada’s Young Alumni Award, RGJ/YPN Twenty Under 40 Award, NCET’s President’s Award, AMA Influencer of the Year, The Chamber Business of the Year Award, RGJ Entrepreneur of the Year and the American Planner Associations Citizen Planner of the Year award. She’ll share her insights how leading-edge marketing techniques were used in combination with traditional campaign strategies to deliver victory for the SOS initiative. Alex BybeeAlex Bybee Alex Bybee is a young politico with a heart and passion for Nevada. A proud alum of the University of Nevada, Reno with a bachelor's degree in political science, Alex was elected to serve as the vice president of the undergraduate student government and was the association's director of legislative affairs. During the spring semester of his senior year, he joined The Abbi Agency where he successfully managed the Save Our Schools campaign in Washoe County, which advocated for an increase in the county sales tax to fund the capital needs of Washoe County schools. The initiative passed decisively with more than 56 percent of the vote, after several previous initiatives failed to achieve a majority of the vote. The revenue generated from the increase will make $781 million in investments to public school infrastructure over the next decade. Alex currently serves as the director of development and community relations for The Clark County Public Education Foundation. He stays civically engaged, volunteering as a mentor and counselor for The Nevada Youth Legislature, Nevada Association of Student Councils, and the American Legion Nevada Boys State – all programs for which he is an alum. Richard JayRichard Jay Richard Jay is a long-time Reno citizen who utilized his financial expertise as a first vice president at Wells Fargo Advisors to help secure funds for Washoe County schools. As Chair of the Business Advisory Board for SOS Washoe, Richard worked to uncover information that would provide insight about everything from funding for schools to the history of funding and taxes for school. Having worked to secure school funding in the past, Richard is proud to have been part of a team that achieved one of the largest voter approved tax initiatives in the history of Washoe County.
Event StartsEvent Ends
2017-03-212017-03-21
11:30am1:00pm
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