ieSonoma | Innovate and Educate Conference
Posted on May, 14, 2013 by Kerry Rego -I am honored to be asked to speak at the ieSonoma conference at the Sonoma Country Day School on June 10, 2013. The panel of speakers are: Sir Ken Robinson, Darius Anderson, Doug Barry, Dale Dougherty, Jim Glasheen, and Kerry Rego (me!). Sir Ken Robinson, the keynote, is a leader in education, development and innovation. He also gave the most watched TED talk of all time. Darius Anderson is amongst the group of partners to purchase the Press Democrat in November 2012. Doug Barry is an innovator in technology, media, and entertainment. Dale Dougherty, president of Maker Media (produces MAKE) a former division of O’Reilly Media. Jim Glasheen is a leader in the field of biotech and consumer medicine. I am an author and social media consultant. I’m also the only female speaker.
ieSonoma is an emerging partnership between public and private educational institutions and the larger community to innovate and educate for a brighter future. From their website, “We face great challenges and great opportunity as we together prepare all children for the opportunities of the 21st Century. The world has changed greatly due to increased access to technology tools for communication, collaboration and global interconnectedness. The schools we know of the 20th century can’t prepare our kids for the demands of the 21st Century.”
I look forward to speaking my mind and telling educators what they need to know in regards to technology of today and tomorrow, how this effects our students, and how to help them prepare for their lives ahead. I’ve been trying for years to get people to listen and I’m so excited to have the right audience to hear the drum I’ve been beating.
Santa Rosa Has a Social Media Policy
Posted on January, 14, 2013 by Kerry Rego -
I have no official capacity with the City of Santa Rosa.
I live, work, and was raised here. I am a contract instructor through the Santa Rosa Recreation and Parks Department providing social media training in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. I worked as a subcontractor on a few city projects. I know a lot of people on staff. I am the only non-government employee to sit on the New and Social Media Workgroup, a conglomerate of city departments that use social media and flock together to find support and information. I used to sit on council appointed committee. At this point, I know my way around City Hall.
When Kevin McCallum, a reporter from the Press Democrat, called me the other day to get some quotes on the recently passed social media policy for the City of Santa Rosa, he kept repeating that I had no official capacity. He just wanted to be clear, he said.
No, I don’t have official capacity. But I am the social media trainer for the County of Sonoma, in which Santa Rosa resides, and I’m intimately familiar with the policy that just passed because I reviewed it in draft form. I reviewed the county’s policy as well. I feel like even though I’m not on the city payroll, I have room to speak about it.
My friend, Jake Bayless, is the web administrator for Santa Rosa (funny enough, we met on Twitter) and he makes sure I’ve got invites to all the good geeky stuff. He gave me the heads-up about the City Council meeting on January 8, 2013 when they voted in the new social media policy. Though I didn’t need to be there, I wanted to represent my industry. I was pleased to see social media receiving some legitimacy in the form of legal discussion, due diligence, and policy proclamations. I’m glad I was able to see it’s journey.
Only I would take this photo. It’s Jake and I the moment after the policy was voted in. I wanted to commemorate social media growing up and our part in it all.
Efren Carrillo Speaks on Social Media to Engage the Community
Posted on May, 01, 2012 by Kerry Rego -I gave Efren Carrillo, Sonoma County Supervisor, a hand in developing a social media presentation on using social media to engage the community in local decision making. This presentation was given on August 12, 2011, at the California State Association of Counties Institute for Excellence in County Government session, “Public Engagement: Involving the Community in Decision Making.”
Connecting in the Third Dimension
Posted on April, 10, 2012 by Kerry Rego -
I was invited to participate in Maximum Buzz at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary on March 22, 2012. The goal was to have a mini-retreat for online professionals. [See my photoset on Flickr] Their words say it better than I can:
“We’re planning our own version of Web 3.0 – and it’s not [really] about the Internet, it is real people, in real-time. Social media, online networking and Internet marketing is based virtually, but it’s fueled by authentic, engaging conversation. Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary wants to open its doors to bloggers, social media experts and online marketing professionals to network, share ideas and compare notes (and have a little fun). So much of what you do is virtually based, we want you, live and in person to come to Osmosis and unwind.” [See their photoset on Facebook]
We sometimes forget what makes technology work is people. As a culture, we are beginning to look more closely at how we live our lives. I know that technology isn’t the final answer. People are. Don’t forget the enjoyment you derive from being in the same room with other individuals. On that night, we had active conversations about technology, what it means to us personally, and how it’s effecting us.
Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the good conversation, the chair massages, the cedar enzyme foot baths, or maybe it was the fire dancer. I don’t know. What I do know is we can’t exist in a vacuum and when I walked away from that event, I felt more alive than when I walked in.
Kids Know Everything About Social Media
Posted on August, 23, 2011 by Kerry Rego -
I frequently hear this statement, “Go find a college student/teenager/young person to do your social media. They are young. They know how to do this better than I do.” What’s your reaction to that? Does it sound right to you? If I were to swap out social media for a car, do you think it would be the same? Just because they are young and social media is new doesn’t mean they know how to use it well.
It’s your brand. Are you prepared to give complete control to a teenager?
I learned about New York City’s first digital officer, Rachel Sterne (@rachelsterne), recently. She is only the world’s second person to have such a title. The New York Times article talking about the challenges she faces highlight the new frontier that government is entering into. She is helping one of the most iconic cities in the world transform their digital face and interaction with citizens. For such an important role, I would consider her young at 28 (I’m 34 and still considered a baby by many). She is constantly asked the question why she deserves a 6 figure salary when a high schooler could do it for free. (I love her ability to graciously navigate this fairly offensive question.)
Sure, go get yourself a neighbor kid to manage your digital reputation. What could go wrong?
Just because it’s new, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Stop underestimating the power and degree of difficulty involved in social media. Make sure you do your homework, research your target audience, craft communications that will resonate, and deploy your plan. Regardless of your tool, the strategic plan is the same.
Why Social Media Isn’t a Fad
Posted on December, 16, 2009 by Kerry Rego -
I hear the word “fad” all the time in relation to social media. I read a post by Elizabeth Potts Weinstein @ElizabethPW about her 4 year old daughter when she was scalded by hot water. She tweeted her situation and that she would be at the hospital, fearful and in emergency mode. The outpouring of love and energy that came from people she only knew online, took her off-guard. I hope that you click on the link for her post and read it for yourself. All that she says, I completely agree with and I don’t know if I could write it more effectively or from the heart than she did so I hope you take the time to read her original words. I have included below the comment I made in response to her honest words.
Elizabeth,
All that you said…so important. Thank you for verbalizing all that I’ve been thinking. We are spending more time online but we have so many more opportunities to truly connect with one another.
I’m not a fan of bad things happening but every time one does, I think to myself what is different/better because it did happen. I know that this horrible event that happened to your daughter (I shudder at the thought of it happening to my own 4yr old daughter) has a silver lining. You wrote your heart out. You said what NEEDED to be said about “social” media. It’s SOCIAL. There are so many people that will read this and understand what they are trying to do. They are trying to connect with each other.
I train people to network through my Chamber of Commerce. The last time I did a session, I told them I wasn’t going to use the word network anymore and was going to call it “relationship building” from now on. If I change the words, there is more understanding of what we are really trying to do. I am thinking of you and your daughter. I am happy to know that your Friends came out for you. That this whole social media thing isn’t a fad and created true depth and meaning in your life. These are the events that we need to share with others when people scoff at the online tools we use to connect with other imperfect human beings.
Be well, Kerry