In 2021, the communications team at the City of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods intentionally pivoted to focus on and invest in community-centered storytelling. They opened their platforms to community voices, commissioned community members to share their stories, and produced content amplifying the work of community. In the past two years, they have published more than 200 community-centered stories on their blog and social media. This work has allowed them to build authentic relationships with the community, amplify and invest in communities with a history of being harmed by government, and create unique entry points for community members to access and engage with local government. Seattle Department of Neighborhoods’ Communications Director Sam Read will share the story of this work and how your agency can begin to reimagine what a government communications team can do.
![Sam Read](http://assets.swoogo.com/uploads/thumb/1952439-62eaeb3e4663a.jpg)