York County introduces new public information director and outlines five-part communications plan

Lisa Wolfchason, the new director of public information for York County, introduced herself and presented a five‑part communications strategy to the York County Council at the Oct. 14 workshop.

Wolfchason said her communication philosophy centers on "open, collaborative, and authentic, and transparent communication," and outlined work streams she plans to develop with the existing public information team of Greg Suskin (public information manager) and Josh Stinder (multimedia specialist). The plan’s five buckets are social media, a strategic communications plan (internal, external and crisis), increased collaboration, a branding update, and professional development.

Why it matters: County officials said they want residents to receive accurate, timely information directly from county channels and to "get the good news to spread as fast as the bad." Council members repeatedly said that routine county work often goes unnoticed and that improving communications could increase public awareness of county services and accomplishments.

Wolfchason gave several specifics she proposes to pursue in the short term. On social media, she said York County currently has six core county pages (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and Nextdoor) and 69 department‑level pages in total; the six core accounts combine for about 37,000 followers. She recommended auditing those pages using social media management and monitoring software to consolidate or reassign poorly performing pages, provide a single point to monitor/respond to comments, publish an editorial calendar tied to county priorities and create platform‑specific messaging (for example, more Instagram content to reach younger residents).

On the communications plan, Wolfchason proposed separate internal, external and crisis components. The internal plan would improve staff awareness of county announcements and revamp the employee newsletter so staff feel informed and recognized. The external plan would strengthen media relations, retool the York County 101 program to attract a more diverse cross‑section of participants (including business leaders), and create a community newsletter with timely, practical information such as tax assessment appeal guidance. For crisis communication she proposed scenario‑based templates developed with the Office of Emergency Management; she noted county public information staff recently participated in a regional active‑assailant training with Mecklenburg County and others.

Wolfchason also proposed creating an internal public relations council made up of staff from high‑touch departments (public works, parks, etc.) to provide training, maintain brand consistency, and identify "validators" — third‑party individuals and partner organizations (municipalities, large employers, utility providers, chambers of commerce, tourism partners) who can amplify official messaging.

On branding, she recommended formal York County brand guidelines and a countywide digital asset library so media and partners can use approved logos, photos and video. She said the county currently uses both a seal (eagle, rose, outline of King Mountain) and a sunset logo and suggested clarifying which is the official mark and issuing guidance so residents can identify official county communications.

Wolfchason closed by urging professional development for the public information team and broader county staff; she noted memberships in the National Association of Government Communicators and the State Association of Public Information Officers and suggested bringing in affordable private‑sector training and Public Relations Society of America resources.

Council response and follow up: Several councilmembers praised Wolfchason’s plan and emphasized speed and consistency in outreach. One speaker, identified as the chair, said the council’s priority is ensuring "residents are well informed with facts" and recommended simplifying sign‑up tools such as the county’s "Notify Me" system. Another councilmember summed up the desired outcome as "get the good news to spread as fast as the bad." Councilmembers also encouraged Wolfchason to return with budget estimates for items that will require funding, including a possible outside consultant for a brand initiative and social media monitoring software.

Wolfchason invited questions and feedback and said she will work with assistant county managers and department heads before making structural changes to pages or systems.