VTrans communications director highlights outreach: Drive Well Vermont, rail‑trail promotion and public information consultants

Amy Tatko, director of communications and public outreach for the Vermont Agency of Transportation, told the House Transportation Committee on Jan. 22 that her office coordinates press releases, social media, highway safety campaigns and project‑level public outreach and that the agency emphasizes rapid responses to public inquiries and targeted paid campaigns.

Tatko described a compact communications team (she identified the current team as one person responsible for agency and DMV communications) that handles press releases, incoming press inquiries, social media accounts (about 54,000 Facebook followers), paid highway safety campaigns, rail‑trail promotion and public information for construction projects. She said VTrans aims to connect reporters to subject matter experts…