Commission reports rising training numbers and social media engagement; 1,974 public officers trained this fiscal year to date

At the June 18 meeting the Commission on Ethics received an outreach and education update reporting growth in training participation and online engagement.

Outreach and Education Officer Harvey reported that, at the time the packet was prepared, the office had trained 1,974 public officers and employees in the fiscal year to date. Harvey said survey and training feedback showed a substantial majority of trainees reporting improved understanding of the ethics law and increased confidence in accessing resources after training.

Harvey also described improving social engagement—particularly trivia polls on social platforms—and an article on contracting posted to LinkedIn. The office has distributed three quarterly newsletters (the April newsletter reached slightly more than 1,600 public officers) and plans a July newsletter. Harvey said the office receives frequent inquiries: at the time of the report there were 45 public records requests and 101 requests for information; staff said they were able to provide responsive records in 64% of public records requests and substantively answer 84% of information requests.

Commissioners praised the outreach work and suggested expanding distribution to city and county public information officers to broaden reach; Commissioner Sam Reynolds specifically recommended routing educational resources through city/county PIOs and newsletters. Commissioners also welcomed a recent AGA presentation and praised the work of staff and the new senior legal research intern.

The outreach team will continue quarterly quality improvement reviews of training materials and plans for campaign and endorsement best‑practice guidance ahead of the next election cycle.