Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Communications topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Manatee Schools communications team honored; longtime communications director Mike Barber to retire
Summary
The district recognized its communications and MSTV team for recent awards and presented longtime Director of Communications Mike Barber with retirement honors and a lifetime high-school athletic pass.
The School Board of Manatee County recognized its communications team and Manatee Schools Television (MSTV) on June 10 for awards and for the Good News campaign that the district said supported community engagement and recent referenda.
Interim Superintendent Kevin Chapman summarized the Good News campaign, launched in 2021 to provide positive district stories after local media coverage declined following the COVID-19 era. Chapman said the initiative produced more than 750 stories and videos between 2021 and October 2024, garnered strong web and social-media metrics and helped the district’s millage outreach. The district also cited recent Sunshine State School Public Relations Association Medallion Awards of Excellence.
Chapman introduced communications and MSTV staff and played a short promotional ad and a video recognizing work by the team. The board then presented Director of Communications Mike Barber, who is retiring after 19 years with the district, with awards and a gift: a commemorative crystal and a lifetime athletic pass to district high-school sporting events for him and his wife.
Why it matters: The communications team’s work was credited by district officials with helping the public understand district programs and informing voters about the millage; the board used the meeting to formally thank longstanding staff for public-facing work that district leaders said is often overlooked.
Ending: Board members and staff praised Barber’s career and the communications team’s awards; the board paused for a celebratory photo and a short MSTV video tribute.
