The Tripepi Smith Team is excited to announce that Principal Katherine Griffiths has been accepted into the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) Mentorship Program as of September 2023.
“We are excited for Katherine’s participation, and we thank her for being involved in this valuable CAPIO program,” said CAPIO Past President Erin Morales.
Katherine is an award-winning writer and creative director with more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit advancement. As a Denison University alumna with a degree in English literature and writing, she possesses a diverse skill set of strategic planning, executive messaging, content development, proofreading and copyediting. Katherine leads the Tripepi Smith team whose work with municipal and higher education clients has earned accolades from the California Association of Public Information Officers, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and the College Fraternity Editors Association.
“It is an honor to help my mentee, Pauline (Aguayo) Jauregui, grow in her career and set and meet both personal and professional goals,” said Katherine. “I also am excited to expand my mentoring skills and to learn from Pauline.”
Pauline is a former management analyst in the administration/city manager department of the City of Paramount, a Tripepi Smith client since Fall 2016. In addition to working in contract management, risk planning, legislative advocacy and budgeting, she has supported Paramount’s communications division. When Public Information Officer Chris Callard retired in September, she was promoted to the role of communications & engagement manager. Pauline previously was PIO for the City of Montebello; she holds a B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Media Relations Certificate from the Public Relations Society of America.
“I believe a large part of success comes from the wisdom of teachers, and I was eager to find a mentor through the CAPIO program,” said Pauline. “I am grateful to be partnered with Katherine as we embark on this journey together. I look forward to broadening my leadership skills and learning more about communications with Katherine’s guidance.”
CAPIO, dedicated to advancing public sector communications, currently serves over 1,000 communication experts across the state. CAPIO’s Mentoring Program was established to foster the development of its members through two-way learning between a mentor and a mentee. The mentors in the organization possess expertise in professional development and serve as resources to support the mentees’ learning and personal growth.
“Katherine has been a valuable asset to the TS team since joining us in 2016 and she continues to surprise us every day with her writing capabilities,” said Ryder Todd Smith, president of Tripepi Smith. “We are thrilled to congratulate Katherine on this achievement and look forward to seeing her mentor an up-and-coming local government professional.”
About the California Association of Public Information Officials
CAPIO is a membership organization serving more than 700 professionals throughout the public sector who engage communities through honest and transparent communication. CAPIO provides education and networking that helps its members and their agencies develop and advance. CAPIO is the leading professional organization dedicated to advancing public communicators through training, resources and networking to strengthen and engage communities—a fundamental piece of good government.
About Tripepi Smith
Tripepi Smith is a marketing, technology and public affairs firm based in Orange County, CA. Its clients include for-profit, nonprofit and public agencies throughout the state of California. The firm’s unique mix of marketing and technology prowess provides a competitive advantage for organizations seeking to leverage the Internet to achieve their communication goals. Tripepi Smith provides full content creation services, including: ghostwriting, collateral development, photography, video production, search engine optimization, email marketing, crisis communications, social media management and website design and execution. Tripepi Smith clients include: City of Santa Ana, City of Culver City, City of Rolling Hills Estates, City of Tracy, City of Santa Cruz, City of Snoqualmie, City of Cupertino, City of Daly City, City of La Cañada Flintridge, City of Paramount, City of Huntington Beach, City of El Cerrito, City of Indian Wells, City of Yuba City, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Industry Business Council, NHA Advisors, CalChoice, California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, Rowland Water District, California Contract Cities Association, California City Management Foundation, League of California Cities, Institute for Local Government, Renne Public Law Group, Inland Empire Utilities Agency and Climatec Energy Services.