OSPRA Annual Conference 2026 Presenter Resources

Bond campaigns often look polished from the outside. On the inside, they can feel a lot more like organized chaos.

In May 2025, Lincoln County School District passed a $73.3 million bond renewal with 69 percent voter approval. With only one person leading communications, the work of supporting the campaign had to happen alongside the daily responsibilities of school PR.

Learn how the district and consultant partnership approached community listening, message development, and campaign planning. This session offers practical insights for communications teams of any size navigating the path from early survey work to a successful vote.

Susan Schuytema leads communications for Lincoln County School District on the Oregon coast, where she runs a one person   communications department and handles everything from media relations and crisis communication to district storytelling,   website management, and graphic design. She currently serves on the OSPRA Board.

After a long career in journalism, Susan taught English and Journalism at a community college in the Midwest. She then spent six   years owning and operating an award-winning wine shop in Illinois before eventually finding her way back to education through   communications.

Those experiences still shape how she approaches the work today. She believes strong school communication should be clear, honest, and rooted in real stories that help communities understand what is happening in their schools and why it matters. She also remains a firm believer in the power of a good story and a well placed exclamation point.

Jeremy Wright brings more than 30 years of experience in political strategy, public affairs, and communications—from  managing campaigns at every government level to nonprofit outreach, grassroots lobbying, and even bringing the MLS Timbers   to Portland.

In 2014, he helped Portland Public Schools pass a teachers levy funding over a third of its teaching staff—lighting his passion for securing more funding for public education.

Since then, Wright has grown Wright Public Affairs into a powerhouse, partnering with over 75 clients across Oregon and  emerging as a leading force behind more than $8 billion in bonds and levies passed since 2015.

Jeremy and his team have won across a vast swath of Oregon—from urban centers to rural communities, from the Portland Metro area to the North Coast, the Rogue Valley, Central Oregon, and all the way to Eastern Oregon. His firm has recently helped secure victories not only at Portland Public Schools and Mt. Hood Community College (passing its first-ever bond after decades of attempts), but also in Tigard-Tualatin, Lake Oswego, Molalla, Oregon City, Lincoln County, Morrow County and more. These wins include some of the most complex, high-stakes campaigns in the state—such as the largest school bonds in Oregon history—as well as victories in communities with little tradition of passing tax measures, often turning past defeats into decisive wins.

Jeremy’s strategy blends data-driven targeting with resonant storytelling and grassroots connection—backed by polling, audience segmentation, and culturally competent messaging—all culminating in campaigns that win hearts and votes alike. He’s a sought-after presenter at local, regional, and national school public affairs platforms, and his team’s work has earned international, national, and local awards for digital, direct mail, and print excellence.

Jeremy lives in Portland’s Alameda neighborhood with his wife Courtney and daughters Willa and Maren—and remains #RCTID to the core, all in on #RIPCITY.

Choose Your Mission: Session B

Signaling Change: AI in School Communication & Leadership

Presentation

AI is here and school communication will never be the same, although we think this is a (mostly) good thing! This session explores the opportunities AI presents for streamlining tedious tasks, personalizing communications, and refocusing school leaders' time on impactful work. We also address the inherent risks, including data privacy, security, and the critical need for staff training.

Brittany is the Senior Manager, Research and Media with SchoolCEO, a quarterly communications and marketing magazine published by Apptegy. Her research focuses include investigating factors necessary for effective school communication, teacher recruitment and retention, and internal communication among school leaders. Before working for SchoolCEO, Brittany spent nearly a decade in the classroom as a Special Education teacher. Brittany served as a Fulbright Scholar in Malaysia and is an alumna of Johns Hopkins University and the University of Central Arkansas. When she’s not working, she loves to garden and explore nature with her daughters near their home outside Seattle.

Improvement Science to Upgrade Communications

Presentation

This session demonstrates how tools from improvement science can be applied in a Communications Program to improve data collection, drive data-driven decisions, and achieve better outcomes. Attendees will also learn how to use rounding to build closer relationships and gain actionable feedback from stakeholders across the district. Communications professionals are always spread thin. Learn how to use short cycles of improvement to dedicate your time to the most impactful actions to meet your district and department's goals.

Maggie Kelly serves as the Director of Communications for Estacada School District, where she leads strategic messaging, media relations, and community engagement. Her work is grounded in a continuous improvement mindset, aligning communication systems to district goals, strengthening feedback loops, and ensuring messaging supports measurable student outcomes. In a district experiencing enrollment growth and rising graduation rates, Maggie has helped build clear, consistent communication practices that elevate authentic student stories and strengthen community trust. She is passionate about helping school leaders communicate with clarity, purpose, and confidence during times of growth and change.

DAY TWO | Friday, April 3

The Message & The Mission: Navigating Shifting Values in Public Education

Presentation

As community values shift, public school communications professionals may find themselves navigating tension and professional uncertainty. This session explores how our sense of purpose evolves and how to lead with integrity when the ground beneath us moves. Through research insights, reflective exercises, and practical tools, participants will reconnect with their core values and consider what it means to communicate and lead authentically in today’s climate. 

Drawing on more than 30 years in school communications, including lessons from the 2024-25 school year, Barbara will share insights on embracing doubt, defining success, and guiding your own leadership journey. 

Barbara became NSPRA’s Executive Director in November 2020. She previously served as president and CEO of Hunter Communications LLC. She spent 14 years as chief communications officer in two Northern Virginia school districts, including Fairfax County Public Schools, the 10th largest in the nation. 

She began her career at AASA and also served as director of communications for the National School Boards Association. Under her leadership, NSPRA has grown in membership and impact, serving as a national leader in best practices and professional development for school communications. 

Crisis Readiness & Resilience 

Presentation

In today’s unpredictable landscape, every organization is vulnerable to a crisis . Effective management is not just about the response when an emergency occurs; it is a daily commitment to preparation and cultural transformation . This session explores how to move beyond common pitfalls like slow response times and inadequate preparation to establish a robust infrastructure for resilience .

You'll learn how to conduct effective environmental scanning to identify emerging threats and how to leverage internal persuasion tactics to elevate these vulnerabilities to leadership. This session focused on essential components of communications infrastructure, including the importance of building relationships and owned channels long before a crisis strikes .

Kelly Bantle is well-versed in public relations, brand and reputation management, marketing, and crisis communications. Throughout her career, she’s consulted on and managed a broad range of issues and crises. Her crisis communications work has ranged from handling industrial accidents and fatalities to aiding the crisis response following a tragic deadly school shooting in Southern Oregon. Kelly works today as an independent contractor, serving clients in the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, Kelly has taught since 2021 an intensive online crisis communications and image management course for Portland State University. She holds an M.S. in mass communications and a B.S. in journalism and broadcasting with a public relations option from Oklahoma State University.

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