From helping citizens and volunteers rally within a community post-disaster, to creating a system for better transparency, collaboration, and communication within a community, our speakers told stories of how social media, mobile phones, websites, Front Porch Forum, and more helped their own communities become more engaged.
2. Engaged Communities (A6)
! Michael Wood-Lewis, Co-Founder & CEO
Front Porch Forum (Moderator)
! Sarah Waterman Manning, VTResponse.com
! Steve Butcher, Mad River Valley
! Janette Shaffer, Middlesex
3. Michael Wood-Lewis
CEO, Co-Founder
Front Porch Forum
! Founded FPF with his wife Valerie in their
Burlington neighborhood in 2006
19. Key Goals of VTResponse
• Consolidate information
• Create a place to connect
• Accessible to all
• Simple to use
20. Managing VTResponse
• Check Email, Twitter, and Voicemail
• Review comments and forums
• Review VTExchange.org
• 17 individual town pages
• 12 individual town web pages
• 6 State of Vermont Sites
• 27 person contact list
• Traditional Media Sources
25. The Basics
Build your audience before you need it.
Manage the information.
Use a few tools well, rather than all the tools poorly.
Create a system that is as automatic as possible.
26. Building Audience
Engagement is key.
• Identify key players
• Follow/add/participate generously
• Create a conversation
27. Manage the Information
If you don’t share it, someone else will.
• Clear, concise, original.
• Provide contact information for follow-up
• Seek user generated content
• Active, consistent participation
28. Thank You
• Vermont Council on Rural Development
• Tom Birkland
• Matt Sisto/Katy Kent
48. Janette Shaffer
Remote Town Meeting Participation Coordinator,
Middlesex Town Meeting Solutions Committee
The Town Meeting Solution Committee‘s goal is to improve
participation in Middlesex town meeting and Middlesex civic affairs
through
1. Information
• Middlesex Operator’s Manual (Print and online)
• Welcome new voter letters
• Town Meeting Tidbits on FPF
• Facilitation of f2f roundtable meetings
2. Remote Town Meeting Participation (RTMP)
49. Contact the Panelists
! Michael Wood-Lewis, Front Porch Forum
michael@frontporchforum.com
! Sarah Waterman Manning, VTResponse.com
sarah.w.manning@med.uvm.edu
! Steve Butcher, Mad River Valley
steve@vickoryhill.com
! Janette Shaffer, Middlesex
janette.shaffer@ccv.edu
steve@vickeryhill.com
steve@vickeryhill.com