 Meet the Team: ADOT Community Outreach Manager/Public Information Officer, Marcy McMacken
If you have seen a news story about an ADOT project or followed ADOT on social media, you have probably seen Marcy McMacken standing near a major highway talking about the great work that ADOT construction teams do to improve highways throughout our state. And if you are following the progress on the I-10 Wild Horse Pass Corridor Improvement Projects, you will be seeing a lot more of Marcy as activity on the project increases as she is the face and the voice of the Corridor.
Marcy knows her way around a roadway construction project. Prior to joining ADOT, Marcy worked as a community outreach specialist at Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), the region’s transportation planning agency. There, she gained valuable experience that she now brings to her role at ADOT as a community outreach manager and public information officer. At ADOT, she worked on the state’s largest urban freeway reconstruction project to date, the I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project.
“Prior to working at MAG and ADOT, I had no idea just how much goes into freeway transportation planning, designing and construction,” said Marcy. “And now that I do, I now know why it takes time to plan and deliver freeway construction projects.”
Marcy notes that her role requires her to build and maintain relationships with project partners, stakeholders, the public, and media to keep everyone informed about the project's construction activities. Under Marcy’s direction, the project’s public involvement team uses multiple tools and communications channels to share updates about the project’s progress, as well as traffic restrictions and construction impacts. Marcy also works closely with media to share updates and stories about construction throughout the Corridor.
“I believe in being transparent and sharing as much information as possible about freeway construction work to avoid a ‘no surprises’ reaction,” Marcy said. “In the end, we want everyone to be well informed about this project so that they hopefully learn new things about freeway construction work and plan their commutes around construction work restrictions.”
Marcy honed her public communications skills not only through her experience at MAG and ADOT, but also as a television news professional – working the assignment desks at several television stations in the Phoenix and Tucson markets. When asked what advice she would give to a person considering a career as a public information officer, she cites the importance of having strong mentors, building a professional network, and taking advantage of opportunities to gain hands-on experience.
“You can take many courses or do lots of classroom work but the real preparedness for doing this job comes with knowing what it consists of in the real world,” Marcy noted. “By speaking with or shadowing someone who is doing this job in the real world, you'll have a better understanding of the job.”
Marcy encourages aspiring communications professionals to look for internships at agencies or companies with public information offices. She also recommends joining professional organizations and building relationships with those already working as PIOs.
What Marcy does not mention, but demonstrates every day, is her passion for the project and her pride in being part of the ADOT communications team.
“Transportation affects everyone and to be part of something that improves or helps the quality of people's lives makes this career rewarding,” Marcy added. |
