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Storytelling in Local Government with LaToya Muse · Modern Gov Matters

• Sarah Loyd: Welcome to Modern Gov Matters. I'm Sarah Loyd, and this show is all about honest conversations with local government communicators about what's actually working, what's not, and the stuff that keeps you up at night. Modern Gov Matters is presented by CivAll, powered by Social News Desk. My guest today is LaToya Muse, Creative Services Manager for the town of Prescott Valley, Arizona. In her own words, she's the town's storyteller, taking the work happening inside local government and translating it into content that residents can actually connect with, whether that's on social media, the website, or in the local news. LaToya, welcome to Modern Gov Matters. LaToya Muse: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. Sarah Loyd: Yeah, I'm excited to have you. And before we get into the work, you actually grew up in Prescott Valley. So what's it like doing the job in the community that raised you? LaToya Muse: Yeah, that is kind of the reason I think I get out of bed every morning is I just love contributing back to the community that raised me. I ⁓ actually like ⁓ in a community like right next door, a rural community. So didn't have the stores or school, know, we have very much in that community. So everything we did was in Prescott Valley. So. Yeah, I went to school here. I grew up, you know, going to the movie theater here, like me and my friends hung out here. So it's really exciting to one, be able to contribute to that community that really was what defined me and then to make the community great for future generations. So future me's who are going to grow up here, contributing to making that community great them. going forward. So I just, I love that. That's my favorite part of the job. Sarah Loyd: Yeah, I love that too. you say that that personal connection changes how you approach the storytelling side of it? LaToya Muse: think so. ⁓ I feel like I have a pretty good handle of the audience of Prescott Valley, what residents are looking for, what they don't want to hear versus what they do want to hear. And I feel like that really helps in the storytelling and in the content we create and like understanding what's going to resonate with our residents. Cause I've been around them my whole life. So feel like I have a good handle. ⁓ Yeah, exactly. ⁓ Sarah Loyd: Yeah, you've been around them. You are them. So yeah. So your team of five, soon to be six, serves 14 departments. So walk me through what a typical week actually looks like, because I have a feeling typical is a generous word. LaToya Muse: Typical is generous, right? feel like any job in local government every day is just so different, especially in a more creative role or communications role. So week will usually start off with like a big team meeting, touching base, seeing what everyone's up to, seeing, you know, what is important on the calendar, what we need to, you know, maybe communicate, et cetera, et cetera. So we always start the week off with that. And then from there, everything, it just depends on the week, you know? So yesterday, like we had a ribbon cutting for a new park playground equipment. So like that was yesterday, but then I also had a... countywide PIO meeting yesterday. then there is an emergency, like an urgent issue, then kind of plans have to change, right? Because then we have to communicate with emergency alerts or if have to respond to media, that shakes things up. And then we are always, I feel like we're always making content, making videos on our team. ⁓ So there's usually video. ⁓ Sarah Loyd: Yeah, of course. LaToya Muse: production happening during the week or like recording our podcast, PV in Focus. We do that about every three weeks or so trying to record those. You know, approving graphic, working with my graphic designer on, know, designs that she's working on, different content, different deliverables. It is every day, every week, but that's what keeps it fun. ⁓ Sarah Loyd: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And with that many things coming at you every week, how do you decide what gets prioritized? Like, is there a system or is it more of kind of a gut call in the moment? LaToya Muse: ⁓ are such good team and we are always just talking. We're always communicating, right? ⁓ It's kind part of our job. But we are always like touching base, like, OK, what's priority? What do we need to work on today? What do we need to get out tomorrow? Also, using a project management system has been a game changer on our team. We did not have one for the longest time. Sarah Loyd: Right. LaToya Muse: My project management system was a list, like on a piece of paper, know, and just continue making that list and checking things off. But, know, naturally things are going to slip by. So we finally got a project management system and that has made a huge difference, especially like with our graphic designer. She can prioritize, you know, her projects and I can kind of oversee those and we can approve them. And then also just us ⁓ constantly talking and being transparent and you know, talking about what we're working on and what's coming up. Sarah Loyd: Yeah. I mean, I know as a communications person, your, your primary job is communicating with the public, but communicating within your team is obviously a crucial skill to have. What project management tools are you guys using? LaToya Muse: Right. So we're currently using Teamwork at the moment. We're big fans of that. Like I said, for the longest time, we didn't have anything. And when our graphic designer joined the team, she was like, so what project management system are you guys using? And it was like, what's that? ⁓ Huh? we're ⁓ so to be using that, which has been really helpful. Sarah Loyd: What now? So you said something that I love before the podcast. You just talked about like kind of what is working, but you mentioned that the what we've always done" is something that doesn't work anymore. So ⁓ can you give me an of where you pushed back on that and what happened? LaToya Muse: So yeah, the saying, "well, that's what we've always done" is something that we hear a lot. And I'm sure that is like across the board in local governments. I'm sure even state governments, federal government, I'm sure that is just heard all the time. If it works, it works great, but if it's not working, when there's a process or a service that isn't working, if we're wasting taxpayer money on something that isn't serving the community, it's time to innovate. something I really appreciate in this organization in the town of Prescott Valley is being innovative is one of our core values. We are empowered to be creative and come up with creative solutions. How can we save money? How can we streamline a process? So in the last few years, we've been trying to revamp some of our processes and products, has saved taxpayer money and improved efficiency. Some the software we were using was not the as well, and it was a lot of money. we found, so for like our website, we've updated our website with a new vendor. It's just. The cost is better and we're just getting a better return on our investment and it's a better product for our residents. We have ADA standards on there. It's more accessible. The customer service is great. So that's something we looked at and said, hey, we think we can revamp this, save some money and make it easier for our users, for our residents to access our information. Sarah Loyd: I was going ask how you make the case for change inside a government organization without it feeling like a threat to the people who built those processes. But ⁓ it sounds like the is we're saving money and we're just delivering a better product. LaToya Muse: you Yeah, for sure. Our supervisor, our chief communications officer, she does an awesome job advocating for our team, our innovations, what we're coming up with, our suggestions. And she does a really great job advocating that to our town manager our deputy town manager, who then makes that ultimate decision and has to make sure it aligns with council's goals. she's awesome at advocating for us. Yeah. Yes. Yes. That makes a huge difference. Sarah Loyd: Yeah, that's great that you have that kind of advocacy at the top. I'm sure that makes life quite a bit easier. Yeah, awesome. So one more on the doesn't work side. ⁓ You flagged AI generated content as a friction point specifically because you mentioned you have an incredible graphic designer on your team. So can you tell me a little bit more about that friction? LaToya Muse: Yeah. Yeah. I know, AI as a tool, awesome. Like, you know, when you're stuck, you know, you're on something, you need an idea. I love that. when we're, especially in this organization, I understand like not everybody has, right, a great graphic designer on staff. That is something we are very fortunate to have. But in our organization, ⁓ when Sarah Loyd: Right. LaToya Muse: AI is used to generate content. I just feel this like, it hurts my heart a little bit because we have such a great graphic designer and she can create anything and make it beautiful. And then we get, you know, someone saying, hey, like we want to print this and they send us AI generated artwork. And I'm just ⁓ like we can make that for you and we can make it on brand. We can make it beautiful. There's no like. Sarah Loyd: you LaToya Muse: ethical or legal issues with it. You know what I mean? Like it's ours, so we own it. And so that's just somewhat like my concern with AI generated content. But I do understand, you know, some teams might have to use that. I get that. But in our organization, we have a designer and I just, won't, you know, she does such great work and I just always want her to have that opportunity to create beautiful things. So when sends us something, it's like, no. We can do that. Sarah Loyd: Yeah, and you mentioned to me that your residents are really craving authenticity, especially as things like AI generated content become more prevalent. So how do you build that authenticity ⁓ your content strategy when you're still a government entity that has to stay on message? LaToya Muse: Yeah. think we always try to, especially on social media, we always try to have as many real photos of real people doing things. I think that people ⁓ of maybe the behind the scenes or reminds people of the that we are doing. Just seeing those people and faces smiling, it's just so authentic. especially in a world of a social media feed, right? That's full of just ads, AI generated content, scrolling through and seeing like you know, streets ⁓ team, helping a little boy, showing him how to, you know, put concrete down on a sidewalk. And like that kind of stuff is so real and like who we are as an organization that being able to show that to people kind of reminds people like, there are good people out here doing the job every day, making PV work, making PV run, which is kind of where like the idea for our podcast, PV in Focus came from. We really wanted to highlight the behind the scenes, the work that's getting done on a daily basis that people don't necessarily think about. ⁓ Sarah Loyd: Yeah, absolutely. yeah, tell me a little bit more about PV in Focus. Whose idea was it, and how did you guys pitch that internally? LaToya Muse: So the idea actually came from kind of our town manager. He kind of planted the seed. And then our videographer, Robert, done podcasts before. So he was game, ⁓ our communications officer, she was game. So we came together and our town manager actually hosted our first few episodes. And he'll them here and there, but we're trying to get more ⁓ hosts from director level. So really he kind of planted the seed because I think he also saw residents not knowing what exactly the work that is being done in the organization. And I think he wanted to promote what our staff is doing and the great things we do every day. Sarah Loyd: You mentioned to me ⁓ the we did with Brian Ligon a couple of episodes ago. And he kind of floated the idea that people are angrier online, but easier to reach in person. So has that anything about how your team approaches community engagement? LaToya Muse: Yeah. Yes. Yeah. It's definitely gotten the conversation started. So we kind of in the last few months have been talking about like, okay, how do we get in front of people? and wanting to plan maybe having a booth at some of our signature events of our creative services team. So we can talk to people, we can get their feedback, we can interact with them because every interaction I've had with a resident in person has always gone well, even if they're still frustrated, it still goes better than like the interactions that are happening, in the comments of our Facebook page or something, you know? So it's gotten our conversation started. We haven't done anything yet, but we're definitely looking into ways we can kind of get more out there, get in front of people and just interact with who we're serving, which is our community. Sarah Loyd: Yeah. Have you had like a favorite interaction with a resident? LaToya Muse: So a few ago, we filmed a video to promote shopping, local businesses our biggest street that was under construction. were worried that the businesses on that road. would feel the impact of the construction because people wanted to avoid the road, right? So we created a kind of a funny skit about, you know, shopping local, businesses are still open, but we used a mini horse to kind of... I know was very little Sebastian coded, her name was Secret. we had this tiny horse ⁓ ⁓ of our previous employees, he was like walking her in front of some of these shops. we created a kind of a funny skit ⁓ about, you know, shopping local, but we used a mini horse to kind of... ⁓ know was very little Sebastian coded, Sarah Loyd: ⁓ my God, it's little Sebastian. ⁓ my God, it's little Sebastian. LaToya Muse: And we, have never had so many people come up to us being like, what are you doing? And we, have never had so many people come up to us being like, what are you doing? And it was like, oh, like we're filming a video to promote, you know, local business while construction's happening. And those were the most positive interactions I had with residents. Cause it was just so funny too. We're just like, yeah, this is, this is just a normal Wednesday for us. This is my job today. Yeah. It was really fun. Um, and those were really great interactions. Yeah. Sarah Loyd: My job today is leading this mini horse around town. Yeah, that's awesome. So I want to make sure we talk about the Hometown Hero Banner Program, because you mentioned that the messages you got back from families reminded you why you do this job. So tell me a little bit more about the program and what did that response from families feel like? LaToya Muse: Yeah, of course. So we did a program last year for the first time. It was called the Hometown Hero Banner Program. So we recognized local active military and veterans from Prescott Valley street pole banners around town. So was like a lot of work, you know, to take in the information from the community, to organize process it, create the banners for each service member, and then have our team ⁓ install them the parks and around our Civic Center campus. They were so well received and the messages our team got for the program, it was so rewarding, especially like from the families, they were so touched by the program and just seeing their, you know, their son or daughter up on that banner. They were just really touched. And we did that program at no cost to them. And it just reminded me why I do this job. Like I grew up here and like seeing, like there were service members who I went to high school with, right? That we did banners for. ⁓ We received messages from who were my teachers. So very just like full circle, having those and then having those really great messages given back us about the important work that we do. And to some it just, yeah, right? It seems like just a banner, right? But to them it just meant so much, which meant even more to us, so that we could do that program for them. Yeah. Sarah Loyd: Yeah, yeah. Do messages like that change how you think about your upcoming projects? LaToya Muse: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Like, how do we do something that our residents are going to resonate with, what they're going to care about? Like, doing more stuff like that, that really just feels like it represents them and, you know, helps them feel proud, of their community and of the work we're doing here. ⁓ Sarah Loyd: Yeah, that's such a beautiful way to connect with your community. So I really love that. All right, so LaToya, this is our last segment. It's the lightning round. So first thing that comes to mind, just a quick answer. And this might be a little ⁓ more involved for you since you are from Prescott Valley. ⁓ So tell me what is your favorite local spot in town? LaToya Muse: Yeah. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So I have two, and they're two completely different things. a favorite restaurant, and it's actually a more, a newer restaurant. It's called Superb Food Company. They're awesome. They have outdoor dining. They have really great mac and cheese. We're big fans in this department of Superb. So we love them. They're delicious. And then my other favorite is a thrift store, ⁓ Stones Thrift Store. They've been in this community since. Sarah Loyd: Okay. You LaToya Muse: I think I was born a little after. They are so established in this community, but they're more than just a thrift store, They have a women's shelter, women's and children's shelter, so their profits will support that. They help people get back to work, so they'll work in their thrift store. And I just love that about store. that's why they're one of my faves, because I love the work doing. Sarah Loyd: Yeah, that's so great. So ⁓ what is the most underrated thing about your community? LaToya Muse: So I, and maybe this isn't underrated, maybe this is what everybody thinks, but the proximity of Prescott Valley is just chef's kiss, right? Like it's perfectly placed in Arizona where we have four seasons, except this year we have not had a winter. So it's not as hot as Phoenix, right? But we still have warmer summers ⁓ it's not as cool as like the Northern part of the state. So we do get some snow. ⁓ We get like a great monsoon season in the summer typically, but I love like the proximity in Arizona. And then we are just so close to everything. I'm like an hour's drive from Sedona. I'm an hour's drive to Phoenix. Go to Flagstaff. You're like six hours away from Disneyland, which is vital for a Disney adult. ⁓ So I just love where it's located. I love looking out my window and seeing mountains. Sarah Loyd: Yeah. LaToya Muse: That's a huge thing. I just love mountains and seeing those in the distance. I just love where we're at. I love the proximity. home to me, ⁓ Sarah Loyd: if Prescott Valley had a theme song, what would it be? LaToya Muse: So this is fun. So I would say Taking Care of Business Bachman Turner Overdrive. However, last in our state of the town, one of coworkers, our webmaster, she rewrote the lyrics to this song, and we called it Taking Care of PV. And she rewrote lyrics, which we then put it in AI Generator to create a song, because we can't make a song. We record a song. not there yet. Sarah Loyd: Hahaha LaToya Muse: I, taking care of PV, was kind of like our theme to end our state of the town. And just, love using that term because I feel like that's what we're doing. We're taking care of business. We're taking care of PV on a basis. ⁓ Yeah. Taking of home. Yeah. ⁓ Sarah Loyd: Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, taking care of home. Yeah, so one last question. ⁓ If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out in government comms, what would it be? LaToya Muse: So worked in this organization for ⁓ 13 years, and I've worked in different departments. I've been in this kind of department for about six years. So advice to learn about every department as much as you can, because knowing what the different are doing, what your coworkers are doing, and having a basic understanding of the work they're doing will help you. ⁓ communicate that to your residents. So you can explain why a stoplight or why that traffic signal is timed way it is, right? Because you understand how the street signals work because you've talked to Parker in Public Works, right? So having base knowledge of kind of what all your departments are doing and what the projects going on are will help you communicate that to your residents. So it'll help you so much. Sarah Loyd: And LaToya, how can people follow you or follow ⁓ what your is doing? LaToya Muse: Yeah, so our town is on, we're on Facebook and we're on Instagram and we also have a Nextdoor account. So we are Prescott Valley town on Instagram, no spaces and then just town of Prescott Valley on Facebook, And I'm on LinkedIn, LaToya Muse, that's where I'm at. But we also, our department, our parks and rec team and our library also have separate Facebook and Instagrams as well, so. Sarah Loyd: Okay, awesome. LaToya Muse: We are out there. And then our website is Prescott Valley dash az dot gov. I almost forgot. We do have a YouTube channel as well. how did I forget? We have YouTube channel as well. Prescott Valley one, the number one. So we ⁓ are doing awesome content on there. Yeah. Sarah Loyd: Okay. Prescott Valley one. All right. Great. Yeah. Thank you so much. And LaToya, thank you for being here. You clearly love your community. You clearly love doing this work. I that comes out in everything your team does. So I'm really glad we got to have this conversation today. LaToya Muse: Awesome. Thank you so much for having me. It was a pleasure, Sarah. And yeah, thanks. Thanks again. Sarah Loyd: Modern Gov Matters is presented by CivAll, powered by Social News Desk. If you found this episode helpful or interesting, please share it. And for more episodes, visit moderngovmatters.com. I'm Sarah Loyd, and we'll see you in two weeks.