BY ACSAH LEMMA
No matter where your career takes you, from government and journalism to sports, strong communication skills will help you succeed. That was the theme of this year’s Capitol Connections.
Hosted by Lucas Public Affairs at the UC Student and Policy Center, this annual lunchtime event brought together early career professionals from in and around the Capitol to hear from leaders in their respective industries and network with peers and future colleagues.
Capitol Connections is just one example of how LPA fosters the next generation of communications professionals.
Each year, this event is planned and hosted by LPA’s apprentice team. From reaching out to panelists, locking down a venue, drafting questions and more, the apprentice team — Sabrina Figueroa Avila, Avery Stanley and I — worked side-by-side to ensure we cultivated the best possible event.
This year, we chose to spotlight communications across industries. Our esteemed panelists included:
- Izzy Gardon, Director of Communications, Office of Governor Newsom
- Shannon Malone Mazibuko, Vice President of Basketball Communications, The Sacramento Kings
- Eytan Wallace, Multimedia Political Journalist & Capitol Correspondent, Nexstar Media Group
We made the most of our hour with these industry titans. Here are the key takeaways from our discussion:
Say Yes and Show Up
Wallace’s first career job came from agreeing to drive 90 minutes from Los Angeles to Bakersfield to meet NBC Bakersfield’s news director, in lieu of submitting a traditional application.
“I guarantee you that showing up, meeting with him directly, that made all the difference,” Wallace said.
Gardon agreed with Wallace saying that whenever he was presented an opportunity to try something, he would take it. This go-getter attitude opened many doors for him in civic engagement eventually leading him to Governor Newsom’s office.
Although Mazibuko got her start in sports communications through journalism school, she originally had her sights set on a career in business. Showing up to academic counseling and meeting with her advisor steered her to the journalism track, which ended up being the “perfect fit,” she said.
Build Up a “Trust” Bank Account
When you work in high-impact, high-visibility industries such as our panelists, every action you take carries weight.
Mazibuko describes trust as a bank account. She builds that account by investing in relationships with her team, allowing her to make withdrawals when she needs their support for strategic recommendations.
When developing his messaging for the Governor’s Office, Gardon said you must meet people where they are now and find “those commonalities, those shared issues, those shared opportunities.” Trust develops when you understand the issues people face and show they are not alone in their struggle.
That’s how he ensures his messaging reaches diverse audiences across not only the state, but the nation.
As a journalist, trust is Wallace’s bread and butter. If your audience doesn’t trust you, then your coverage holds no weight. As a result, accuracy and fairness are two of Wallace’s guiding principles whenever he is reporting on a topic.
He brought up an anecdote from PBS Newshour former anchorman Jim Lehrer that helps him to keep his reporting fair.
“Anybody you do a story on, do that story as if you’re telling it about you. How would you want the story to be about you,” Wallace recited.
Mentors Can Be Found in Many Places
Mentors are one of the most important relationships a young professional can cultivate, but they can come in several different forms. For Mazibuko, her older sister was one of her first mentors, but as she’s progressed in her career, she recalls at least three to four people whom she’s consistently leaned on.
Mazibuko recommends keeping an open mind to who can be a mentor, even if it’s just for a season of your life.
“Mentorship is not something that should be denied,” Mazibuko said. “If someone is pouring into you with their hard-earned time or money and giving you a space to be yourself and ask questions, gobble it up because it will only help you.”
Wallace has one mentor he still calls regularly. His mentor taught him a lesson he always falls back on.
“Every crime story, every economy story, every climate story, whatever it might be, it’s a people story,” Wallace said. “You have to relate it to the everyday person.”
Gardon’s current mentor relationships just fell into place. Instead of actively seeking mentorship, he would reach out to people to grab coffee and chat. However, when he was an Executive Fellow in the Governor’s office, he received more traditional mentorship through his program.
Gardon recommended both mentorship pathways — formal and informal — because even a casual conversation with a coworker who has more experience can share new insights.
Onwards and Upwards
It was an honor to plan this event with my amazing co-apprentices. The conversations we had, advice we heard and relationships we formed will carry through the attendees’ blossoming careers.
LPA knows how critical it is to invest in the next generation of communications leaders, and this event is something the firm is continuously proud to host.
“All of us had to start somewhere, and I can still remember the people who returned my phone call and gave me some advice,” Donna Lucas, President and CEO of LPA, said. “We believe it’s important to put a hand back and lift other people up, and this is one of the ways we can do that.”
