Verified: Fighting for Trust in a Sea of Speculation
Date: 7/20/2026
Time: 3:45 - 4:45 PM
Room: Grand Salon 3 & 6 (Floor 1)
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.
ENGAGEMENT–Internal/external stakeholder engagement
Session Description
We’ve all been there: a routine morning descends into total chaos. For the Pelham Public Schools—a suburban district in New York’s Lower Hudson Valley—that day became a nightmare when multiple students were hospitalized with alarming, unexplained symptoms. As speculation ran rampant and legal constraints limited the flow of information, social media turned vicious.
The crisis took a darker turn when a fraudulent Instagram account began spreading disinformation that was eventually broadcast by a local TV station, threatening to erode the vital trust between the district and the community.
In this session, we will walk moment-by-moment through the crisis, from the first ambulance call to the strategic communications that finally shifted the narrative. We’ll examine what went right, where we struggled, and how to manage "secondary emergencies" in the digital space. Through this real-life scenario and interactive tabletop exercises, you will learn how to craft winning messages and maintain leadership when the odds are stacked against you.
Presenter(s)
Alex Wolff
Director of Communications
Pelham Union Free School District (NY)
Alex Wolff is the director of communications for Pelham Public Schools, where he began his career in school communications in 2016. Before school PR, he worked for nearly a decade in journalism covering high school sports and municipal government. He holds a B.A. in English/Journalism from the University of New Hampshire.
During his time in Pelham, he has focused on crisis communications, enhancing digital media and streamlining communications across the District. In 2018, he led a strategic campaign to pass the largest capital improvement bond in district history—a topic he presented on at the 2019 NSPRA Conference in Washington, D.C. His work in budget and bond communications, as well as crisis communications, has been recognized in the annual NYSPRA Awards.
In 2022, Alex partnered with NSPRA to conduct a communications audit of the district. He is a longtime member of NSPRA and NYSPRA , where he currently serves on the executive board.
Alex lives in Pelham with his wife and daughter. When he’s not fulfilling his roles as husband, father, and school communicator, you can find him on the golf course or cheering for the Knicks, Yankees, and Jets. LinkedIn Profile
Verified: Fighting for Trust in a Sea of Speculation
Category
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.