From Viral to Survival: How One School Division Turned a Viral Negative Moment Into Transformative Change
Date: 7/21/2026
Time: 8:30 - 9:30 AM
Room: Grand Salon 9 & 12 (Floor 1)
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.
LEADERSHIP–Leadership, strategic counseling, management, mentorship in communications and public schools
Session Description
During this session, attendees will learn how one school division quickly turned a negative viral moment that made national headlines into positive, transformative change for the entire community. Amid low student meal participation and public concern following media coverage of a viral social media post highlighting a student lunch, the school division, in partnership with a crisis communications firm, developed a robust crisis response plan to tackle public perception and criticism head on.
The division and its crisis communications consultants quickly implemented a strategic approach premised on transparency, candor, message clarity, and sustained and meaningful family engagement. As a result, the student meal experience in the school nutrition division was transformed, confidence was rebuilt, and school meal participation has grown significantly.
Attendees will take away key lessons and missteps learned, how to manage social media during viral turmoil, how to engage with media during a period of change and improvement, and ultimately how a negative story can be spun into a positive outcome moving forward.
Presenter(s)
Chelsea Vongehr
Chief Communications Officer
Petersburg City Public Schools
Ms. Chelsea Vongehr is a government affairs and public relations professional with 15 years of experience representing public agencies in California and Virginia. Ms. Vongehr presently serves as the Chief Communications Officer for Petersburg City Public Schools in Petersburg, VA. In her role, she is responsible for all external and internal communications for the school division. Prior to her work in Petersburg, she served as the Director of Communications for Lodi Unified School District in Lodi, CA. She also worked for a top ten lobbying and grant writing firm in California where she advocated on behalf of public agencies’ legislative and funding agendas in Sacramento and Washington, DC.
Ms. Vongehr received her bachelor’s degree in English from Fresno Pacific University. She is a current member of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), Chesapeake School Public Relations Association, and the Public Relations Society of America. Previously, she served as the Board Secretary of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) North Pacific District. She is also a founding member of Women Together International, a California-based organization that was started in 2019 with the shared vision to provide networking, learning, and mentoring opportunities to women.
Ms. Vongehr has earned numerous media and public information officer training certifications from the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Her work in communications has received national recognition by NSPRA. LinkedIn Profile
Brendan Williams-Kief
Partner
Georgetown Public Affairs
Brendan Williams-Kief is a partner at Georgetown Public Affairs, LLC, where he assists clients with media, communications, and government affairs needs, particularly in the areas of education, health care, technology, and economic development policy. He draws on his experiences as a former journalist, at the highest-levels of municipal politics, and for an internationally respected advocacy organization to help clients develop their message and ensure that it is heard.
Prior to his time in politics, Brendan was an evening news editor at NBC Washington, the leading news bureau in the Nation’s Capital. While there, he directed news coverage and editorial decision-making on Emmy Award winning newscasts. At NBC Washington, he also managed high-profile news coverage during major national and international news events, as well as breaking news situations.
Brendan also served as Director of Communications for the National Center on Education and the Economy (“NCEE”), leading media relations and messaging for NCEE’s work around the globe. At NCEE, he also built strategic partnerships with the world’s most important institutions, including The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) and The World Bank, as well as with government officials around the world and across the United States.
Brendan served in a number of critical roles in city politics in Washington, DC, including as the Chief of Staff, Communications Director, and Committee Director for the D.C. Council’s Committee on Education. Brendan was instrumental in building winning legislative campaigns, securing critical public policy reforms, and generating positive press coverage in local and national media outlets.
LinkedIn Profile
From Viral to Survival: How One School Division Turned a Viral Negative Moment Into Transformative Change
Category
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.