Georgetown County Public Information Officer Jackie R. Broach has successfully completed the process that awards the professional designation of “Public Information Officer” (PIO). The Commission on Professional Credentialing® (CPC®) met on December 5, 2022 and voted unanimously to confer the designation. Ms. Broach becomes one of only 17 PIOs worldwide to hold this designation, and is the first PIO in South Carolina to receive this designation.
The Designation program is a voluntary program designed to recognize individuals who demonstrate their excellence in seven measured components including experience, education, professional development, professional contributions, association membership, community involvement, and technical competence. In addition, all applicants are required to identify a future professional development plan.
The PIO designation program uses a comprehensive peer review model to evaluate candidates seeking the credential. The Commission on Professional Credentialing awards the designation only after an individual successfully meets all the organization’s stringent criteria.
Ms. Broach resides in Georgetown with her husband, Randy Akers, and their daughter, Adelaide. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Francis Marion University and worked as a print journalist for 15 years prior to being hired as the County’s first PIO in 2012. She is an active member of S.C.U.T.E. and an advisory board member to the Family Justice Center of Georgetown and Horry Counties, as well as board member for the Georgetown County Women’s Hall of Fame. In 2018, she founded the Coastal Association of Public Information Officers to help PIOs in Georgetown and Horry counties connect and train together. In 2019, she graduated from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Master Public Information Officer program and is one of just a handful of PIOs in the state of South Carolina to hold that designation. Additionally, she is a member of the National Information Officers Association and the National Association of County Information Officers.
The Commission on Professional Credentialing, an entity of the Center for Public Safety Excellence®, Inc., (CPSE®) administers the Designation Program. The CPC consists of individuals from academia, federal and local government, and the fire and emergency medical services profession. To learn more about CPC, visit www.cpse.org/credentialing.