Orleans Officials Taking New Approaches To Boost Public Communication

ORLEANS – Orleans boasts a year-round population of approximately 6,400 people, a number that almost triples during the summer months. For Amanda Converse, the challenge is how to effectively communicate the town’s goals, priorities and other information with the public at large.

Converse was hired in September 2024 in the dual role of economic development coordinator and public information officer. In the latter role, she has taken the lead on broadening and strengthening the town’s communication efforts, both digitally and in print. And in today’s technologically robust world, the avenues for doing so are countless, she said. 

“We know in this day and age people are getting their information from 20 different sources,” she said.

Converse has been busy over the past 10 months finding ways to introduce new communication tools while at the same time working to perfect the town’s existing ones. Most recently, the town gave its online calendar a user-friendly upgrade by allowing local community groups and organizations to add listings promoting events around town.

The calendar, which is hosted on the town’s website, has long provided residents and visitors with information about local board and committee meetings. But Converse said there’s been a demand from the select board, residents and local businesses for the town to create a more community-centric calendar that can act as a centralized destination for what’s happening more broadly around town.

“Really we want it to be a go-to hub,” Converse said of the revitalized online calendar, which she said Orleans is the first town in Massachusetts to employ.

Individuals can create profiles online through which they can create and submit calendar listings promoting events and happenings. Converse said those submissions are routed through the town’s department of recreation, culture and community events, where staff will vet them before they are posted online. From there, calendar entries will be promoted through other avenues such as the town’s social media accounts, she said. 

Converse said there are “parameters” around what is and is not allowed for inclusion on the calendar. For instance, sales and promotional listings are not allowed, she said. But in general, she said information about events that are held in Orleans and open to the public is encouraged. The community calendar page on the town website includes a set of guidelines around allowable submissions.

The town gave the new calendar a soft launch earlier this month by incorporating listings from the council on aging, recreation department and Snow Library, said Tom DeSiervo, director of recreation, culture and community events. In the coming weeks, community groups will be invited to submit their event listings, he said.

“What's nice is, as requests come in, our department will be able to assist with any inquiries or issues they have with posting on the calendar,” DeSiervo said in an email Monday.  

The new calendar is the latest in a number of new methodologies that the town has introduced in recent years with the goal of improving public communication. In 2024, the town introduced “Orleans Behind The Scenes,” a podcast hosted by Converse and Media Program Coordinator Mia Baumgarten that introduces listeners to various town personnel and updates them on happenings around town. A total of 41 episodes have been released to date, including interviews with town department heads and others geared around informing voters ahead of town meeting. 

“It’s kind of like our version of a citizen's academy — but in a format people can listen to anytime, anywhere — so they can better understand the work happening behind the scenes and how it impacts the community,” Converse said in describing the podcast, which is available on Spotify and other streaming platforms.

Converse has also been at the helm of “Town Talk,” a monthly newsletter that goes out to subscribers by email that gives an overview of different projects and initiatives happening around town. The newsletter currently has close to 400 subscribers, she said.

“We started it because we heard from residents that they wanted a clearer, easier way to stay connected, and we hope it helps people feel more informed and engaged with what’s happening in Orleans,” she said.

Another of Converse’s projects involves a new effort to “brand” Orleans and better align the town’s various groups, agencies and businesses. The town is currently working with the Providence-based firm Superette Studio, which earlier this month provided some preliminary design options around the branding campaign.

The town in recent years developed a wayfinding plan with the assistance of the Cape Cod Commission. While that effort focused primarily on creating uniform signage around town, Converse said the goal around branding is to help define the way residents and visitors look at the town, noting that local businesses have been calling for the town to undertake the branding effort.

“We’re just trying to stay current,” she said. “But it’s not just about attracting visitors. We’re trying to share with people who are choosing where they’re going.”

Improving communication has been a topic of ongoing conversation in town hall, particularly as it relates to town meeting. The select board in May again discussed the importance of streamlining communication and disseminating information about warrant articles. But while communication can take many different forms, Converse said it’s a challenge that she’s happy to continue to tackle.

“We’re very lucky that we have a very engaged electorate,” she said. “They’re looking for information. They want it. So that almost makes my job easier.”