Jenny Windle Honored with the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award in Government Communications
SAN DIEGO, Calif., - The California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) honored seasoned government communications professional Jenny Windle with its 2017 Paul B. Clark lifetime achievement award, recognizing her exceptional leadership in the profession. The award was presented at CAPIO’s annual conference in San Diego on April 5.
"Jenny’s continued success in the field of government communications along with her ongoing leadership in and support of CAPIO have truly made a lasting contribution to the profession,” said CAPIO President Christine Brainerd, APR and communication manager for the city of Folsom.” She has truly raised the bar for public-sector communication and was the clear choice the 2017 Paul B. Clark award.”
Windle has more than two decades of experience delivering award-winning government communication focused in strategy development, public outreach and branding. She currently is the president and CEO for the well-recognized Carlsbad, Calif. based JPW Communications, which was built on the foundation of Windle’s long-standing reputation for providing innovative and effective communication solutions in the public sector.
“CAPIO has always been an important part of my career. It was the first professional organization I joined when I began working in public information in 1997, and over the years it has helped sustain my career development with fresh ideas, vital thought leadership and invaluable networking opportunities,” noted Windle. “I’m honored to be recognized with this year’s Paul B. Clark award.”
Jenny has also been an integral part of the CAPIO family, having volunteered her time year-after-year to the organization. In fact, much of the reason CAPIO is thriving today is because of her leadership during her CAPIO presidency from 2009-2011.
As president, she led a rebrand of CAPIO and launched a strategic growth campaign that more than doubled membership and revenue for the organization. She also created a collaborative workgroup to assess the organization’s financial structure. And the results are clear: CAPIO now encompasses nearly 500 communicators statewide, a healthy financial balance sheet and a strong reserve fund.
Jenny began her public information career with the City of Palmdale in 1997. She went on to establish award-winning communication programs for the cities of Vista and San Marcos. From there, she served as the director of marketing and communication for the Port of San Diego where she directed a 16-person team and a $4 million annual budget.
In addition to her stellar career achievements, Windle was recognized for her ongoing commitment to mentoring and inspiring future government communication leaders with several of her mentees now successful leaders in the field of public sector communications as well as in CAPIO.
Jenny holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Western Washington University, a Masters in Public Administration from California State University Northridge, and a Certificate in Economic Development from Fresno State.
Jenny resides in Carlsbad, Calif., with her husband, Greg, and their dog, Sunny. They will welcome their first child to the world later this month.
The annual Paul B. Clark award, created in 1985, is the highest honor bestowed by CAPIO to its most distinguished members. Honoring the memory of esteemed founding member and colleague Paul B. Clark, the award bearing his name is given to an individual who demonstrates exceptional leadership in the communications field. The annual award recipient is recognized for a lifetime of professional commitment, mentoring of others, and fostering a greater understanding of CAPIO.