School Communicators Day
Resource
Administrative Specialist Marcus Washington supports the communications efforts that help keep students, staff, families and school communities informed and connected. From coordinating communication workflows and managing website updates to assisting with emergency communications and community engagement efforts, Marcus helps ensure information is shared clearly, efficiently and thoughtfully across the school division.
His work spans event coordination, digital tools and systems support, communication planning, workflow improvements and operational support for divisionwide initiatives. Whether reviewing communications during critical moments, supporting school outreach efforts or helping streamline processes behind the scenes, Marcus’ work focuses on strengthening communication, building trust and helping the ACPS community stay connected every day.
The Assistant Director of Communications for Gladis Bourdouane helps lead the school division’s communications strategy and storytelling efforts by ensuring families, staff and the broader community have access to accurate, timely and accessible information. From overseeing website content and accessibility to directing video productions that showcase the experiences happening inside ACPS classrooms, Gladis works to create communications that inform, engage and inspire.
Her work spans digital communications, video storytelling, audiovisual and broadcasting coordination, and large-scale project management by helping ensure divisionwide communications are clear, meaningful and aligned with ACPS priorities. Whether supporting school leaders, collaborating with community partners, or bringing the “heart work” of educators and students to life through creative storytelling, Gladis’ work focuses on strengthening connections, elevating voices and building trust across the ACPS community.
The Assistant Director of School Engagement and Partnerships Gerson Paniagua helps strengthen the connection between schools, families and the broader community through meaningful engagement, strategic partnerships and clear communication. His work focuses on creating opportunities for collaboration and ensuring families and community partners feel informed and connected to the mission of ACPS.
From building relationships with community organizations to supporting outreach initiatives and family engagement efforts, Gerson works to foster trust and create lasting impact for students and schools across the division.
The Audio Visual and Multimedia Coordinator Gus Decker helps bring the stories of ACPS to life through visual storytelling and multimedia production. From filming and photography to livestreams and live broadcasts, he plays a key role in capturing the moments that showcase the students, staff and school communities across the school division.
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Communications Specialist Arte’a Funderburk serves as the bridge between construction projects and the community, ensuring everyone stays informed, engaged and confident throughout the process. She translates technical building plans and timelines into clear, accessible updates for families, staff and stakeholders. From managing messaging and sharing progress updates to supporting community meetings and addressing questions, she helps to ensure each new or modernized school is not only built efficiently, but also understood and supported by the community it serves.
Chief of School and Community Relations Julia Burgos, APR, operates as both a senior strategist and a trusted advisor to the superintendent and School Board. In this role, she leads all aspects of communications, media relations and community engagement, ensuring the school division’s messaging is clear, timely, and aligned with its mission to support students and families. Her work goes far beyond traditional communications—she develops and implements strategic, research-based plans that connect messaging to measurable outcomes, strengthen public trust and position communications as a central leadership function within the organization.
Equally important, Julia’s leadership is deeply rooted in community connection and equity. She has built systems and initiatives that elevate family voice, expand access for diverse communities and foster meaningful engagement across one of the most linguistically and culturally diverse school divisions in the region. From leading award-winning campaigns and managing complex crisis communications to advancing equity-focused policy work and mentoring future leaders in the field, Julia ensures that communications serves as a bridge between the school system and the community it supports. Her work consistently reflects a commitment to transparency, inclusion, and ethical leadership—making a lasting impact not only within ACPS, but across the broader public relations profession.
Community Outreach Coordinator Daniela Perez Bravo builds strong partnerships between schools, families and the community to support student success and engagement. Daniela coordinates outreach initiatives, events and communication efforts that connect families with school resources and opportunities. In her role managing the volunteer program, she oversees volunteer recruitment, onboarding and compliance to ensure a safe and positive experience for students and community members. She works to create meaningful connections that strengthen support for all schools and students.
Digital Communications Specialist Jordan Mason helps shape the school division’s digital presence through strategic storytelling, social media management and multimedia communications. From managing multiple ACPS social media platforms to filming and editing videos that highlight students, staff and school communities, Jordan works to create content that informs, engages and connects audiences across the school division.
Her work includes supporting and training school-based PR Liaisons on content creation and platform management, assisting Human Resources with recruitment campaigns and social media advertising, and helping maintain and update social media policies and best practices. Jordan also edits and publishes ACPS’ weekly newsletters, Express and Insider, ensuring families, staff and the community stay informed and connected through timely and engaging communications.
Executive Director of Communications Daryl Johnson, APR, leads the storytelling, strategy and crisis communications efforts that help build trust between schools and the community. From managing high-profile communications during emergencies and major school division initiatives to highlighting the everyday “heart work” of educators and staff, Daryl combines strategic thinking with authentic storytelling to make public education feel personal, engaging, and inspiring.
His work spans media relations, social media strategy, video storytelling, community engagement, internal communications, and executive advising—ensuring students, families, staff, and the broader community stay informed, connected and empowered. Whether launching division-wide campaigns, guiding communications during critical moments, or celebrating the people behind the mission, Daryl’s work focuses on elevating voices, strengthening relationships and reinforcing confidence in public education.
External Relations Specialist Cindy Centeno helps strengthen the connection between schools and the community through accessible communication, strategic outreach and creative storytelling. Drawing on her background in media production and community engagement, she works to ensure students, staff, families and community members feel informed and connected to the work happening across ACPS.
Her work spans community outreach, digital and print communications, event support, and stakeholder engagement initiatives, including leading strategy for the Ask ACPS platform to help amplify community voices and strengthen two-way communication. Whether coordinating outreach efforts, developing engaging resources or supporting initiatives that build stronger school-community relationships, Cindy’s work focuses on creating meaningful connections and expanding access to information across the ACPS community.
Media and Internal Communications Coordinator Jasmine Washington-Price leads strategic communications efforts that help keep staff, families, media and the broader community informed and engaged. She manages daily media relations by responding to media inquiries, coordinating interviews and on-site visits, pitching stories and supporting proactive storytelling that highlights the work happening across the school division.
Internally, she partners with departments across ACPS to develop clear, accessible messaging and oversees employee engagement, recognition and wellness initiatives that strengthen organizational culture. Jasmine also helps lead divisionwide campaigns and recruitment efforts designed to attract and retain top talent while advancing the goals of the ACPS 2030 Strategic Plan.
Multimedia Communications Specialist Rubaiyat Rhidoy leads video production and visual storytelling efforts that help bring the ACPS mission and brand to life. Through compelling multimedia content, he helps showcase the diverse achievements of students, staff, and school communities across ACPS.
His work spans visual strategy development, video production, motion graphics, editing and multimedia asset management—supporting major divisionwide communications initiatives across social media, websites, newsletters and digital platforms. From managing the full video production lifecycle to collaborating closely with school staff and cross-functional teams, Rubaiyat’s work focuses on creating engaging storytelling that informs and strengthens connections throughout the ACPS community.
Public Information Manager Lizette Torres serves as the school division's official Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officer, managing and processing FOIA inquiries to ensure timely, accurate and compliant responses. She also supports executive communications for the superintendent, including drafting, proofreading and coordinating internal and external messaging. In addition, she contributes to the development and production of divisionwide publications and communication materials, including the weekly newsletters Express and Insider, the annual report Measuring What Matters and the departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) manual. Her role combines public records management, strategic communications and publication development to support transparency and effective engagement across the school division.
As support specialist for the Office of Communications, Barbara helps tell the stories that connect schools, families, staff and the broader community. Through thoughtful writing and strategic storytelling, she supports communications efforts that highlight the people, partnerships and programs that make ACPS a vibrant and inspiring school division.
Her work spans researching and developing talking points for school division events, writing articles for the Express and Insider newsletters, producing partnership stories and op-eds, and developing scripts for video features such as Voices of ACPS. She also contributes to communications efforts for the 2030 Strategic Plan and collaborates with teams across the school division to help ensure messaging is clear, engaging and community-centered. Whether visiting schools to capture authentic stories or helping amplify the voices behind the work, Barbaa’s focus is on celebrating the educators, students and experiences that shape the ACPS community every day.