Christie L. Goodman, APR, Fellow PRSA

Director of Communications

Christie L. Goodman, APR, Fellow PRSA, is IDRA’s director of communications. She leads communication strategies for building relationships with constituencies and fostering understanding of IDRA’s mission to achieve equal educational opportunity for every child through strong public schools that prepare all students to access and succeed in college. She manages a staff team to design and implement communications strategies and coordinate materials development, websites and an award-winning podcast.

Ms. Goodman has a bachelor’s degree in advertising and minors in sociology and art from Texas Tech University. She is accredited in public relations, which is maintained through professional development, service and leadership. In 2023, she was one of 19 in the country inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows.

Ms. Goodman works with staff teams and coalitions to design campaigns for policy advocacy, including information tools (infographics, videos, etc.), media relations, community activism and student voice. She guides strategic planning for external communications and media relations regarding IDRA issues, projects, events and mechanisms. She led IDRA’s 50th anniversary communications, event planning, year-long social media campaign and media relations in 2023.

Ms. Goodman develops IDRA’s monthly newsletter (IDRA Newsletter, national circulation 21,000), email newsletters (IDRA eNews, Learning Goes On, Knowledge is Power, Education CAFÉ Advocacy Networks for Texas and Georgia) and other publications, such as curriculum, training guides, research reports and infographics.

She coordinates IDRA’s communications through social media and led the development and production of the Classnotes Podcast series since launching it in 2006. She manages IDRA’s websites ongoingly for content, currency and usefulness. In 2022, she led development, content and promotion of the Southern Education Equity Network website and the IDRA SEEN School Resource Hub. She co-edited  Courage to Connect – A Quality Schools Action Framework

Previously, Ms. Goodman worked with two non-profit interreligous organizations on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where she served as associate editor of a national magazine and led media training for staff. She represented the board and the National Council of Churches in taskforce work on the issue of violence in the media and monitored federal congressional and administrative action on the issue. She worked with staff colleagues to develop a plan of action for the board on the United Methodist Church’s new initiative on Hispanic ministries; served as an editorial advisor for Interpreter and el Intérprete magazines; and initiated a process to make the latest two educational Church and Society videos available with closed captioning.

In addition, Ms. Goodman has provided pro-bono and low-cost PR services to small religious advocacy and community‑based organizations, including the Joint Appeal by Religion and Science for the Environment, Rural Coalition/Coalitión Rural, Churches for Middle East Peace, and the Korean United Methodist Church of Greater Washington.

She has written numerous articles and led presentations on effective communication, use of social media, and social justice. Her articles have appeared in Christian Social Action, Baptist Peacemaker, the IDRA Newsletter, Lean Communicator, PRSA’s Tactics, Interfaith Impact Magazine, and Echo of the Four Winds.

Among her awards is the national first-place Silver Anvil for IDRA’s 50th anniversary campaign and the national first-place Bronze Anvil for speechwriting from the Public Relations Society of America. She received the Del Oro Community Service Award from PRSA San Antonio in 2007 and the Del Oro Tex Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award from PRSA San Antonio in 2012. In 2019, she received the Women of San Antonio award from News4SA and KABB Fox News 29.

In 2023, Ms. Goodman was selected to serve on the Parent and Family Relations Think Tank for Texas Tech University’s Office of Parent and Family Relations. She serves on the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Racial Justice (DEI/RJ) task group. She has served on the PRSA San Antonio board of directors for 20 years, including serving as chapter president in 2003 and launching the chapter’s annual awards program. As accreditation chair, she designed and led the chapter’s PR Insights series of seminars. She is a member of the Texas School Public Relations Association.

She also serves on the board of the March of Dimes San Antonio chapter, served on the council-level GSSWT Volunteer Advisory and led two energetic Girl Scout troops (with her mentorship and their leadership, nine girls earned their Girl Scout Gold Award). Ms. Goodman was an active member of the Brandeis Broncos Band Booster Club for six years. In 2018, she launched her blog, Safe Roads for Brandeis High School, to bring together school and community member voices to ensure the safety of the students on the roads in front of the school. She also is a multiple recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Fun fact: Christie loves zip-lining and watching old movies.

Sample Writings

Sample Outside Podcast

Recent Media Coverage

Share

 

Writings

 

Podcasts