Today, Jefferson County Administrator Jim Moore announced Kathryn Heider has been hired as the new public information officer.  She returns to the Public Information Office where she worked for six years from 1994 to 2000.

"We are very pleased that Kathryn will be returning to head our public information office.  She brings a wealth of experience, is very familiar with the county and will be able to hit the ground running her first day on the job," Moore said.  "She will be a great asset in providing fast, accurate and easy-to-understand information to our county residents and our employees."

Heider has several years of experience in public information and public relations for city and county governments.  The positions involved working with elected officials to communicate their policies and initiatives to the public and to employees, responding to requests for information from the media and managing crisis communications.

For the last four years she has worked for University of Colorado Hospital where she initiated a communications program to enhance the relationship between the hospital and the 1,100+ physicians on the faculty of the CU School of Medicine who provide clinical care at the hospital. 

Previously she was the assistant county administrator for Eagle County, Colorado, where one of her responsibilities was marketing the Eagle County Airport to skiers from around the country.  She also has held public information positions with the City of Arvada, Montgomery County Maryland Public Schools and is a graduate of Illinois State University.

Her first day will be Monday, March 20, 2006.