Black & Veatch has over 10 years of experience providing community relations support to clients throughout the United States.

An effective community relations program clearly states our client's objectives, identifies community concerns about the project and methods to address those concerns, fosters two-way communication and keeps the public informed about the project on a regular basis.

An effective program also identifies sensitive entities: those individuals or groups who may need more information or have expressed the greatest concerns about the project. These may include site neighbors (including residents, schools, hospitals and childcare centers), community and public interest groups, public officials and local media.

Key elements in Black & Veatch's community relations approach include communicating technical information in a non-technical manner, providing information that is receiver-oriented, not sender-oriented. In addition, clients are encouraged to meet with community members on a regular basis to see how information is being received and understood.

Black & Veatch community relations services include the following activities:

• Community interviews
• Community relations plans
• Newsletters and update letters
• Availability sessions and public meetings
• Media releases and strategies for dealing with the press
• Meeting presentations / coaching for meeting speakers
• Community advisory group support
• Meeting facilitation services
• Conflict resolution support