HomeMy WebLinkAboutContractAGREEMENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
THIS AGREEMENT, dated for reference purposes only as August 30, 2021, is by and between
the City of Renton (the “City”), a Washington municipal corporation, and Tripepi
Smith (“Consultant”), a California Corporation. The City and the Consultant are referred to
collectively in this Agreement as the “Parties.” Once fully executed by the Parties, this
Agreement is effective as of the last date signed by both parties.
1.Scope of Work: Consultant agrees to provide communications and engagement
assessment, interviews, recommendations, as well as functional support of existing staff
in content development, broadcasting, and publication as specified in Exhibit A, which is
attached and incorporated herein and may hereinafter be referred to as the “Work.”
2.Changes in Scope of Work: The City, without invalidating this Agreement, may order
changes to the Work consisting of additions, deletions or modifications. Any such changes
to the Work shall be ordered by the City in writing and the Compensation shall be
equitably adjusted consistent with the rates set forth in Exhibit A or as otherwise mutually
agreed by the Parties.
Time of Performance: Consultant shall commence performance of the Agreement
pursuant to the schedule(s) set forth in Exhibit A. All Work shall be performed by no later
than April 30, 2022.
3.Compensation:
A.Amount. Total compensation to Consultant for Work provided pursuant to this
Agreement shall not exceed $75,000, plus any applicable state and local sales
taxes. Compensation shall be paid based upon Work actually performed according
to the rate(s) or amounts specified in Exhibit A. The Consultant agrees that any
hourly or flat rate charged by it for its Work shall remain locked at the negotiated
rate(s) unless otherwise agreed to in writing or provided in Exhibit A. Except as
specifically provided herein, the Consultant shall be solely responsible for payment
of any taxes imposed as a result of the performance and payment of this
Agreement.
B.Method of Payment. On a monthly or no less than quarterly basis during any quarter
in which Work is performed, the Consultant shall submit a voucher or invoice in a form
specified by the City, including a description of what Work has been performed, the
name of the personnel performing such Work, and any hourly labor charge rate for
such personnel. The Consultant shall also submit a final bill upon completion of
all
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Work. Payment shall be made by the City for Work performed within thirty (30)
calendar days after receipt and approval by the appropriate City representative of the
voucher or invoice. If the Consultant’s performance does not meet the requirements
of this Agreement, the Consultant will correct or modify its performance to comply
with the Agreement. The City may withhold payment for work that does not meet the
requirements of this Agreement.
C.Effect of Payment. Payment for any part of the Work shall not constitute a waiver by
the City of any remedies it may have against the Consultant for failure of the
Consultant to perform the Work or for any breach of this Agreement by the
Consultant.
D.Non-Appropriation of Funds. If sufficient funds are not appropriated or allocated for
payment under this Agreement for any future fiscal period, the City shall not be
obligated to make payments for Work or amounts incurred after the end of the
current fiscal period, and this Agreement will terminate upon the completion of all
remaining Work for which funds are allocated. No penalty or expense shall accrue to
the City in the event this provision applies.
4.Termination:
A.The City reserves the right to terminate this Agreement at any time, with or without
cause by giving ten (10) calendar days’ notice to the Consultant in writing. In the event
of such termination or suspension, all finished or unfinished documents, data, studies,
worksheets, models and reports, or other material prepared by the Consultant
pursuant to this Agreement shall be submitted to the City, if any are required as part
of the Work.
B.In the event this Agreement is terminated by the City, the Consultant shall be entitled
to payment for all hours worked to the effective date of termination, less all payments
previously made. If the Agreement is terminated by the City after partial performance
of Work for which the agreed compensation is a fixed fee, the City shall pay the
Consultant an equitable share of the fixed fee. This provision shall not prevent the
City from seeking any legal remedies it may have for the violation or nonperformance
of any of the provisions of this Agreement and such charges due to the City shall be
deducted from the final payment due the Consultant. No payment shall be made by
the City for any expenses incurred or work done following the effective date of
termination unless authorized in advance in writing by the City.
5.Warranties And Right To Use Work Product: Consultant represents and warrants that
Consultant will perform all Work identified in this Agreement in a professional and
workmanlike manner and in accordance with all reasonable and professional standards
and laws. Compliance with professional standards includes, as applicable, performing the
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Work in compliance with applicable City standards or guidelines (e.g. design criteria and
Standard Plans for Road, Bridge and Municipal Construction). Professional engineers shall
certify engineering plans, specifications, plats, and reports, as applicable, pursuant to
RCW 18.43.070. Consultant further represents and warrants that all final work product
created for and delivered to the City pursuant to this Agreement shall be the original work
of the Consultant and free from any intellectual property encumbrance which would
restrict the City from using the work product. Consultant grants to the City a non-
exclusive, perpetual right and license to use, reproduce, distribute, adapt, modify, and
display all final work product produced pursuant to this Agreement. The City’s or other’s
adaptation, modification or use of the final work products other than for the purposes of
this Agreement shall be without liability to the Consultant. The provisions of this section
shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
6.Record Maintenance: The Consultant shall maintain accounts and records, which
properly reflect all direct and indirect costs expended and Work provided in the
performance of this Agreement and retain such records for as long as may be required by
applicable Washington State records retention laws, but in any event no less than six
years after the termination of this Agreement. The Consultant agrees to provide access
to and copies of any records related to this Agreement as required by the City to audit
expenditures and charges and/or to comply with the Washington State Public Records Act
(Chapter 42.56 RCW). The provisions of this section shall survive the expiration or
termination of this Agreement.
7.Public Records Compliance: To the full extent the City determines necessary to comply
with the Washington State Public Records Act, Consultant shall make a due diligent search
of all records in its possession or control relating to this Agreement and the Work,
including, but not limited to, e-mail, correspondence, notes, saved telephone messages,
recordings, photos, or drawings and provide them to the City for production. In the event
Consultant believes said records need to be protected from disclosure, it may, at
Consultant’s own expense, seek judicial protection. Consultant shall indemnify, defend,
and hold harmless the City for all costs, including attorneys’ fees, attendant to any claim
or litigation related to a Public Records Act request for which Consultant has responsive
records and for which Consultant has withheld records or information contained therein,
or not provided them to the City in a timely manner. Consultant shall produce for
distribution any and all records responsive to the Public Records Act request in a timely
manner, unless those records are protected by court order. The provisions of this section
shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
8.Independent Contractor Relationship:
A.The Consultant is retained by the City only for the purposes and to the extent set forth
in this Agreement. The nature of the relationship between the Consultant and the City
during the period of the Work shall be that of an independent contractor, not
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employee. The Consultant, not the City, shall have the power to control and direct the
details, manner or means of Work. Specifically, but not by means of limitation, the
Consultant shall have no obligation to work any particular hours or particular
schedule, unless otherwise indicated in the Scope of Work or where scheduling of
attendance or performance is mutually arranged due to the nature of the Work.
Consultant shall retain the right to designate the means of performing the Work
covered by this agreement, and the Consultant shall be entitled to employ other
workers at such compensation and such other conditions as it may deem proper,
provided, however, that any contract so made by the Consultant is to be paid by it
alone, and that employing such workers, it is acting individually and not as an agent
for the City.
B.The City shall not be responsible for withholding or otherwise deducting federal
income tax or Social Security or contributing to the State Industrial Insurance
Program, or otherwise assuming the duties of an employer with respect to Consultant
or any employee of the Consultant.
C.If the Consultant is a sole proprietorship or if this Agreement is with an individual, the
Consultant agrees to notify the City and complete any required form if the Consultant
retired under a State of Washington retirement system and agrees to indemnify any
losses the City may sustain through the Consultant’s failure to do so.
9.Hold Harmless: The Consultant agrees to release, indemnify, defend, and hold harmless
the City, elected officials, employees, officers, representatives, and volunteers from any
and all claims, demands, actions, suits, causes of action, arbitrations, mediations,
proceedings, judgments, awards, injuries, damages, liabilities, taxes, losses, fines, fees,
penalties, expenses, attorney’s or attorneys’ fees, costs, and/or litigation expenses to or
by any and all persons or entities, arising from, resulting from, or related to the negligent
acts, errors or omissions of the Consultant in its performance of this Agreement or a
breach of this Agreement by Consultant, except for that portion of the claims caused by
the City’s sole negligence.
Should a court of competent jurisdiction determine that this agreement is subject to RCW
4.24.115, (Validity of agreement to indemnify against liability for negligence relative to
construction, alteration, improvement, etc., of structure or improvement attached to real
estate…) then, in the event of liability for damages arising out of bodily injury to persons
or damages to property caused by or resulting from the concurrent negligence of the
Consultant and the City, its officers, officials, employees and volunteers, Consultant’s
liability shall be only to the extent of Consultant’s negligence.
It is further specifically and expressly understood that the indemnification provided in
this Agreement constitute Consultant’s waiver of immunity under the Industrial
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Insurance Act, RCW Title 51, solely for the purposes of this indemnification. The Parties
have mutually negotiated and agreed to this waiver. The provisions of this section shall
survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
10.Gifts and Conflicts: The City’s Code of Ethics and Washington State law prohibit City
employees from soliciting, accepting, or receiving any gift, gratuity or favor from any
person, firm or corporation involved in a contract or transaction. To ensure compliance
with the City’s Code of Ethics and state law, the Consultant shall not give a gift of any kind
to City employees or officials. Consultant also confirms that Consultant does not have a
business interest or a close family relationship with any City officer or employee who was,
is, or will be involved in selecting the Consultant, negotiating or administering this
Agreement, or evaluating the Consultant’s performance of the Work.
11.City of Renton Business License: Unless exempted by the Renton Municipal Code, t
Consultant shall obtain a City of Renton Business License prior to performing any Work
and maintain the business license in good standing throughout the term of this
agreement with the City.
Information regarding acquiring a city business license can be found at:
https://www.rentonwa.gov/Tax
Information regarding State business licensing requirements can be found at:
https://dor.wa.gov/doing-business/register-my-business
12. Insurance: Consultant shall secure and maintain:
A.Commercial general liability insurance in the minimum amounts of $1,000,000 for
each occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate for the Term of this Agreement.
B.In the event that Work delivered pursuant to this Agreement either directly or
indirectly involve or require Professional Services, Professional Liability, Errors and
Omissions coverage shall be provided with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per
occurrence. "Professional Services", for the purpose of this section, shall mean any
Work provided by a licensed professional or Work that requires a professional
standard of care.
C.Workers’ compensation coverage, as required by the Industrial Insurance laws of the
State of Washington, shall also be secured.
D.Commercial Automobile Liability for owned, leased, hired or non-owned, leased, hired
or non-owned, with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence combined single
limit, if there will be any use of Consultant’s vehicles on the City’s Premises by or on
behalf of the City, beyond normal commutes.
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E.Consultant shall name the City as an Additional Insured on its commercial general
liability policy on a non-contributory primary basis. The City’s insurance policies shall
not be a source for payment of any Consultant liability, nor shall the maintenance of
any insurance required by this Agreement be construed to limit the liability of
Consultant to the coverage provided by such insurance or otherwise limit the City’s
recourse to any remedy available at law or in equity.
F.Subject to the City’s review and acceptance, a certificate of insurance showing the
proper endorsements, shall be delivered to the City before performing the Work.
G.Consultant shall provide the City with written notice of any policy cancellation, within
two (2) business days of their receipt of such notice.
13.Delays: Consultant is not responsible for delays caused by factors beyond the
Consultant’s reasonable control. When such delays beyond the Consultant’s reasonable
control occur, the City agrees the Consultant is not responsible for damages, nor shall the
Consultant be deemed to be in default of the Agreement.
14.Successors and Assigns: Neither the City nor the Consultant shall assign, transfer or
encumber any rights, duties or interests accruing from this Agreement without the
written consent of the other.
15.Notices: Any notice required under this Agreement will be in writing, addressed to the
appropriate party at the address which appears below (as modified in writing from time
to time by such party), and given personally, by registered or certified mail, return receipt
requested, by facsimile or by nationally recognized overnight courier service. Time period
for notices shall be deemed to have commenced upon the date of receipt, EXCEPT
facsimile delivery will be deemed to have commenced on the first business day following
transmission. Email and telephone may be used for purposes of administering the
Agreement, but should not be used to give any formal notice required by the Agreement.
CITY OF RENTON
Maryjane Van Cleave
1055 South Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057
Phone: (425) 430-6713
MVanCleave@rentonwa.gov
CONSULTANT
Ryder Todd Smith
PO Box 52152
Irvine, CA 92619
Phone: (626) 536-2173
ryder@tripepismith.com
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16. Discrimination Prohibited: Except to the extent permitted by a bona fide occupational
qualification, the Consultant agrees as follows:
A.Consultant, and Consultant’s agents, employees, representatives, and volunteers
with regard to the Work performed or to be performed under this Agreement, shall
not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, creed, marital
status, sexual orientation or preference, age (except minimum age and retirement
provisions), honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any
sensory, mental or physical handicap, unless based upon a bona fide occupational
qualification in relationship to hiring and employment, in employment or application
for employment, the administration of the delivery of Work or any other benefits
under this Agreement, or procurement of materials or supplies.
B.The Consultant will take affirmative action to insure that applicants are employed and
that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, creed,
color, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, physical, sensory or mental
handicaps, or marital status. Such action shall include, but not be limited to the
following employment, upgrading, demotion or transfer, recruitment or recruitment
advertising, layoff or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation and
selection for training.
C.If the Consultant fails to comply with any of this Agreement’s non-discrimination
provisions, the City shall have the right, at its option, to cancel the Agreement in
whole or in part.
D.The Consultant is responsible to be aware of and in compliance with all federal, state
and local laws and regulations that may affect the satisfactory completion of the
project, which includes but is not limited to fair labor laws, worker's compensation,
and Title VI of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, and will comply with City of Renton
Council Resolution Number 4085.
17.Miscellaneous: The parties hereby acknowledge:
A.The City is not responsible to train or provide training for Consultant.
B.Consultant will not be reimbursed for job related expenses except to the extent
specifically agreed within the attached exhibits.
C.Consultant shall furnish all tools and/or materials necessary to perform the Work
except to the extent specifically agreed within the attached exhibits.
D.In the event special training, licensing, or certification is required for Consultant to
provide Work he/she will acquire or maintain such at his/her own expense and, if
Consultant employs, sub-contracts, or otherwise assigns the responsibility to perform
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the Work, said employee/sub-contractor/assignee will acquire and or maintain such
training, licensing, or certification.
E.This is a non-exclusive agreement and Consultant is free to provide his/her Work to
other entities, so long as there is no interruption or interference with the provision of
Work called for in this Agreement.
F.Consultant is responsible for his/her own insurance, including, but not limited to
health insurance.
G.Consultant is responsible for his/her own Worker’s Compensation coverage as well as
that for any persons employed by the Consultant.
18.Other Provisions:
A.Approval Authority. Each individual executing this Agreement on behalf of the City
and Consultant represents and warrants that such individuals are duly authorized to
execute and deliver this Agreement on behalf of the City or Consultant.
B.General Administration and Management. The City’s project manager is Kristi
Rowland. In providing Work, Consultant shall coordinate with the City’s contract
manager or his/her designee.
C.Amendment and Modification. This Agreement may be amended only by an
instrument in writing, duly executed by both Parties.
D. Conflicts. In the event of any inconsistencies between Consultant proposals and this
Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail. Any exhibits/attachments to
this Agreement are incorporated by reference only to the extent of the purpose for
which they are referenced within this Agreement. To the extent a Consultant
prepared exhibit conflicts with the terms in the body of this Agreement or contains
terms that are extraneous to the purpose for which it is referenced, the terms in the
body of this Agreement shall prevail and the extraneous terms shall not be
incorporated herein.
E.Governing Law. This Agreement shall be made in and shall be governed by and
interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Washington and the City of
Renton. Consultant and all of the Consultant’s employees shall perform the Work in
accordance with all applicable federal, state, county and city laws, codes and
ordinances.
F.Joint Drafting Effort. This Agreement shall be considered for all purposes as prepared
by the joint efforts of the Parties and shall not be construed against one party or the
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other as a result of the preparation, substitution, submission or other event of
negotiation, drafting or execution.
G.Jurisdiction and Venue. Any lawsuit or legal action brought by any party to enforce or
interpret this Agreement or any of its terms or covenants shall be brought in the King
County Superior Court for the State of Washington at the Maleng Regional Justice
Center in Kent, King County, Washington, or its replacement or successor. Consultant
hereby expressly consents to the personal and exclusive jurisdiction and venue of
such court even if Consultant is a foreign corporation not registered with the State of
Washington.
H.Severability. A court of competent jurisdiction’s determination that any provision or
part of this Agreement is illegal or unenforceable shall not cancel or invalidate the
remainder of this Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.
I.Sole and Entire Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the
Parties and any representations or understandings, whether oral or written, not
incorporated are excluded.
J.Time is of the Essence. Time is of the essence of this Agreement and each and all of
its provisions in which performance is a factor. Adherence to completion dates set
forth in the description of the Work is essential to the Consultant’s performance of
this Agreement.
K. Third-Party Beneficiaries. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to, nor shall be
construed to give any rights or benefits in the Agreement to anyone other than the
Parties, and all duties and responsibilities undertaken pursuant to this Agreement will
be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Parties and no one else.
L.Binding Effect. The Parties each bind themselves, their partners, successors, assigns,
and legal representatives to the other party to this Agreement, and to the partners,
successors, assigns, and legal representatives of such other party with respect to all
covenants of the Agreement.
M.Waivers. All waivers shall be in writing and signed by the waiving party. Either party’s
failure to enforce any provision of this Agreement shall not be a waiver and shall not
prevent either the City or Consultant from enforcing that provision or any other
provision of this Agreement in the future. Waiver of breach of any provision of this
Agreement shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any prior or subsequent breach
unless it is expressly waived in writing.
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N. Counterparts. The Parties may execute this Agreement in any number of
counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original, and all of which will together
constitute this one Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have voluntarily entered into this Agreement as of the date
last signed by the Parties below.
CITY OF RENTON
By:_____________________________
CONSULTANT
By:____________________________
Armondo Pavone
Mayor, City of Renton
_____________________________
Date
_____________________________
Date
Attest
_____________________________
Jason A. Seth
City Clerk
Approved as to Legal Form
By: __________________________
Shane Moloney
City Attorney
Contract Template Updated 5/21/2021
Ryder Todd Smith
Co-Founder & President, Tripepi Smith
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9/21/2021 | 5:33 PM PDT9/23/2021
Response submitted for:
CITY OF RENTON
Submission Date: Friday, August 17, 2021
VALID FOR 60 DAYS
By: Ryder Todd Smith, Co-Founder & President
EXHIBIT ADocuSign Envelope ID: EDF8D928-B59C-4744-A4BB-F9A4B7BA6E61
City of Renton / Communications Consultant Proposal/ Version 1.0
CREATIVE SERVICES • Communication • Web • Social Media • Photography • Video • Design 2
Table of Contents
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... 2
Cover Letter ................................................................................................................... 3
Attachment A: Resumes .............................................................................................. 36
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COVER LETTER
Thank you for the opportunity to present Tripepi Smith’s offerings in response to the City of Renton for
communication support services. This proposal offers the full array of Tripepi Smith services for the City.
Tripepi Smith is a team of 34 communications experts—robust enough to offer experienced and effective
professionals for the job, yet small enough to be nimble and responsive. We offer a spectrum of skills that
allows us to match the appropriate resource to the task at hand, letting us execute faster and reduce
engagement costs. These resources vary by both years of experience and core hard skills (graphic design
versus videography versus writing versus social media, for example). The result: we have an ability to tell a
complete story across mediums, all within our one team. The City will only need one communications partner.
Tripepi Smith is a force multiplier for the communication operations in cities across the west coast. From City
of Snoqualmie, WA to Coronado, CA and out to Las Cruces, NM, Tripepi Smith is actively working with
dozens of city governments and public agencies. We gain insights from the breadth of our work and share
that knowledge with our city clients. No other communications firm has the city client depth and diversity that
Tripepi Smith offers.
We look forward to the opportunity to help tell the story of Renton for the benefit of its residents, businesses
and visitors.
I affirm that I have the authority to bind Tripepi Smith for this proposal.
Regards,
Ryder Todd Smith
Co-Founder & President
Tripepi Smith
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FIRM BACKGROUND
Tripepi Smith excels at public affairs. We work in a complex environment where successful communications
go hand-in-hand with marketing and technical expertise. As a full-service public affairs and creative services
firm, Tripepi Smith delivers strategy, outreach and design tailored for local government, public agencies,
nonprofits and private companies—each strongly represented in our client list.
At Tripepi Smith, experienced Directors and Analysts drive strategy and implement messaging. Full-time
creative professionals generate compelling branding, websites, design, social media, photography and video.
The collaboration between Creative Services and Analysts keeps communications engaging and on-message,
and a diversity of skillsets and expertise allows Tripepi Smith to offer clients exactly the level of service they
need.
2 Principals / Co-Founders 1 Senior Graphic Artist
6 Directors 5 Business Analysts
1 Art Director 16 Junior Business Analysts
3 Senior Business Analysts
Additionally, sometimes for video work, printing, niche website development needs or mailing we may use
subcontractors. These are often determined at the time of the need, so it is difficult to predict who that will
be. However, here is a list of potential firms or people we routinely subcontract with:
InfoSend – Print and Mail House Services
EMP Media – Supplemental Video Production Support and Event A/V
DLS Printer Services – High-end Printing for Collateral
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Emily Baker – Voiceover Work
Grounded in civic affairs: Co-founder and CFO
Nicole Smith is a 2nd-generation civic affairs
professional (her father was a city manager for 30
years). Meanwhile, co-founder and president of
Tripepi Smith, Ryder Todd Smith, brings over a
decade of public agency marketing and
communications experience to the table.
Legal Structure and Financial Matters
Tripepi Smith is a California S Corporation.
Ownership is equally split between Co-Founders
Nicole D. Smith and Ryder Todd Smith.
Tripepi Smith has been incorporated since 2002
and has generated a profit every year it has been in
operation. We have never had a legal claim filed
against us and have never failed to fulfill a contract
commitment.
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Our Services
Strategy, Marketing, Communications
Strategic development, research,
surveys, messaging
Social media management
Web and social media strategy,
optimization (SEO), metrics
Web hosting and support
Email campaigns
Relations (media, stakeholders,
public, government)
Support and training for events,
presentations and virtual
gatherings
Google AdWords, LinkedIn and
Facebook advertising
Creative Services
Full-service graphic design for
digital, print and outdoor
Brand and logo development
Content generation, writing and
editorial
Output services (digital
distribution, print management,
mail management)
Photography, illustration and
information graphics
Video and animation
Web design and implementation
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Client Roster
Tripepi Smith has been selected to work with over 60 local government agencies to help with their
communications. We can provide you with contacts at any of these clients and are confident you will find
them to be quite happy with our services. City or city-related clients we are actively supporting are bolded.
California City Management
Foundation
City of Aliso Viejo
City of American Canyon
City of Azusa
City of Bellflower
City of Burlingame
City of Claremont
City of Coronado
(City of) Culver City
City of Cupertino
(City of) Daly City
City of Danville
City of Duarte
City of El Cerrito
City of Fountain Valley
City of Foster City
City of Fullerton
City of Gilroy
City of Grover Beach
City of Hawaiian Gardens
City of Huntington Beach
City of Indian Wells
City of Industry
City of Irvine
City of La Cañada Flintridge
City of La Palma
City of La Puente
City of La Verne
City of Lake Forest
City of Laguna Hills
City of Laguna Niguel
City of Lancaster
City of Livermore
City of Lomita
City of Lynwood
City of Manhattan Beach
City of Manteca
City of Martinez
City of Millbrae
City of Morgan Hill
City of Murrieta
City of Napa
City of Norwalk
City of Orange
City of Orinda
City of Palm Desert
City of Palmdale
City of Paramount
City of Pismo Beach
City of Placentia
City of Pomona
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
City of Rancho Mirage
City of Riverbank
City of Rolling Hills Estates
City of Santa Ana
City of Santa Clarita
City of Santa Cruz
City of Santa Paula
City of Saratoga
City of Stanton
City of South Gate
City of Tracy
City of Vallejo
City of Vista
City of Walnut
(City of) Yuba City
Town of Windsor
County of Merced
County of Fresno
County of Sonoma
County of Santa Barbara
County of Kings
California Contract Cities
Association
CalChoice Energy CCA
California Joint Powers Insurance
Authority
Citrus Heights Water District
Claremont McKenna College
Costa Mesa Sanitary District
El Toro Water District
Independent Cities Association
Independent Cities
Finance Authority
Inland Empire Utilities Agency
Institute for Local Government
League of California Cities
Municipal Management
Association of
Northern California
Municipal Management
Association of
Southern California
Orange County City
Manager Association
Palmdale Water District
Rowland Water District
San Gabriel Valley City
Managers’ Association
South Orange County Wastewater
Authority
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Local Government Affiliation and Support
Tripepi Smith is firmly committed to the local government world and actively supports the local government
association and professional staff who make cities work. Our sponsorship and affiliation with professional
industry groups includes:
Washington City/County
Management Association
California City Management
Foundation
California Association of Public
Information Officials
League of California Cities
California Contract Cities
Association
Independent Cities Association
Orange County City Manager
Association
Cal-ICMA
San Gabriel Valley City
Managers’ Association
Municipal Management
Association of Northern
California
Municipal Management
Association of Southern
California
Institute for Local Government
University of Southern California
City/County Management
Fellowship
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Qualifications and Experience of Tripepi Smith
Founded in 2000 and incorporated in 2002 as a California Corporation, Tripepi Smith is based in Orange
County, CA.
We operate in a virtual office environment. Being virtual allows us to engage the right talent at the right time,
enabling us to operate more efficiently to save money for our clients. That said, the team—34 members
strong and composed of policy wonks, creative message developers, technology gurus and graphic and fine
artists—is located throughout California (31), Arizona (1), New Mexico (1) and Texas (1).
Tripepi Smith is unique in its mix of three key areas: marketing, technology and public affairs. The firm’s
clients include a number of nonprofits, public agencies and private companies that operate within the public
sector. Much of messaging, outreach and advancing policy happens through digital communications—an area
traditional public affairs firms have not been quick to adopt. Yet, Tripepi Smith has jumped in deep with
online technologies to bring tools that are more common in the private sector to public agencies. Of note is
that the Tripepi Smith team includes people who are certified in social media marketing by Hootsuite, are
Facebook Blueprint Certified, and have been certified in Google Analytics and Google Ads through Google—
and our firm, as a whole, has achieved Google Partner status.
Despite a focus on technologies, the firm is deeply committed to understanding our clients and key
messaging. Through regular conference participation, training and formal classroom work, members of the
Tripepi Smith team are sanguine about public policy and local government’s political landscape. Our ongoing
enrichment in matters of local government and policy enables us to execute more efficiently and craft
messaging that is impactful, providing value to our clients.
Tripepi Smith is a team of 34 communications experts—robust enough to offer experienced and effective
professionals for the job, yet small enough to be nimble and responsive. Tripepi Smith offers a spectrum of
skills that allows us to match the appropriate resource to the task at hand, letting us execute faster and
reduce engagement costs. These resources vary by both years of experience and core hard skills (graphic
design versus videography versus writing versus social media, for example). The result: we have an ability to
tell a complete story across mediums, all within our one team. Tripepi Smith also has a series of trusted
vendors we’ve worked with for years, who supplement our in-house talent’s efforts to execute on our clients’
photo, video and web development needs.
Implementing Strategy and Engaging Audiences
Tripepi Smith recognizes the important interplay of public affairs and design. It’s about presenting ideas that
advance communities and public institutions. An important corollary to this is providing the creative services
that can build materials to engage audiences and make ideas resonate. Tripepi Smith’s multi-faceted design
team enables us to reach these goals and lead effective creative strategy.
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Strategic
Tripepi Smith is a provider of technology, communications and public
affairs services. We leverage our skills and experiences in each of
these areas to deliver efficient, technologically driven communication
solutions that reflect our deep understanding of local government.
Our team has a strong record of working with public agencies, joint
powers authorities and not-for-profit organizations throughout the
west to better engage and connect with their stakeholders and community.
Creative
Tripepi Smith’s creative professionals have worked with public and private clients on imagery, colors and
graphic design in an array of projects. Our firm offers creative services that address not only traditional media
such as print, websites, logo design and advertising but also non-traditional marketing services around email
campaigns, social media, blogging, SEO, video production and more. This integrated approach to content
development makes the process more efficient and more effective for clients.
Content x Distribution = IMPACT
Tripepi Smith was born in the digital era and brings significant technical skills to the table. Members of our
team carry technical certifications in Hootsuite Social Media Marketing, Facebook Blueprint, Google
Advertising, Google Analytics and Twitter Flight School, among others. We take digital seriously and
recognize how critical it is to not only develop great visuals and messaging, but to ensure the audiences we
want to reach actually see that content. Without content distribution, there is no impact.
“…solutions that reflect
our deep understanding
of local government.”
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ABOUT THE TEAM
It is anticipated that Jennifer Nentwig, Director at Tripepi Smith, will be the project lead. Jennifer will handle
logistics, coordination, project management, presentations as well as act as platforms review lead. Tripepi
Smith Principal Ryder Todd Smith will make leadership presentations, facilitate requested community
discussions and collaborate with senior and executive staff in ideation, brainstorming and addressing crises.
Ryder will also provide his cell phone number to staff and remain available to provide 24-7 to answer
questions, develop strategies and otherwise advance the engagement. Director Cameron Grimm would act
as platforms review support, project management support and video production lead. Junior Business
Analysts Kylie Benzing and Kaetlyn Hernandez will provide agenda management, editorial calendar
maintenance, social media coordination, social media and media monitoring, city council agenda scanning,
writing support, metric dashboard creation and other duties as assigned. Saara Lampwalla, Business Analyst,
will provide support on the platforms review as well as advise staff on email marketing best practices,
stakeholder outreach, communication and engagement initiatives and relations with sister agencies and
community partners. Execution of design and print will be handled by Melanie James, Senior Business
Analyst, Web Developer and Graphic Artist. Senior Business Analyst Bria Balliet will be available to provide
photography services and Junior Business Analyst Jerald Madrid will act as video production support.
Of course, Tripepi Smith is a collaborative firm, with many available skillsets. Resources will be brought to the
table when necessary to aid the City in telling its story.
Ryder Todd Smith Jen Nentwig Cameron Grimm
Melanie James Bria Balliet Saara Lampwalla
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Kylie Benzing Kaetlyn Hernandez Jerald La Madrid
Team Details
(See the Resume Attachment A for full professional experience, education and degrees)
Team Member Role Description
Ryder Todd Smith
Principal
Role: Strategy
Based in Tustin, CA
Ryder has a mixed background in the worlds of government relations,
technology and marketing. He served as the SVP of Operations and
Chief Information Officer for a software-as-a-service startup in the
financial services sector. Prior to that, he was the technology manager
for a regional staffing firm. Ryder leads Tripepi Smith and is the
ultimate project owner on all work handled by the firm. He is the
creator of the City Internet Strategies Study, publisher of the Civic
Business Journal, publisher of PublicCEO and a frequent speaker on
the local government circuit. His insights have been published in
Western City and PM magazines. He volunteers his time as vice chair
of the Rose Institute of State and Local Government Board of
Governors and previously served as a Planning Commission for the
City of Tustin. Ryder graduated from Claremont McKenna College
with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, Economics and a dual
degree in Economics.
Jennifer Nentwig
Director
Role: Account lead,
strategy and quality
assurance
Based in Phoenix, AZ
Jennifer is a talented, well-rounded communications professional and
project manager with more than 13 years of experience serving
government organizations. She has built and implemented programs
in strategic communications, media relations, internal communication,
community relations and social media. Her skills include website and
social media management, development of content including articles,
speeches, talking points and FAQs, as well as event planning and
implementation. Jen’s clients include the City of Vallejo, City of
Lomita, Pivot Charter School, Costa Mesa Sanitary District and City of
Lancaster.
She is a Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional, is Facebook
Blueprint certified, and has her Accreditation in Public Relations from
the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
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Cameron Grimm
Director
Role: Video production
and platforms review
lead; project
management support
Based in Rio Rancho,
NM
After a passion for storytelling compelled her to pursue a Bachelor of
Arts degree in English at Scripps College, Cameron went on to study
video editing and production at the Los Angeles Film School. This
education led her to acquire more than 10 years of experience in video
production and she later expanded her career into other areas of
marketing communications. Her most recent previous role as Director
of Creative Services at Claremont McKenna College allowed her to
manage print communication pieces and social media in addition to
video work. Cameron’s background includes experience in a variety of
industries including higher education, entertainment and the nonprofit
sector. Her client work includes City of Indian Wells, City of La Cañada
Flintridge, City of Burlingame and City of Sunnyvale.
Cameron is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional and
Constant Contact Certified Solutions Provider and has YouTube
certifications in Content Ownership, Channel Growth and Creative
Essentials. Her video work in Indian Wells won a 2020 CAPIO EPIC
award. She is also a Library Board Member for the City of Rio Rancho.
Melanie James
Senior Business Analyst
Role: Design lead
Based in Costa Mesa,
CA
Melanie is a talented graphic artist, expert on the WordPress platform
and a skilled project manager. She has managed and delivered dozens
of successful website development projects and has a full suite of
creativity skills rooted in her formal graphic arts education. Her skills
cover the full Adobe Creative Suite and into HTML and CSS. In
addition, she has managed an array of projects ranging from robust
digital advertising campaigns to comprehensive video production
projects. Her clients include City of Tracy, City of Daly City, City of
Bellflower, City of Huntington Beach, City of Fullerton, City of La
Cañada Flintridge, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Rowland
Water District, Placer Mosquito Vector Control District, Palmdale Water
District, and Inland Empire Utilities Agency.
Bria Balliet
Senior Business Analyst
Role: Photography lead
Based in Dana Point,
CA
Bria is a Senior Business Analyst with Tripepi Smith. She is an alumna
of UC San Diego, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in
Communication and honed her writing skills as an editor for several
on-campus publications. After earning her B.A., she worked for a
boutique publishing firm in Orange County that specializes in creating
custom magazines for cities, private communities, and the hospitality
industry. In her most recent role, Bria created multimedia content for a
major university including writing feature stories for the web and print,
creating social media posts, designing school-wide print newsletters,
and completing portrait and event photography. Her client work
includes: City of Napa, City of Martinez, Silver & Wright LLP, Center
for Public Safety Management, City of Hawaiian Gardens and City of
Lake Forest.
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Saara Lampwalla
Business Analyst
Role: Platforms review
support, community
relations and email
marketing lead
Based in Long Beach,
CA
Saara joined Tripepi Smith as a junior business analyst in 2017. She
filled the role of Tripepi Smith marketing manager for more than 3
years, reviving our monthly newsletter, helping to produce the “Meet
Tripepi Smith” video series, planning special events and more. By
2019, Saara was promoted to business analyst, having served Tripepi
Smith VIPs in both the private and public sectors and supporting
Tripepi Smith subsidiaries, including PublicCEO and Civic Business
Journal. Saara’s public agency clients include the City of Burlingame,
City of Culver City, City of Duarte and Town of Windsor. Saara is a
certified Constant Contact Solutions Provider, Hootsuite Social
Marketing Professional and Hubspot Inbound Marketing Professional.
She also has certifications in Google Analytics and Leading Smart
Communities from the Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University.
She also completed the University of California, Irvine Public Policy
Making Academy II.
Kylie Benzing
Jr. Business Analyst
Role: Client support
Based in Los Angeles,
CA
Kylie brings a diverse skillset to the team from her experience in
several industries, such as litigation services, academic administration
and music marketing. She has a strong background in social media
strategy, website development, writing and scheduling and high-
volume operations due to her experiences as Administrative Assistant
at Biola University, Marketing Intern at Transparent Productions, Social
Media Marketing Manager at TSE Worldwide Press and Operations
Associate at TSG Reporting. Kylie is a certified Hootsuite Social
Marketing Professional. Her clients include Cypress Organics Recycling,
the City of Santa Barbara, the City of Carlsbad and Independent Cities
Finance Authority.
Kaetlyn Hernandez
Jr. Business Analyst
Role: Client support
Based in La Mirada, CA
Kaetlyn brings an inventive and supportive spirit to the Tripepi Smith
team with a background in several industries, such as public affairs,
entertainment and non-profit. She recently graduated from California
State University, Fullerton (CSUF) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in
Entertainment Arts with a minor in Public Relations. She developed her
skills in leadership, event planning and marketing in her time at CSUF
with on-campus experience in student government and several other
clubs, and with off-campus internships with the Alzheimer’s Association
and NBCUniversal. Her client work includes: City of Culver City, City of
Indian Wells, Costa Mesa Sanitary District, Pivot Charter School, and
Claremont McKenna College’s Rose Institute. Kaetlyn is a
certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional, certified Constant
Contact Partner and has completed the following Udemy courses:
‘Ninja Writing: The Four Levels of Writing Mastery‘ and ‘Writing with
Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer.’
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Jerald La Madrid
Jr. Business Analyst
Role: Video production
support
Based in Corona, CA
Jerald is a dynamic professional with experience in public
administration, video production and economics. After receiving his
bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Irvine,
Jerald began his career at the City of Lake Forest where he produced
videos, wrote newsletters and managed social media to highlight the
business community. He also streamlined the administrative process of
residential permit parking at the City of Anaheim. Jerald recently
completed his master’s degree in public administration at California
University, Fullerton. As a junior business analyst at Tripepi Smith,
Jerald’s clients include the City of Bellflower, City of Fullerton and the
City of Huntington Beach. Jerald is a certified Hootsuite Social
Marketing Professional.
Resumes for this team who would be assigned to the Renton engagement at included as Attachment A in the
back of this response.
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Team Tripepi Smith – Org Chart
Tripepi Smith is in the business of helping organizations be better communicators. Our work, however, is
focused in the local government sector where our clients include cities, counties, water districts, special
districts, joint power authorities, non-profits and for-profit private sector clients. What unites 90% of our
clients is their focus and interest in local government.
It is anticipated that Jennifer Nentwig, Director at Tripepi Smith, will be the project lead. Jennifer will handle
logistics, coordination, project management, presentations as well as act as platforms review lead. Tripepi
Smith Principal Ryder Todd Smith may make leadership presentations, facilitate requested community
discussions and collaborate with senior and executive staff in ideation, brainstorming and addressing crises.
Ryder and Jennifer will also provide their cell phone numbers to staff and remain available to provide 24-7 to
answer questions, develop strategies and otherwise advance the engagement.
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Director Cameron Grimm would act as platforms review support, project management support and video
production lead. Junior Business Analysts Kylie Benzing and Kaetlyn Hernandez will provide agenda
management, editorial calendar maintenance, social media coordination, social media and media monitoring,
city council agenda scanning, writing support, metric dashboard creation and other duties as assigned. Saara
Lampwalla, Business Analyst, will provide support on the platforms review as well as advise staff on email
marketing best practices, stakeholder outreach, communication and engagement initiatives and relations with
sister agencies and community partners.
Execution of design and print will be handled by Melanie James, Senior Business Analyst, Web Developer
and Graphic Artist. Senior Business Analyst Bria Balliet will be available to provide photography services and
Junior Business Analyst Jerald Madrid will act as video production support.
Of course, Tripepi Smith is a collaborative firm, with many available skillsets. Resources will be brought to the
table when necessary to aid the City in telling its story.
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PROJECTS OF SIMILAR SCOPE
Tripepi Smith is currently actively engaged with dozens of local government agencies throughout the west.
The following are just four sample engagements that align with the services and scope the City has requested
in its RFQ. Names in bold are those anticipated to work on this engagement.
1.The City of Culver City has been one of Tripepi Smith’s largest and most expansive
engagements. Our primary delivery has been focused on social media management: in this
hip, active, upscale Westside city, that has meant posting to social media three to five times
per day and vigilantly monitoring public responses and community discussion forums. We
provide a monthly detailed metrics report to the client on the overall outreach numbers for the
City to ensure clarity on both the quality of content and the overall distribution of that content
to members of the community. Additional work has entailed press release and news article
writing, webpage development, editorial calendar creation and maintenance, media relations,
strategic messaging, graphic design of the parks and recreation brochure, video production,
revenue measure outreach and education regarding officer involved incidents related to body
camera footage.
Project Team: Principal Ryder Todd Smith, Director Jon Barilone, Art Director Kevin
Bostwick, Business Analyst Saara Lampwalla, Senior Graphic Artist Kjerstin Wingert, Junior
Business Analysts Claire Torza and Kaetlyn Hernandez
Date Completed: Ongoing retainer
Total Project Cost: $69,600 per year currently
2.Tripepi Smith has supported the PIO at the City of American Canyon for two years now.
Initially, the City tapped Tripepi Smith on an ad hoc basis to provide a range of services,
namely on-demand crisis communications support and an audit of its Vision website. Tripepi
Smith facilitated regular phone calls to plan communications regarding community issues for
different communication channels. After two years, the City recently elected to engage Tripepi
Smith on an as-needed basis for services spanning a platforms review of the City’s current
communication platforms, tapping into our policy strategy expertise, graphic design, writing
support, video production, event management and facilitation for community forums,
photography, media outreach, social media management, communications and leadership
strategy, metrics reporting, website content updates, copywriting services and quarterly
planning meetings with executive staff.
Project Team: Director Jon Barilone, Business Analyst Karen Villaseñor, Junior Business
Analysts Alexandra Applegate and Kalee Cummings
Date Completed: Ongoing time and materials
Total Project Cost: Purchase order of $5,000 for crisis communications; All ad hoc billable
with a not to exceed of $25,000 for general communications support
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3. In the City of Duarte, Tripepi Smith works with the city manager’s office in a broad and
consistent engagement to advance communications and augment the work of staff. The
baseline engagement includes writing press releases and articles, updating the City website,
managing social media, redesigning and creating the quarterly City News newsletter,
developing a style guide, hosting quarterly strategy meetings with department heads,
delivering monthly metric reports, advising staff on the City’s upcoming website redesign and
auditing City communications in an express assessment report. Duarte previously engaged
Tripepi Smith for its first communications assessment as well as for videography, photography,
drone, graphic design and email marketing services.
Project Team: Director Jon Barilone, Director Cameron Grimm, Senior Business Analyst
Melanie James, Senior Graphic Artist Kjerstin Wingert, Business Analyst Saara Lampwalla,
Junior Business Analysts Clare Burgess, Danielle Rodriguez and Claire Torza
Date Completed: Ongoing retainer
Total Project Cost: $115,860 per year; $2,250 for newsletter redesign, $7,250 for style
guide; $5,250 for express communications assessment
4. Tripepi Smith has been engaged with the City of La Cañada Flintridge (LCF) for more than five
years as their contract PIO service. LCF is a small contract city with less than 30 full-time staff.
They contract for an array of services, such as public safety, engineering and inspection
services. LCF conducts weekly phone calls with Tripepi Smith to plan communications
regarding upcoming community issues and for social media posts. Tripepi Smith monitors
community Facebook groups to identify emerging issues early on. A core deliverable of our
engagement is a quarterly newsletter that is mailed to every household in the city. The LCF
Vista is a three-panel, 8.5” x 11” format newsletter that the City completely relies upon Tripepi
Smith to produce. Tripepi Smith plans the editorial calendar with senior leadership, interviews
subject matter experts to write the stories, designs all layout and custom graphics, and lastly,
manages the printing and mail house process to ensure timely delivery to residents. This print
newsletter is one of the primary drivers for community education and outreach. In late 2019,
LCF selected Tripepi Smith as its website developer of choice through an RFQ process. Our
team executed and launched a new WordPress website for the City. LCF has also called on
Tripepi Smith for additional graphic design, custom stock photography, video production and
video livestreaming to social media.
Project Team: Senior Business Analyst Cameron Grimm, Senior Business Analyst Melanie
James, Senior Graphic Artist Kjerstin Wingert, Business Analysts Karen Villaseñor and Skylar
Hunter, Junior Business Analyst Molly Lockwood
Date Completed: Ongoing retainer; website redo (December 2019)
Total Project Cost: $61,260 per year currently; $22,550 for website build/redesign and
hosting
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5.In 2019, the City of Martinez engaged Tripepi Smith for several graphic design projects with
work being done over the course of a year. In December 2020, the City engaged Tripepi Smith
for ongoing marketing and communications support on a retainer basis. The 1-year initial
engagement began on November 1, 2020, and includes ongoing bilingual social media
support, news writing and quarterly metrics reporting to give the City a detailed picture of their
communication efforts. In addition to our retainer engagement, in April 2021, the Martinez City
Council approved another engagement with Tripepi Smith focusing on supporting Martinez
business owners, connecting the community and generating sales tax revenue in the aftermath
of the pandemic. In just two weeks, Tripepi Smith launched a local business website resource,
4Martinez.org, and has subsequently launched a narrative video, created print collateral and
unveiled an online marketing campaign to promote shopping, dining and services in Martinez
Project Team: Senior Business Analyst Bria Balliet, Business Analyst Sara Madsen, Junior
Business Analyst Allison Torres
Date Completed: Ongoing retainer
Total Project Cost: $4,000 per month retainer from November 1, 2020 to October 31, 2021;
not-to-exceed of $48,000
Work Samples
We encourage you to see all the work we have done for clients through our online portfolio at
https://www.tripepismith.com/work
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ENGAGEMENT MANAGEMENT AND SCOPE
Tripepi Smith begins all engagements with a kickoff meeting with the client to: introduce personnel to one
another, define Key Performance Indicators (metrics, goals and timelines); review project management
processes and tools; and ensure each team member has a full understanding of their responsibilities.
Tripepi Smith primarily uses the following tools to manage projects:
•Google Suite for email, creating real-time collaborative documents, and instant messaging;
•UberConference or Zoom for conference calls;
•Hootsuite and Sprout Social for social media management;
•Meltwater for social media and media monitoring;
•Mavenlink for project/task management, internal project status updates, and time entry.
These project management tools enable project manager(s) to quickly determine a project’s budget status,
review the schedule of tasks and send rapid notifications to the whole team if issues arise.
Outside of regular check-in calls, Renton may contact Jennifer Nentwig, lead project manager, with any
questions, requests or issues. Jennifer will then swiftly relay instructions to the rest of the team. Should a
serious issue arise that could impact a deliverable, she will arrange a meeting with all team members to
discuss potential solutions. For example: if more resources are needed to execute on a deliverable or speed
up a process, Tripepi Smith can immediately tap into its internal talent pool.
Principal Ryder Todd Smith will also be available 24-7 to address the City’s needs.
Fixed (One-Time) Deliverables
Platforms Review
The Tripepi Smith team can conduct an audit of the City’s current communication tools. This will include
carefully reviewing all communication platforms, as well as interviewing up to eight (8) City Staff as needed to
obtain details and a thorough understanding of all the City’s communications channels and evaluate how
effectively the channels are being utilized. These observations will be summarized in a report that will help
inform and feed into the comprehensive communication plan (discussed next).
Strategic Communications Plan
Many elements of a strategic communications plan will depend on the Platforms Review findings described
above, so it is impossible for Tripepi Smith to list all potential tasks involved. Across multiple tasks,
collaboration between Tripepi Smith and the City may include meetings, workshops, virtual whiteboarding
sessions, asynchronous document collaboration and surveys.
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Retainer Engagement Available Services
Bi-Weekly Check-In Calls & Content Planning
To coordinate our efforts with City Staff and sustain momentum on projects, Tripepi Smith will schedule a
recurring, one-hour bi-weekly phone call that will include a City-designated lead for our engagement and
other staff as requested. These bi-weekly calls will help drive content planning for various communications
channels, including website articles, press releases, social media posts and stories City platforms. Call content
will focus on story plans, new issues or concerns that need to be communicated, identification of major
themes or ideas to address in the coming weeks and review of recent media mentions and social media
comments. This will be a working call during which Tripepi Smith will manage an agenda and provide notes
for each call. After each call, the client will receive an action summary email about decisions made on the
phone call and related action steps. We will produce work, such as press releases and article drafts, in a
shared workspace where the City can see our progress in real time and provide instant feedback as needed.
These tools allow for enhanced collaboration and expedite the production process.
News Articles & Press Releases [Not Proposed]
Tripepi Smith will draft up to three (3) news articles, press releases and/or official statements per month and
each will be up to five hundred (500) words in length. The allocation of stories will be directed by the City with
suggestions by Tripepi Smith. The City will make internal subject matter experts available to aid the
development of the stories. The City will provide a media and external agencies notification list for use by
Tripepi Smith where a press release scenario is desired. The City will facilitate timely approval of quotes in the
release when connected with City Staff or City Councilmembers.
Social Media Management
Content Creation: Social media content creation involves: planning, fact-checking, sourcing graphics,
grammar checking and scheduling the post. Tripepi Smith will create an up to three (3) posts per week over
the course of a month (or generally 12 a month) and distribute them on up to four (4) platforms (e.g.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Nextdoor).
Monitoring: Tripepi Smith will monitor posts and inboxes for questions and comments. When appropriate,
responses will be drafted, which will occasionally require fact-checking and seeking out guidance from the
City. Additionally, ongoing general online monitoring of local Facebook Groups and blogs will be conducted
to track community needs, priorities and issues. Lastly, the team will track the social media of sister agencies,
local utilities and community organizations to identify opportunities to engage with them.
Additional: Our work also includes optimizing social media accounts to boost performance and keeping up to
date on the latest social media platform updates and options. Boosted posts and targeted ads are also
helpful in disseminating information to community members, and Tripepi Smith is fully capable of running and
tracking these paid campaigns (fees to be agreed upon and paid by the City).
Monthly Dashboard Metrics Report
Each month, Tripepi Smith will provide a summary report in PDF format of the basic metrics (reach, posts,
engagement, etc.) related to City-controlled social media platforms and other key metrics if available, such as
website visits and e-newsletter platform metrics. This will help us evaluate the success of our efforts as well as
serve as an ongoing feedback mechanism for gathering valuable insights that can help inform ongoing
communication strategy.
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Quarterly Communications Calendar Planning Sessions
The main goal during these two-hour meetings is that each department identifies key communication
opportunities and wins to celebrate in the next 6-12 months. We document all this into a shared
spreadsheet/editorial calendar that can then serve as a roadmap for the organization to track communications
opportunities–or to hand off to the communications team to execute. The exercise breaks down barriers
between departments and often helps senior staff recognize communications opportunities they were simply
unaware of before. The process also includes Tripepi Smith preparing and giving a presentation that covers
notable communications wins to review what has worked well. We conduct these meetings on a quarterly
process to refresh our 12-month calendar and stay apprised of the upcoming communication priorities.
Additionally, Tripepi Smith will curate a content calendar with staff that can be shared with media contacts.
Website Review [Not Proposed]
Often after launching a website, Tripepi Smith can execute a deep walk through to ensure the site has been
properly configured for search engine optimization and content has been written and formatted properly.
Sites are often delivered about 80% complete, but there are hanging issues and behind the scenes elements
that need to be addressed (this is based on our experience working with cities who have recently
implemented Vision, Civica or Civic Plus). Tripepi Smith can execute a website review and audit and ensure
that certain components have been addressed completely to aid “visibility” of the City’s website and to help
ensure it fulfills its mission to inform the public.
Graphic Design Support [Not Included in Retainer]
A Tripepi Smith graphic artist will be available to support various City projects, with the assumption that
content some content would be provided by the City. This could include but is not limited to designing social
media post templates, a flyer, a poster, an email newsletter template or website graphic. Additionally, Tripepi
Smith can support heavier graphic design when needed, such as an extensive brochure, logo redesign or
complex report.
Ad Hoc Work (if needed)
If there comes the need for any additional ad hoc services, Tripepi Smith is ready to provide those services
and is providing our hourly rates for the full array of our resources to support City communication efforts.
Examples of these ad hoc projects include but are not limited to video production, photography services,
virtual meetings/events, website development and a wide array of graphic design and branding services.
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FEES
Tripepi Smith is providing our hourly rates (both standard and discounted retainer) and fixed prices for all of
the services requested. Tripepi Smith remains open to collaborating with City Staff to narrow the scope
engagement or refine our understanding of the scope needs and will modify our pricing accordingly.
Estimated Cost of Fixed Deliverables
Platforms Review
Tripepi Smith offers three approaches for public agencies seeking to understand their existing outreach
processes and tools before charting a new path forward. The research that goes into each of these reports
and the depth of the interview process varies. This chart provides a comparison of the three options.
Full
Communications
Assessment
Express
Communications
Assessment
Platforms Review
Fixed Cost $46,565 $18,200 $7,750
TS Resources
Principal,
Director, Business
Analyst, Junior
Business Analyst
Director, Business
Analyst, Junior
Business Analyst
Director, Business
Analyst, Junior
Business Analyst
Interviews with City Staff 12 8 3
Interviews with City Council 5 0 0
Interviews with Key Members of
the Public
5 0 0
Department Communications
Documentation Details
Org. Communications
Process Summary
Website Platform Review
Social Media Platforms Reviews
Key Observations
Recommendations and Tactical
Execution Steps
Presentation to Senior Staff
Brand and Identity Evaluation
Presentation to City Council
Executive Summary Report
Version
Report Length ~50 Pages ~15 Pages 5 Pages
Project Timeline 5 Months 2 Months 1 Month
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Based upon discussions with the City, the Platforms Review appears to be likely applicable scope of work for
a kickoff project. Please note that Tripepi Smith is flexible on the make-up of this scope of work and is open
to further scope customization upon the City’s consideration. Adjusting the scope listed above could affect
pricing.
Additionally, we anticipate this project happening via video conference call and interviews as the pandemic
situation remains uncertain. An option to include an onsite interview process and attendance in-person at a
City Council meeting is also provided.
Alternatively, the City also has the option of a payment schedule with three milestones: 30% at kickoff, 30%
upon draft delivery and 40% upon final acceptance of the report.
Full
Communications
Assessment
Express
Communications
Assessment
Platforms Review
Total $46,565 $18,200 $7,750
Kickoff (30%) $13,970 $5,460 $2,325
Draft Delivery (30%) $13,970 $5,460 $2,325
Final Acceptance of Report (40%) $18,625 $7,280 $3,100
Strategic Communications Plan
As mentioned above, the scope of work for the Plan will depend on the findings from the Platforms Review
and may be affected by the City’s preferred level of stakeholder involvement. So, Tripepi Smith is offering a
cost estimate based on a potential maximum scope of work for the plan development, which is $13,895.00.
The City may choose to decrease this amount.
The City has the option of a payment schedule with two milestones: 50% at kickoff and 50% after delivering
the final plan, or thirty (30) days after delivering the draft plan, whichever occurs first.
Strategic Communications Plan
Total $13,895
Kickoff (50%) $6,947.50
Draft Delivery (50%) $6,947.50
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Tripepi Smith understands that the City may desire sequential implementation of the requested scope for
services with the Platforms Review and Strategic Communications Plan work being done before the retainer
engagement. Indeed, findings and recommendations uncovered during the Assessment and Planning process
may impact the City’s desired scope for the retainer engagement. That said, we also recognize the City has
an immediate need to address overall strategy execution and to supplement the needs of its internal team.
Cost of Retainer Engagement
Deliverable Quantity/Notes
Project Management Leverages Business Analyst and
Junior Business Analyst
Conduct bi-weekly client check-in calls,
provide check-in call recap outlining action
items and deadlines, advise on media
relations and strategy
Max. of 60 minutes per call
TOTAL TASK COST $2,100.00
Social Media Management & Monitoring Leverages Junior Business Analyst with
occasional support from Business Analyst
Create and publish social media post
content
Up to 3 unique posts per week
Social media graphic design included
English only
Monitor local community-run social media Max. of 2 hours per week
Respond to comments and messages and
otherwise engage with pages of sister
agencies and organizations serving the
community
Unlimited
TOTAL TASK COST $2,075.00
Metrics Reporting Leverages Junior Business Analyst with
review support from Business Analyst
Produce regular report on key performance
metrics for external communication
channels: social media, email, etc.
1 report per month (PDF file)
TOTAL TASK COST $490.00
Strategic Communications Planning Leverages Principal, Business Analyst,
Junior Business Analyst
Quarterly meeting with Dept. heads to plan
next year of communication opportunities
1 meeting every 3 months
Max. of 2 hours per meeting
Keeping centralized “Content Calendar”
updated throughout the year for staff’s
reference
Via Google Sheets
TOTAL MONTHLY TASK COST $635.00
TOTAL MONTHLY COST $5,300.00
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Billing and Payment Terms
All non-ad hoc work requested by the City will be on a retainer basis with a net 30-day payment term. Tripepi
Smith will invoice Renton for retainer work on the 15th of every month for that month’s service. Any ad hoc
work performed during the prior month will be invoiced on the last day of the month.
Tripepi Smith will email an invoice to the designated email address(es) of the person overseeing our contract
and will accept payment by check. Preference is for payment with net 30-day terms.
Fixed price project work will be invoiced per the above noted payment schedule.
Time and Materials Work & Rates
Sometimes, the nature of the work we do cannot be included in a retainer and is best handled on a project
price basis or a time & materials basis if sufficient details are not available to fix price a solution. In these
cases, Tripepi Smith will use the following information and rates to price this additional work with the City.
Tripepi Smith can provide regular updates on the budget use and how it is being spent, depending on the
nature of the engagement or project.
Title Resource Hourly - Standard Hourly - Retainer
Principal $285.00 $245.00
Director $200.00 $175.00
Art Director $200.00 $175.00
Senior Business Analyst $160.00 $140.00
Business Analyst $110.00 $100.00
Junior Business Analyst $85.00 $75.00
Senior Videographer/Animator $160.00 $145.00
Photographer/Videographer $110.00 $100.00
Senior Graphic Designer $145.00 $130.00
Graphic Designer $110.00 $100.00
Web Developer $160.00 $140.00
Drone Operator $160.00 $145.00
Billing
Time at Tripepi Smith is billed in 15-minute increments – i.e. we invoice our time in the following examples:
1.25, 0.75, 4.0 or 6.5 hours.
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Annual Increase
Tripepi Smith will increase the hourly rates and retainer fees for all resources by five percent (5%) or the
regional CPI index–whichever is higher-each year on the anniversary of the contract, starting in the calendar
year 2022.
Retainer Discount
When client monthly retainers exceed six-thousand-five-hundred dollars ($6,500) a month, have access to our
reduced Hourly – Retainer rates noted below. Otherwise, any ad hoc work done outside the scope of the
Retainer would be at the Hourly – Standard rates.
Other Costs
Because Tripepi Smith offers a broad set of services, including extensive content production, we have some
other content production-related fees that may come up during our engagement that we want to tell you
about.
Travel Costs
Travel costs must be pre-authorized and then will be reimbursed by the City for any requested travel. Travel
costs to be covered are for airfare, lodging and car rental. If Tripepi Smith is requested to be onsite, we will
invoice for travel time at half rate of the resource’s Standard Hourly Rate. However, if the resource is onsite for
at least twenty-four (24) hours of billable time in a day, we will not invoice for travel time.
Equipment Costs
Tripepi Smith offers some services that require equipment, such as drone operations and video production.
As such, in those cases, the following rates apply:
Title Half Day Full Day
Video Equipment $350 $550
Drone Equipment N/A $500
•Five-hundred-fifty dollars ($550) for a full day of video equipment use (includes full set of video
equipment). Full day is defined as a shoot lasting four (4) or more hours.
•Three-hundred-fifty dollars ($350) for a half day of video equipment use. Half day is defined as
anything under four (4) hours of video production. All such expenses will be authorized by the City
prior to fee being assessed.
•Five-hundred dollars ($500) per day drone fee applies and is not inclusive of the drone operator time
(Drone Operator rate).
Service Fees
Title Client Pays Directly Client Reimburses TS
Print costs, digital advertising, media
placement, voiceover/captions No Fees 10%
Typically, Tripepi Smith prefers to have service providers bill the client directly to avoid additional
administrative costs and because we have no economic interest in the service provider selection. If Tripepi
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Smith is asked to pay the bill for the client, we will apply a ten percent (10%) agency fee to the reimbursement
expense. Typical services include, but are not limited to:
Print Costs: Tripepi Smith is happy to use a printer of the client’s choosing for print production work, or to
recommend a printer with whom we have experience.
Digital Advertising: Tripepi Smith is a Google Partner and Constant Contact Solution Provider and has
Facebook Certified staff. We consider digital platforms to be a cornerstone element of any outreach strategy;
often this comes with digital advertising fees.
Media Placement: Tripepi Smith can help liaise on behalf of the City for advertising space within various
mediums, such as newspapers, magazine or websites.
Voiceover, Translation and Closed Caption Fees: Tripepi Smith occasionally uses third-party resources to
record voiceovers for videos, generate closed captions for videos, and for non-English language translations.
Tripepi Smith Partnership Discounts
Tripepi Smith has financial interest in certain related entities. These partnerships allow Tripepi Smith to offer
clients extra media reach or additional services at partner pricing. Partnerships include:
PublicCEO
–digital news about public affairs, reaching over 10,000 California government executives
https://www.publicceo.com
Civic Business Journal
–digital interest stories about the people in local government
https://www.civicbusinessjournal.com
FlashVote
–planning, implementing, measuring civic surveys
https://www.flashvote.com
TS Talent Solutions
–talent search services for local government and related agencies
https://tstalentsolutions.com
Pricing Estimates for Other Communication Support
The City may have the need for supplemental communications support that can span several areas of work
and is outside the fixed scope of work agreed to between the parties. The simplest way to price this is on an
ad hoc basis where the City calls upon Tripepi Smith as needed to execute work.
With our ad hoc approach, if we are on retainer at a minimum of six-thousand-five-hundred dollars ($6,500)
per month, then we will use our discounted Retainer Rates. The following estimates are based upon the
assumption we are on retainer with the City for at least $6,500 a month.
Quarterly Photoshoot
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Assumes a six-hour event, with one-hour pre-planning, travel time, post-shoot photo editing, delivery to client
photo portal. This includes all equipment fees – except drone work – and uses a Senior Graphic Artist /
Photographer to complete the work.
$2480 / shoot including travel
Video Production
Assuming that Tripepi Smith handles all work
and the video involves scripting, use of
teleprompter, full camera setup, a single day of
production shooting, b-roll shooting on same
day, pre-planning, post-production video
editing, music licensing, voice over, transcription
and upload to appropriate channels.
$5,940 / video including travel
Graphics
Tripepi Smith uses Canva extensively for basic
social media graphics and therefore can use our
Junior Business Analyst resources for that work.
Where more extensive design is requires,
Tripepi Smith has an Art Director, Senior
Graphic Artists and Graphic Artists. In our
experience, these costs can vary widely based
on iteration count, number of pages of content to layout or desired number of logo options or extent of a
particular branding process. In all cases, we assume written content is being provided; this estimate is for
design costs only.
Given all these factors, here are some guidelines:
Print/Digital Short Format Quarterly Newsletter - $850
Print/Digital Banner - $725
Print/Digital Flyer - $950
General Communications Advice
There may be cases where the City may need advice on stakeholder outreach, communication efforts and
public engagement initiatives. While the proposed project team can advise on such matters during regular
check-in calls and quarterly strategy meetings, there may be instances when a separate, longer discussion is
needed. Additionally, there may instances when a serious, emergency issue arises warranting collaboration
among the proposed project team, including Principal Ryder Todd Smith (available 24-7) and City leadership
throughout the crisis management period. This includes responding to emergencies through coordinated
communications efforts with key external stakeholders.
$2,040 / instance
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Website Development and Fees
Tripepi Smith has built websites for cities and other public agencies and can discuss our role as either and
RFQ advisor or bidder with the City for a website project. As a point of reference, our costs to build a website
for a City are about twenty-two-thousand-five-hundred dollars ($22,500) with an optional monthly unlimited
support fee of $375. Hosting fees are $580 a year, which includes $200 for SSL certification. Domain names
fees are $30 a year per domain name and hosted on our premium Amazon Web Services DNS account.
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Implementation of Schedule
Tripepi Smith sees no problem beginning the scope of services effective September 15, 2021. Below are
estimated timelines to deliver elements of the proposed one-time items or the pacing for a fixed scope
monthly retainer.
One-Time (Fixed Cost) Deliverables – Implementation Schedule
Platforms Review
Task Tentative Timeframe
Kickoff Meeting Week 1
Gain Access to All City Communication Tools and Assets Weeks 1-2
Arrange and Conduct Interviews Weeks 1-4
Conduct Follow-Up Interviews and Ask Follow-Up Questions Weeks 5
Analysis of Communications Methods, Tools and Assets Weeks 4-5
Draft Written Report Weeks 5-7
Deliver Draft Report Week 7
City Provides Input on Draft Report Weeks 7-8
Deliver Final Report Weeks 9
Deliver Closing Verbal Report to Council (if desired) Week 10
Strategic Communications Plan
This project schedule will depend on the findings from the Platforms Review and may be affected by the City’s preferred
level of stakeholder involvement. Unlike the Platforms Review, which requires a sequential process, we can develop
some elements of the Strategic Communications Plan simultaneously. Therefore, the schedule below includes heavy
overlap and maximum timeframes that may be shortened after further discussion.
Task Tentative Timeframe
Kickoff Meeting / Discuss Communication Platforms Review
Findings
Week 1
Identify Branding Gaps, Develop Brand/Style Guide Weeks 1-6
Develop Internal Communications Plan Weeks 2-8
Create External Audiences/Messaging Framework Weeks 4-6
Update External Communications Strategies Weeks 6-10
Media Relations Plan Weeks 8-12
Draft Written Plan Weeks 8-12
Deliver Draft Plan Week 12
City Provides Input on Draft Plan Weeks 12-13
Deliver Final Plan, Including Implementation Plan & Cost Week 14
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Ongoing (Retainer) Deliverables – Implementation Schedule
The following chart outlines the general frequency of each deliverable proposed within each task.
Frequency Task Details
Bi-Weekly Check-In Calls & Content Planning •
•
Max. of 60 minutes per call
Recap email to be sent after each call
Weekly Social Media Management
(3 posts/week)
•
•
•
•
•
Create and publish social media post
content
English only
Monitor online chatter (max. 2 hours per
week)
Respond to questions/comments as needed
Weekly Media Monitoring •
•
Track on mentions by local, regional and
national media
Liaise with media contacts as needed to
issue corrections or advance communication
priorities
Monthly Monthly Dashboard Metrics Report •1 report per month (PDF file)
Quarterly Quarterly Communications Calendar
Planning Sessions
•
•
•
1 meeting every 3 months
Max. of 2 hours per meeting
Update centralized “Content Calendar”
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TRIPEPI SMITH REFERENCES
Description
City of American Canyon
Jen Kansanback
Communications Manager
707.647.5355
jkansanback@cityofamericancanyon.org
4381 Broadway St., Suite 201, American Canyon, CA
94503
On-demand crisis communications, platforms review,
policy strategy expertise, graphic design, content
production support, video production support, event
management and facilitation, photography services,
media outreach, social media management,
communications and leadership strategy, metric
reporting, website content updates, copywriting services,
quarterly communications calendar planning, professional
development training.
Primary Assigned Personnel:
Jon Barilone, Director
Karen Villaseñor, Business Analyst
Kalee Cummings, Junior Business Analyst
Alexandra Applegate, Junior Business Analyst
Period: 2019 to present
City of Culver City
Shelly Wolfberg
Asst. to the City Manager
310.253.6008
shelly.wolfberg@culvercity.org
9770 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
Communications Assessment, strategy and action items,
social media management, social media and media
monitoring, ongoing communications support,
videography, monthly metrics reporting, photography,
graphic design, bi-weekly client calls and crisis
communications.
Primary Assigned Personnel:
Jon Barilone, Director
Saara Lampwalla, Business Analyst
Kaetlyn Hernandez, Junior Business Analyst
Claire Torza, Junior Business Analyst
Period: 2017 to present
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City of Duarte
Dan Jordan
City Manager
626.590.4633
djordan@accessduarte.com
1600 Huntington Drive, Duarte, CA 91010
Tripepi Smith conducted a full communications
assessment for the City of Duarte in 2014. After ad hoc
video, photo and email outreach work over a few years,
the City engaged Tripepi Smith in 2020 to refresh the
2014 communications assessment, create a style guide,
consult in creating a new website and to redesign its
quarterly newsletter. Additionally, the City entered a
retainer agreement for social media services, writing news
articles and press releases, updating the website,
delivering monthly metrics reports, conducting weekly
project management calls as well as quarterly strategy
calls with leadership and to produce the quarterly
newsletter.
Primary Assigned Personnel:
Saara Lampwalla, Business Analyst
Clare Burgess, Junior Business Analyst
Danielle Rodriguez, Junior Business Analyst
Claire Torza, Junior Business Analyst
Period: 2014 to present
City of La Cañada Flintridge
Carl Alameda
Assistant City Manager
818.790.8880
calameda@lcf.ca.gov
One Civic Center Dr., La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
Communications assessment, and on-demand
communications support. Community newsletter
generation, media relations management, videography
and strategic message development.
Primary Assigned Personnel:
Cameron Grimm, Director
Kjerstin Wingert, Senior Graphic Artist
Molly Lockwood, Junior Business Analyst
Period: 2016 to present
City of Martinez
Eric Figueroa
City Manager
510.325.0072
efigueroa@cityofmartinez.org
525 Henrietta St., Martinez, CA 94553
Weekly client calls, social media management, content
production, metrics reporting, graphic design, video
production, website development.
Primary Assigned Personnel:
Bria Balliet, Business Analyst
Allison Torres, Junior Business Analyst
Period: 2019 to present
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ATTACHMENT A: RESUMES
RYDER TODD SMITH
TRIPEPI SMITH – PRESIDENT 11/00 – PRESENT
● Provide communications advice, strategy and execution services to a range of small to mid-sized
public and private sector clients spanning local government, real estate, finance, technology and
healthcare verticals
MAVENT INC – SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS 5/05 – 11/09
● Responsible for quality assurance, technology operations and internal infrastructure organizations
● Built team of technology professionals to manage multi-site production environment at co-location
facilities.
● Managed vendor relationships and reviewed all invoices
● Brought focus to key areas, including: system documentation, knowledge sharing with other
employees, schedule management for finite resources and enhanced security
● Developed and managed the departmental budgets for three groups
MAVENT INC – VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING 08/04 – 05/05
● Managed the Company’s outside PR firm relationship, creative firm relationship, corporate
website, ad campaigns, conference schedule, conference logistics and internal employee
communications
● Developed and managed the marketing budget
MAVENT INC – VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS 02/03 – 08/04
● Monitored nationwide political activities that were pertinent to Mavent’s interests
● Developed relationships with third-party interest groups that impacted the Company’s product
● Participated in industry conferences and represented the Company at industry events
OLYMPIC STAFFING SERVICES – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER 01/98 – 11/00
● Managed and controlled all aspects of the technology environment at this five-location, 35-
employee company
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION – GOV’T REPRESENTATIVE 07/97 – 12/97
● Worked directly with the Director of State and Local Government Relations to research issues of
concern to Northrop Grumman
● Developed agendas to target upcoming legislative issues
● Assisted in lobbying work and development of testimony
EDUCATION
CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE – CLAREMONT, CA
● Bachelor of Arts in Politics – Philosophy – Economics with Dual in Economics
o Cum Laude Honors
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JENNIFER NENTWIG, APR
TRIPEPI SMITH – DIRECTOR 01/21 – PRESENT
● Strategic advice and project leadership across an array of clients
● Redistricting subject matter expertise, business development and project management
● Internal leadership on policy areas like water quality, major infrastructure projects
TRIPEPI SMITH – SENIOR BUSINESS ANALYST 08/19 – DECEMBER 2020
● Provides project management and account support for numerous clients
● Develops content including strategic messaging, leadership talking points, speeches and articles
COUNTY OF ORANGE – COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER 11/16 – 8/19
● Managed County website and social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and
Nextdoor
● Developed and implemented communication plans, including talking points, key messages and
FAQs
BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON – COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT/ASSOCIATE 09/11 – 11/16
● Led communications support of several U.S. military clients such as the Naval Aviation Enterprise
(NAE)
● Developed and published high-visibility products including vision documents and strategic plans
U.S. AIR FORCE RESERVES – PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER/MAJOR 09/11 – PRESENT
● Provides once-a-year Public Affairs support to active-duty U.S. Air Force units
U.S. AIR FORCE – PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER/CAPTAIN 05/07 – 08/11
● Served as Director of Public Affairs for U.S. military joint task force providing humanitarian
assistance and disaster relief
● Led media relations program and community relations events for Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada,
including support for a visit and speech by President Barack Obama
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO – SAN DIEGO, CA
● Master of Science in Global Leadership
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME – NOTRE DAME, IN
● Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Minor in Hesburgh Program of Public Service – Magna Cum
Laude Honors
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
● Accreditation in Public Relations, Public Relations Society of America 2015
● Public Affairs Qualification Course, Defense Information School 2007
CERTIFICATIONS
● Facebook Blueprint Digital Marketing Associate 07/20
● Hootsuite Social Marketing 09/19
SOFTWARE
● Hootsuite ● Constant Contact ● Canva
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CAMERON GRIMM
TRIPEPI SMITH – DIRECTOR 05/21 – PRESENT
●Generate client plans and approaches to crisis and other difficult situations
●Provide account oversight and project leadership on critical accounts
●Lead the video production practice at Tripepi Smith
●Provide overall quality assurance and timely deliverables on client engagements
TRIPEPI SMITH – SENIOR BUSINESS ANALYST 08/18 – 05/21
●Provide project management and account support for a variety of clients and one-time projects
●Script, produce and edit videos
●Write and distribute news releases, feature stories and opinion-editorials
CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE – DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES 10/16 – 05/18
●Directed and planned Creative Services division
●Established production deadlines, oversaw design, managed internal approvals and supervised
production of CMC Magazine
●Supervised in-house Graphic Designer and freelance photographers, video producers and
designers to establish a creative vision for project requests and set production timelines
CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE – DIRECTOR OF VIDEO OPERATIONS 08/13 – 10/16
●Produced exceptional quality video programming and responsible for the full cycle of production:
conceptualizing, scripting, producing, shooting, audio recording, editing, creating graphic
elements, compressing and publishing
●Created and managed official College YouTube channel with viewership increase of 326% in a 6-
month period
EDUCATION
●Bachelor of Arts / English – Scripps College – Claremont, CA
●Certificate / Essentials of Marketing Strategy – eCornell
●Certificate / Film Editing – Los Angeles Film School – Los Angeles, CA
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
●Pepperdine School of Public Policy Professional Certificate in Leading Smart Communities 03/21
●UCI Public Policy Making Academy I 03/21
CERTIFICATIONS
●Constant Contact Certified Solutions Provider 01/21
●YouTube: Content Ownership, Channel Growth and Creative Essentials 08/19
●Hootsuite Social Marketing 09/18
SOFTWARE
●Adobe Premiere
●Adobe After Effects
●Adobe Photoshop
●Adobe Illustrator
●Media Encoder
●Constant Contact
●Hootsuite
●Microsoft Office
DocuSign Envelope ID: EDF8D928-B59C-4744-A4BB-F9A4B7BA6E61
City of Renton / Communications Consultant Proposal/ Version 1.0
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MELANIE JAMES
TRIPEPI SMITH – SENIOR BUSINESS ANALYST/GRAPHIC ARTIST 07/16 – PRESENT
●Graphic artist on layout and concept design of brand consistent print and web graphics
●Provide project management and account support for numerous clients
●Setup, assistance and publication of e-newsletter campaigns and additional email marketing
●Website design, modification, and maintenance
SVA ARCHITECTS – EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT 06/14 – 07/16
●Scheduled and managed meeting calendar for executive management team
●Assisted the marketing department with occasional graphic design projects, email blasts and copy
writing
●Provided office management support including HR and payroll support
THE DESIGN OFFICE – GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN 01/16 – 05/16
●Created infographics, business cards, postcards, book covers, photobooks, magazines and logos
●Assisted in printing processes from concept to completion
●Coached in areas of business development, marketing strategies, campaign development and
execution
EDUCATION
●Associate of Arts in Digital Arts – Golden West College – Huntington Beach, CA
●Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology – California State University, Long Beach – Long Beach, CA -
o Dean’s List Recipient
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
●UCI Extension Public Policy Making Academy II 03/18
●USC Executive Education Forum for Policy and Administration 03/17
CERTIFICATIONS
●Constant Contact Certified Solutions Provider 10/19
●Hootsuite Social Marketing 12/16
SOFTWARE
●Adobe Illustrator
●Adobe InDesign
●Adobe Photoshop
●WordPress
●HTML and CSS
●Hootsuite
●Constant Contact
●Canva
●Microsoft Office
DocuSign Envelope ID: EDF8D928-B59C-4744-A4BB-F9A4B7BA6E61
City of Renton / Communications Consultant Proposal/ Version 1.0
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BRIA BALLIET
TRIPEPI SMITH – SENIOR BUSINESS ANALYST/GRAPHIC ARTIST 04/18 – PRESENT
● Write content for clients including press releases, articles and thought leadership pieces
● Manage creative projects and execute graphic design
● Analyze policies and strategic implications of communications related to client goals
● Photography and post-production photo editing for events and journal publications
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE – SENIOR WRITER 04/15 – 04/18
● Wrote and edited short and feature-length stories for multiple web- and print-based outlets
● Assisted director of communications with editing speeches and letters to be delivered by school
executives
● Implemented strategic marketing and communications efforts to advance the school based on
current trends
● Designed and implemented social media content for targeted campaigns
● Assisted with digital marketing projects and website maintenance
FIREBRAND MEDIA – EDITORIAL ASSISTANT 12/13 – 04/15
● Wrote and edited editorial and advertorial content for multiple publications on strict deadlines
● Adapted to different writing styles and audiences based on publication and project goals
● Worked closely with PR and marketing teams to promote their clients while achieving company
objectives
● Uploaded daily digital content with particular attention to SEO (WordPress and ExpressionEngine)
● Expanded social media efforts and presence of publications across Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram
EDUCATION
● Bachelor of Arts in Communications – University of California, San Diego – San Diego, CA
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
● USC Executive Education Forum for Policy and Administration 10/19
● UCI Public Policy Making Academy I 03/19
CERTIFICATIONS
● Constant Contact Certified Solutions Provider 05/18
● Hootsuite Social Marketing 05/18
SOFTWARE
● Adobe Illustrator
● Adobe InDesign
● Adobe Photoshop
● Adobe Lightroom
● Hootsuite
● Constant Contact
● WordPress
● Canva
● Microsoft Office
DocuSign Envelope ID: EDF8D928-B59C-4744-A4BB-F9A4B7BA6E61
City of Renton / Communications Consultant Proposal/ Version 1.0
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SAARA LAMPWALLA
TRIPEPI SMITH – BUSINESS ANALYST 04/17 – PRESENT
●Formulate marketing and communications strategies and tactics based on client goals
●Produce newsletters, events, surveys, press releases, articles and thought leadership pieces
●Provide video production management and support
SOUTH HILLS ACADEMY – MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR 01/17 – 04/17
●Developed and executed recruitment strategy via social media, collateral development and
relationship management
●Collaborated on cross-cultural marketing initiatives for students in US, UAE, Canada and China
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON – PROFESSIONAL TRAINEE 07/15 – 06/16
●Supported head of department with brainstorm, research, planning, implementation and
evaluation projects
●Oversaw newsletter, accident reports, safety bulletins, safety alerts and communications from
leaders reaching 8,000 people across SCE’s Transmission and Distribution organization
EDUCATION
●Bachelor of Science in Communication, Emphasis in Public Relations and Minors in Marketing
Management, Journalism and Philosophy– California State Polytechnic University, Pomona –
Pomona, CA
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
●UCI Public Policy Making Academy II 03/20
●CAPIO “Facebook and Instagram for Government” Workshop 12/19
●League of California Cities Crisis Communications Workshop 05/17
CERTIFICATIONS
●Google Analytics 05/20
●Federal Aviation Administration Remote Pilot Certificate 04/19
●Constant Contact Certified Solutions Provider 06/18
●Hubspot Inbound Marketing 08/18
●Hootsuite University 04/17
●Hootsuite Social Marketing 12/17
SOFTWARE
●Google Analytics
●Adobe InDesign
●Adobe Photoshop
●Adobe Premiere
●Constant Contact
●Hootsuite
●WordPress
●Microsoft Office
●Canva
DocuSign Envelope ID: EDF8D928-B59C-4744-A4BB-F9A4B7BA6E61
City of Renton / Communications Consultant Proposal/ Version 1.0
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KYLIE BENZING
TRIPEPI SMITH – JUNIOR BUSINESS ANALYST 06/21 – PRESENT
● Conduct market research to provide client insights
● Develop strategy to improve social media marketing efforts
● Write stories and press releases for the firm’s website and city clients
TSG REPORTING – OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE 11/20 – 04/21
● Consulted with worldwide law firms to provide them with proper litigation needs
● Managed the schedules of 300+ global reporters, videographers and digital operators
● Provided technical support to prepare all litigation staff for remote work
● Set up and monitored 50+ Zoom meetings daily to ensure logistical success.
TSE WORLDWIDE PRESS – SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING MANAGER 05/20 – 11/20
● Reconstructed and co-designed a new website for TSE Worldwide Press
● Initiated marketing and PR tactics to build the branding for entrepreneur Sarah Tse
● Implemented a social media marketing plan for the company and entrepreneur
● Redesigned the branding of the entrepreneur's various social media platforms
BIOLA UNIVERSITY – ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT 10/17 – 11/20
● Monitored daily and weekly schedules and monthly calendar obligations for Academic Advisor
● Built and tracked degree checklists for students before academic advising sessions
● Worked closely and diligently with faculty members to help them in achieving their goals
● Assisted with management and tracking of event information and ticketing
● Input travel documentation and expenses for speakers, faculty and event planning teams
● Liaison between the accounting, purchasing and cashier departments
EDUCATION
● Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Management – Biola University – La Mirada, CA
o Dean’s List Recipient
CERTIFICATIONS
● Hootsuite Social Marketing 06/21
SOFTWARE
● Google Suite ● Microsoft Office ● Canva
DocuSign Envelope ID: EDF8D928-B59C-4744-A4BB-F9A4B7BA6E61
City of Renton / Communications Consultant Proposal/ Version 1.0
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KAETLYN HERNANDEZ
TRIPEPI SMITH – JUNIOR BUSINESS ANALYST 09/20 – PRESENT
● Conduct market research to provide client insights
● Manage social media and respond to public questions
● Write stories and press releases for the firm’s website and city clients
● Execute virtual conferences and manage online tools for event production
NBCUNIVERSAL E! ENTERTAINMENT – CREATIVE MARKETING & PRODUCTION INTERN 01/20 – 05/20
● Delivered promotional content to the creative production team and organized and logged
ongoing footage
● Collaborated with graphic designers to provide art direction for promotional artwork development
● Researched the market, analyzed valuable partnerships and arranged visual presentations
NBCUNIVERSAL HOME ENTERTAINMENT – DIGITAL MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN 09/19 – 12/19
● Produced social media assets and video content that facilitated high follower engagement
● Tracked budgets and negotiated contracts to conduct influencer campaigns and press junkets
● Directed company-wide campaigns and design agencies to produce optimal social content
ASSOCIATED STUDENTS, CSUF, INC. – CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER 06/18 – 05/19
● Supported the university’s Marketing and Design director by supervising design and video teams
to process all social media efforts
● Executed projects, campaigns and events that provided resources to a campus of 40,000+
students
● Composed weekly scripts, production calendars and hosted/produced a podcast
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION – PUBLIC RELATIONS INTERN 06/18 – 08/18
● Organized social media calendars and campaign concepts
● Authored news articles, press releases and media alerts on behalf of the Orange County Chapter
EDUCATION
● Bachelor of Fine Arts in Entertainment Arts, Minor in Public Relations – California State University, Fullerton –
Fullerton, CA
o Dean’s List Recipient & Cum Laude
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
● Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer Udemy Course 11/20
● Ninja Writing: The Four Levels of Writing Mastery Udemy Course 12/20
● Editing Mastery: How to Edit Writing to Perfection Udemy Course 03/21
CERTIFICATIONS
● Constant Contact Certified Solutions Provider 08/20
● Hootsuite Social Marketing 09/20
SOFTWARE
● Adobe Premier Pro
● Adobe Photoshop
● WordPress
● Hootsuite
● Sprinklr
● Buffer
● Sprout Social
● Canva
● Microsoft Office
DocuSign Envelope ID: EDF8D928-B59C-4744-A4BB-F9A4B7BA6E61
City of Renton / Communications Consultant Proposal/ Version 1.0
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JERALD LA MADRID
TRIPEPI SMITH – JUNIOR BUSINESS ANALYST 0/21 – PRESENT
●Facilitate city council meeting broadcasts for public access
●Monitor and manage social media accounts and respond to questions
●Write stories and press releases for firm’s website and city clients
CITY OF ANAHEIM – ADMINISTRATIVE INTERN II 01/19 – 04/21
●Tabulated, organized and analyzed residential permit parking survey results
●Assisted the City’s Traffic Engineer in preparing the budget for residential permit parking
●Developed a comprehensive resource guide to effectively track permit parking survey results
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON – GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT 08/20 – 01/21
●Answered students’ questions on course material
●Produced weekly reports on students’ progress to the professor
●Evaluated, graded and offered feedback on student assignments
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON – GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT 03/19 – 06/19
●Gathered and summarized teleworking and telecommuting research articles
●Interviewed division leaders from the County of Orange Social Services Agency
●Reviewed and made recommendations to the principal investigator’s teleworking survey
CITY OF LAKE FOREST – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INTERN 09/16 – 01/19
●Produced, filmed and edited spotlight videos for local businesses
●Wrote news stories for the City’s monthly e-Newsletter, website and social media
●Administered the business registration process and fulfilled public records requests
EDUCATION
●Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Minor in Film and Media Studies – University of California, Irvine –
Irvine, CA
o Dean’s Honor List Recipient
●Master of Public Administration – California State University, Fullerton – Fullerton, CA
o City Manager Fellowship Program
CERTIFICATIONS
●Hootsuite Social Marketing 04/21
SOFTWARE
●Adobe Photoshop
●Adobe Premier Pro
●Powtoon
●Google Suite
●Microsoft Office
●WordPress
●Constant Contact
●Canva
●Hootsuite
DocuSign Envelope ID: EDF8D928-B59C-4744-A4BB-F9A4B7BA6E61