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From YouTube: What's Up AVL! – Episode 10
Description
Sam Parada, Communication Specialist with the City of Asheville, talks with Dawa Hitch, the City's Director of Communication and Public Engagement, about "Your Voice, Your Choice," a tool to better engage with Asheville’s communities. Dawa explains how "Your Voice, Your Choice" will be a critical resource for guiding and shaping the City’s efforts to honor the diverse and inclusive spirit of Asheville.
B
This
is
your
host
sam
ferreira,
communication
and
public
engagement,
specialist
with
the
city
of
asheville,
and
today
I
have
the
pleasure
to
introduce
my
colleague,
dawa
hitch,
the
director
of
the
department
of
communication
and
public
engagement
at
the
city
dawa.
I
love
to
have
you
here
and
interview
you
today,
it's
my
honor
and
I
would
love
for
you
to
tell
our
listeners
today
more
about
you
and
while
you're
at
it.
Can
you
also
tell
us
about
cape
as
a
department
and
what
our
goal
is
coming
from
the
director.
C
So
a
little
bit
about
me,
my
name
is
dalla
hitch
as
she
shared,
and
I
have
the
pleasure
of
serving
as
a
communication
and
public
engagement
director
for
the
city.
I
have
been
working
for
the
city
of
asheville
for
15
years
in
a
number
of
different
roles.
I
started
out
doing
some
community
oriented
problem
solving
out
in
communities
really
looking
at
addressing
problems
through
the
ideas
of
people
who
were
experiencing
them
and
and
since
then
have
moved
into
this
position,
and
it's
just
been
a
real
joy
to
serve
our
community
in
this
way.
C
C
So
that's
a
little
bit
about
me.
This
wonderful
department
that
I
have
the
honor
of
leading
has
the
responsibility
of
making
sure
that
we
are
connecting
with
all
people
within
our
community.
If
I
were
to
boil
it
down,
that's
what
it
would
come
down
to
and
make
sure
that
there
is
access
to
decision
making.
C
So
that
may
be.
You
know
informing
our
community
about
projects
and
initiatives.
We
work
with
the
media.
We
have
a
community
engagement
division
and
a
strategic
communication
division.
Then,
within
that
community
engagement
function
we
have
our
neighborhood
services
and,
and
we
work
across
departments
so
that
we
can
do
our
best
job
as
the
city
of
asheville
to
be
consistent,
accountable,
transparent
with
our
community.
B
Love
to
hear
from
you
dawa
now,
communication
and
engagement
are
two
different
parts
of
the
same
coin.
We
focus
a
lot
on
informing
the
public,
communicating
what's
happening,
but
at
the
same
time,
equally
as
important,
we
need
to
hear
from
the
public
the
engagement
part
of
it
making
sure
that
every
boy
every
voice
is
heard
properly,
and
that
brings
me
to
the
topic
for
today.
B
C
Yes,
and
I'm
I'm
thrilled
to
be
at
this
at
this
point
in
this
project,
it
has
been
something
that
we've
been
working
towards
for
the
last
year.
It
was
a
goal
that
was
identified
in
response
to
a
some
input
that
we
consistently
receive
over
the
years
and,
most
recently
through
reimagining
public
safety
and
engagement
effort.
C
We
did
a
couple
years
ago
and
and
through
what
we
were
hearing
out
in
the
community
and
from
those
engagement
efforts
that
we
had,
we,
we
we
heard-
and
it
was
affirmed
that
that
there
are
often
people
that
are
missing
from
the
conversation
missing
from
decision-making,
and
so
we
thought,
what
can
we
do
to
move
the
needle
on
this?
How
can
we
be
more
intentional?
C
C
Your
choice,
sign
up
is
an
opportunity
for
people
in
our
community
if
they
choose
to
send
in
their
email
or
they
can
send
in
their
email
and
their
name,
and
then
by
checking
some
boxes
in
this
sign
off,
they
can
share
different
groups
that
they
have
lived
experience
with.
So
you
might
be
asking
why?
C
How
are
you
going
to
use
that,
and
and
with
that,
having
that
really
rich
contact
list?
What
we
believe
we're
going
to
be
able
to
do
is
to
work
with
our
project
managers
across
the
organization
if
they
have
a
project
that
they're
seeking
input
on
they
will
be
in
and
as
we
are
working
through
the
communication
and
engagement
plan.
For
that
we're
identifying
who
is
going
to
be
most
impacted?
Who
cares
a
lot
about
this
who's
adjacent
to
this
project?
C
We
ask
a
lot
of
questions
and
different
groups
come
to
mind,
and
so,
with
this
information,
let's
say
that
youth
are
a
group
that
we
believe
would
be
impacted
by
whatever
project
is
being
considered,
we
we
will
be
able
to
proactively
reach
out
to
that
list,
we'll
be
able
to
send
an
email
and
say
hey
this
project's
happening,
we'd
like
to
invite
you
to
participate
your
voice
matters.
We
want
to
make
sure
that
your
perspective
is
included
before
any
final
decision
is
made.
C
That's
absolutely
right
and
if
it's
something
that
you
aren't
particularly
interested
in,
you
do
have
the
option
to
unsubscribe
from
that
contact
list.
So
you
won't
get.
You
know
more
emails
about
the
same
project
that
you've
decided
just
isn't
really
a
top
priority
for
you
at
this
time.
It
will
still
leave
you
in
our
big
contact
list
and
then,
when
the
next
project
comes
along,
you
may
receive
another
invitation.
C
B
C
C
B
C
B
C
Absolutely,
and
and
to
kind
of
break
through
all
of
the
stuff
that
happens,
I
mean
I
I
get
it.
Life
is
a
lot.
We
all
have
lots
of
demands,
family
friends,
our
work,
our
community
work
and
it's
hard
to
keep
up
with
all
of
the
different
decisions
that
are
being
made,
and
so
we
we
hope
that
this
is
a
step
in
a
positive
direction,
so
that
that
people
are
at
least
getting
things
sent
to
them
opportunities.
B
C
No,
you
don't!
No,
you
don't,
and-
and
we
certainly
appreciate
and
have
heard
over
the
years-
that
if
you
ask
too
much
information
that
might
discourage
people
from
participating,
so
so
the
team
and-
and
I
just
have
to
give
a
shout
out
to
our
team-
an
amazing
group
of
people-
I
am
honored
to
serve
with
them
every
day.
C
We
spent
a
lot
of
time,
thinking
about
just
that
and
and
got
input
from
our
office
of
data
and
performance
as
well,
and
our
office
of
equity
and
inclusion
to
make
sure
that
we
were
mindful
of
any
barriers
that
we
might
be
creating.
So
that's
true,
there's
the
option
to
just
have
your
email
to
sign
up
with
just
your
email.
C
There
is
option
to
do
email,
a
name
and
then
when
there
are
projects
that
are
asking
for
input
and
there's
you
know,
questions
associated
with
it.
We're
committed
to
making
sure
that
it's
clear
that
if
you
want
to
remain
anonymous
and
have
no
information
connected
to
you,
as
you
fill
out
the
survey
that
that
too
is
an
option.
So
it
would
require
just
kind
of
signing
if
you've
registered,
to
sign
out
and
then
come
back
in
and
take
it
anonymously.
B
C
Facet
of
what
we
do
it
is
critical
for
the
success
of
our
this
organization
and
the
community
that
that
we
serve
to
really
reach
our
highest
potential.
That
trust
is
really
essential,
and
we
are
certainly
aware
that
there
are
things
that
have
happened
over
the
span
of
local
government
that
have
eroded
that
trust.
There
have
been
practices
in
place
that
were
discriminatory.
C
There
have
been
promises
that
have
been
made
and
not
followed
through.
We've
asked
for
input.
I
can
speak
within
my
experience
of
of
this
organization
there.
To
just
be
honest
and
frank,
there
have
been
times
where
we
have
asked
for
people's
input
and
we
haven't
done
our
best
job
of
reporting
back
to
them
about
how
that
input
was
used.
So
it
is
it's
understandable.
C
This
isn't
going
to
fix
everything,
but
we're
going
to
keep
listening,
we're
going
to
keep
thinking
about.
What's
within
our
realm
of
influence
and
we're
going
to
keep
identifying
things
that
we
can
do
that,
we
hope
will
make
a
change
and
then
we're
going
to
go
back
and
say:
well,
we
thought
it
was
going
to
be.
I
was
going
to
make
a
change
like
what
is.
B
Hopefully,
people
find
this
as
useful
of
a
tool
as
we
think
it
is
and
the
whole
accessibility
thing
you
know
we
want
to
reach
out
to
more
people,
especially
voices
that
haven't
had
the
chance
to
to
be
hurt,
and
you
know
smaller
communities
outside
of
asheville
or
just
in
the
surrounding
areas.
People
with
little
access-
and
I
love
that
you
can
choose
multiple
topics
and
backgrounds,
especially,
for
example
the
elderly.
You
know,
maybe
you
work
with
someone
who
is
elderly
and
they
don't
have
the
access
to
voice
their
concerns.
B
In
this
way,
we
can
get
the
news
out
to
whoever's
in
charge
of
taking
care
of
elderly
the
youth
communities
who
might
not
feel
comfortable
speaking
with
the
government
not
have
an
easier
way
and
an
easier
access
to
to
voice
their
opinions,
and
I
love
what
you're
doing
and
how
this
project
is.
Finally,
taking
shape
to
build
up
this
trust
between
asheville,
the
city
and
this
community.
C
C
This
sign
up
opportunity
for
individuals
to
take.
At
the
same
time,
the
team
has
been
working
on
reaching
out
to
agencies,
non-profits
community-based
groups
that
have
connections
and
networks
with
some
of
the
groups
of
people
that
we
know
have
been
missing.
So,
in
addition
to
any
individual
that
we
hope
will
take
this
opportunity
to
sign
up.
We
also
have
organizations
in
there
that
have
said
they'd
be
willing
to
help
share
information
through
their
network.
So
again,
it
kind
of
creates
that
safe
space
with
people
who
people
know
with
people
who
look
like
them
to.
B
C
A
C
C
So
we
want
to
make
sure
that
that
we're
doing
our
best
to
to
meet
people
where
they
are,
but
back
to
so
so
because
it
was
such
a
big
idea,
kind
of
honing
it
down
to
what
it
would
look
like
in
practice
and
how
we
could
communicate
about
it
with
our
community
in
a
way
that
doesn't
sound
like
government
speak.
That
is
just
plain
language
that
may
have
been
one
of
the
most
difficult
pieces
of
this
project
and
we
spent
a
lot
of
time
playing
around
with
like
phrasing
like.
Does
this
make
sense?
C
No
that
sounds
too
technical,
or
does
this
make
sense?
No
that
doesn't
framing
it.
That
way,
doesn't
give
the
full
scope
of
the
project
so
really
getting
down
to
that
communication.
Piece
making
sure
that
we
addressed
any
concerns
that
we
imagine
people
might
have
like.
What
are
you
going
to
do
with
my
information?
Will
this
always
be
attached
to
me
or
do
I
have
the
opportunity
to
participate
anonymously?
C
C
Would
you
be
willing
to
share
information
if
we
sent
it
to
you
to
the
people
within
your
network,
so
we
can
invite
more
people
in
that
that
took
a
lot
of
time,
and
I
just
think
it
was
time
really
well
spent
and
again
just
have
to
give
kudos
to
the
team
for
for
the
idea
and
then
the
commitment
to
making
those
connections
and
now
our
job's
going
to
be
maintaining
them.
Maintaining.
C
B
Love
it
love
it.
Well.
Thank
you
so
much
for
being
here
today
and
explaining
this
new
tool
that
the
city
has
to
offer.
I
really
hope
that
it
becomes
what
we've
envisioned
it
will
become,
and
you
know
it's
it's
live.
Please
go
to
our
website
at
ashevillenc.gov
we
have
a
brand
new
tab
on
the
very
top
called
engagement,
so
you
can
go
there
and
just
you
can
read
it
for
yourself.
You
can
check
out
the
survey.
B
B
C
Yes,
especially
well
and
that's
been
a
change
since
we've
lived
through
this
wild
life
of
kovid,
we
had
to
get
real
adept
real
fast
at
being
able
to
produce
virtual
meetings,
still
more
work
to
be
done
in
that
area,
as
we
transitioned
back
to
in
person,
city
council
meetings
and
any
opportunities
that
we
that
we
might
have
moving
forward,
and
we
believe
that
there
are
some
so
generally
speaking,
you
can
certainly
find
city
council
meetings.
You
can
watch
the
stream,
you
can
go
back
and
look
at
previous
council
meetings.
C
You
can,
through
our
engagement
hub,
which
you
can
get
through
get
to
through
that
engage
button
at
the
top
of
the
front
page
of
the
website,
and
then
we've
also
got
our
youtube
channel
where
you
can
go
back
and
look
at
city,
council
meetings
and
we've
got
there's
boards
and
commissions.
That's
another
way
to
get
engaged.
C
B
Thank
you
so
much
dawa
and
you've
heard
it
from
devil
herself.
Please
asheville,
engage
tell
us
what
you
need.
Tell
us
what
you
want
and
participate
with
everything
the
city
is
working
at
the
moment
now.
Sadly,
this
is
all
the
time
we
have
for
today.
Thank
you
so
much
for
joining
me
that
one
and
just
a
little
reminder
to
everybody
out
there.
This
is
a
call
to
all
artists
and
creatives.
The
city
of
asheville
is
launching
art
in
the
hearts.
B
Now
please
go
ahead
and
apply
and
we
would
love
to
see
you
there.
You
can
apply
at
ashfield,
nc.gov
dash
public
art
to
learn
more
come
to
our
website
and
yeah.
Thank
you
so
much
for
your
time.
Asheville,
please
don't
forget
to
participate
in
the
different
projects
we
have
at
the
city
and
stay
informed
about
our
latest
news
and
visit
our
website
ashevillenc.gov.
To
learn
more
about
each
department
and
what
we
can
do
for
you
stay
tuned
and
we'll
be
back
to
talk
about
another
city
project
in
the
near
future.