This annual event brings together communication professionals from local governments and public agencies across Central Ohio.
Join us for MORPC’s Social Media Summit, a dynamic half-day event bringing together communications professionals from across Central Ohio to explore the latest trends shaping social media today.
This year’s summit will focus on building meaningful connections with your audience, navigating the evolving landscape of misinformation and artificial intelligence, and creating engaging content that drives real impact. Attendees will also gain insight into how organizations are leveraging AI in real-world social media strategies to enhance communication and reach.
Whether you’re managing social media for a local government, organization, or community initiative, this event offers practical ideas, fresh perspectives, and valuable networking opportunities to help you strengthen your digital presence.
Agenda
8:30 AM – Registration
9:00 AM – Program Begins
9:15 AM – Workshop I
9:45 AM – Workshop II
10:30 AM – Workshop III
11:00 AM – Workshop llll
11:30 AM – Fireside Chat
12:00 PM – Closing Remarks & Networking
- Food Truck available for purchasing lunch
For questions about the program, contact Madison Scheiderer at mscheiderer@morpc.org.
Speakers
James Anderson
James Anderson, Vice President of Growth & Innovation at Geben Communication
James Anderson is Geben’s Vice President of Growth & Innovation, bringing 13 years of industry experience, including 8+ years at Geben, across B2B, nonprofit, and mission-driven organizations.
James joined the Geben as a Social Media Manager and, through consistently strong performance, took on expanded leadership — first leading the social team, then helping evolve that function into a broader digital discipline. Today, he leads Geben’s Growth & Innovation practice, focused on helping clients maximize the impact of their advertising and communication investments.
At his core, James balances strategic vision with practical implementation. His work centers on developing and executing data-informed advertising strategies that drive measurable results for complex B2B organizations. He brings deep experience in paid media, audience strategy, and lead generation, with a particular focus on helping clients make smarter decisions about where to invest, how to optimize performance, and how to translate insight into action.
James also plays a key role in integrating emerging tools and technologies — including AI — into Geben’s work in practical, responsible ways. His focus is not experimentation for its own sake, but improving efficiency, performance, and clarity for both clients and internal teams.
Before joining Geben, James worked in customer relations and social media roles, building a strong foundation in audience engagement and brand communication. At Geben, he now helps shape growth-focused strategies that balance creativity, data, and execution — ensuring campaigns don’t just build awareness, but support conversion and long-term impact.
Heather Whaling
Heather Whaling, Founder and President of Geben Communication
Heather Whaling is an entrepreneur, strategist, and investor who helps organizations accelerate growth and impact. As founder and CEO of Geben Communication, she has built one of the Midwest’s most respected PR and digital agencies – recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Firms and by Ragan as a Top Women in Communication honoree.
A values-based innovator, Heather has a track record of building what’s needed next. In 2009, she launched Geben on the belief that PR and digital work better together, and turning that integration into a competitive advantage for clients. Since then, she’s made two acquisitions to help fuel the agency’s growth. She launched The Visibility Lab to help nonprofits share their stories when resources were scarce. And most recently, she introduced a modern research offering that blends AI with human rigor to help leaders make faster, smarter decisions amid shifting audiences, evolving narratives, and emerging threats. Heather is known for combining hustle and strategy – moving quickly, but always with intention and impact.
A former EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Heather brings that same entrepreneurial energy to her board and community work. She currently serves on the boards of The YWCA of Central Ohio, and The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio (which she previously chaired). Heather was also appointed by the Mayor to serve on the Columbus Women’s Commission and the COVID-19 Recovery & Resiliency Committee.
A vocal advocate for paid family leave and modern workplace policies, Heather has testified before the Ohio Legislature and been featured in NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur.com, and CNN.com. Whether in the boardroom or behind the mic, Heather’s mix of candor, curiosity, and conviction makes her a trusted voice on leadership, innovation, and building organizations that spark impact.