Ahead of the 2020 elections, the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office and the Maricopa County Elections Department have hired two communications officers to serve as media contacts for the departments.

Megan Gilbertson is joining the Elections Department as the new communications officer, while Christine Dyster will work as the public information officer for the Recorder’s Office.

The Board of Supervisors and Recorder Adrian Fontes share elections responsibilities under Arizona law. After months of study, bi-partisan conversations and working collaboratively with Recorder Fontes, the Board of Supervisors took action this summer to improve elections in the nation’s fastest growing county by implementing a joint management structure, increasing staffing levels and purchasing a new ballot tabulation system. Gilbertson’s addition to the Elections Department is due to those changes, the release states.

Ms. Gilbertson, who has more than a decade of journalism and communications experience, wis to work to keep Maricopa County voters, department staff and the community informed. She will work with the communication teams from the Recorder’s Office and county management to ensure voters have accurate, reliable, and consistent information, the release states.

“Megan is a great addition to the communications team supporting the Elections Department,” Chairman Bill Gates, supervisor in District 3, said in the release.  “We are excited to welcome her and the experience she brings from working as the communications director for multiple Arizona non-profits and as an award winning reporter. We have high expectations and I’m confident she will serve the Election Department and the people of Maricopa County well by ensuring voters are informed and have a great experience in the 2020 elections and beyond.”

Ms. Dyster joined the Recorder’s Office and Elections Department in January 2017 as part of the Community Relations Team. As the lead for the group, she developed the community outreach program for the 2018 midterm elections from the ground up, providing outreach and education to Maricopa County voters. She has also assisted the communications team on messaging, strategy, and content creation, according to the release.

“Christine has been a steadfast asset to this office since the day she joined the team in 2017. She was the clear choice for this job given her experience and extensive knowledge of community voting issues and all facets of election operations. I am thrilled Christine will be able to use her diverse talents and experience to better serve the voters of Maricopa County in this PIO role,” Recorder Fontes said.

Ms. Gilbertson will serve as the primary media contact for Election Day and emergency voting, while Ms. Dyster will be the primary media contact for the Recorder’s Office responsibilities related to elections, including voter registration and early voting. The two public relations professionals will collaborate closely as part of the County’s team effort to administer elections effectively.