City of Joplin announces hiring of first-ever communication and marketing director
(City of Joplin) — The City of Joplin is announcing the hiring of Drew Douglas as its first-ever Director of Communications and Marketing. Douglas will begin his new role with Joplin on April 22.
He will be tasked with building and leading a robust Communications & Marketing Department for the City. The role will oversee planning, coordination, and management of all activities of the City’s public information, civic engagement, media relations, and marketing efforts.
Douglas has served the City of Nixa since January 2017 as its Public Information Officer and Director of Communications. There, he led Nixa to expand proactive communications, government transparency, and internal communications efforts; facilitated public engagement programs, including strategic planning; won awards for video production; and coordinated a major rebranding and website redesign.
Prior to Nixa, Douglas was a journalist with KY3 in Springfield, WOAI in San Antonio, and KWTX in Waco, Texas. He currently serves as President of the Southwest Missouri Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, was named to the Springfield Business Journal’s 2024 “40 Under 40” class and graduated from Baylor University.
“It is critically important to communicate and engage with the community so there is a shared understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing our great City,” said City Manager Nick Edwards. “Combating misinformation, conspiracy theories, and proactively communicating with every resident and business owner is essential for the health and long-term future of the community. Investing in greater communication will help enhance transparency and delivery of public services while marketing the community will help create a thriving environment full of opportunities. During the interview process, it was easy to see Drew’s experience and the many ways he could improve communication for the City of Joplin. Drew’s leadership and experience will certainly benefit the City of Joplin and the broader community.”
During his tenure in Nixa, he helped lead the redevelopment of a city website, assisted in communicating the progress of strategic plans, and worked to communicate financial reports more effectively. Douglas has served in leadership roles and is currently serving as President of the Southwest Missouri Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and is a member of Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) and Government Social Media Organization (GSMO).
“I am honored and thrilled to have the opportunity to join Joplin’s team of incredible public servants, proud to work alongside Lynn Onstot as we expand the communications and marketing department, and eager to build trust with the community,” said Douglas. “The mission of this department will be to serve the community through transparency, proactively keeping people in the loop, fostering constructive dialogues, and marketing Joplin effectively. We strive to empower people to make well-informed decisions for their families by enhancing their understanding of local government and connecting them with activities, services, and programs in the community and their neighborhoods.”