Christina Stephens

Crisis Communication Expert

Topics: Crisis Communications, Family Preparedness, Long-Term Recovery, Federal Funding, Hurricane Response, Social Media and Emergency Management

Christina Stephens is a seasoned crisis communicator with more than a decade of experience in media relations, strategic communications and messaging, mostly for state government entities in Louisiana. She served as both the Press Secretary and Communications Director for the Louisiana Recovery Authority and Office of Community Development, which coordinated the state’s long-term recovery from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike.

As the media spokesperson for more than $20 billion worth of post-Katrina recovery programs, including Louisiana’s Road Home housing rebuilding program and the state’s mitigation and infrastructure rebuilding efforts, Christina has participated in hundreds of media interviews with journalists from around the world.

As Director of the state’s Joint Information Center from 2008 to 2013, Stephens oversaw and coordinated all state agency public and media relations during major activations of Louisiana’s Emergency Operations Center, including for hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, the Mississippi River high water event in 2011 and Hurricane Isaac in 2012. During these disasters, she also served as a public affairs liaison to numerous state and federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

She also served as the Communications Director for both the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, where she expanded the state’s use of social media to communicate with the public during hurricanes, and Louisiana’s Department of Health and Hospitals, where she coordinated a wide range of communications efforts.

Christina lives in Baton Rouge and works as a Senior Public Relations Manager for Covalent Logic.