About Samantha

Sam is an award-winning communications and outreach executive with over 30 years of experience in public communication and participation. Sam is a member of Raftelis’ Strategic Communications Practice, helping utilities and local governments develop relationships and engage equitably with their stakeholders around critical topics like affordability, public health, and environmental protection. She counsels executives through programmatic changes, strategic planning, and reputational crises, and she designs and implements strategic communication and stakeholder engagement programs that bring diverse interests together in support of efforts that benefit communities’ triple bottom line. Prior to Raftelis, Sam led communications programs at American Water, Loudoun Water, and the EPA’s Office of Water. Sam also owned her own communications agency for seven years, serving clients in the water sector, including the American Waterworks Association (AWWA), the Water Research Foundation (WRF), and the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA), and clients in the nonprofit sector. Sam augments her daily work by volunteering with AWWA, the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Sam holds a master’s degree in environmental policy from Johns Hopkins University, is accredited in public relations from PRSA, is a member of its College of Fellows, and holds certificates in public participation from the International Association of Public Participation.