Moving the Needle Through Effective Community Engagement

By Ryan Nance

Published August 29, 2024

Community engagement is an important aspect of any public affairs campaign, but not everyone gets it right. Years of planning and executing different community engagement strategies has taught me that there aren’t any shortcuts.

As tedious as it sounds, building the right contact and stakeholder lists takes time and effort. It’s critical to stay on top of your outreach because it’s the only way to build direct relationships with the community members. Even if you don’t agree with them, having established a personal relationship with a community member will positively impact the outcome of your issue.

Additionally, don’t try to script the perfect event or meeting. More often than not, when you aim for the perfect outcome, you’ll be disappointed, and something or someone will inevitably throw a wrench in the wheel. I’ve found a lot of success with what I call the “science fair model” for community events. Remember those elementary school science fairs where each station had its own topic and a subject matter expert to answer questions? This structure allows for direct communication and the opportunity to address individual concerns. By creating a more casual and interactive environment, attendees feel more comfortable engaging in conversations and sharing their thoughts.

Finally, please make it worth their time. When planning an event, always aim to maximize the return on investment for those who take time out of their busy schedules to attend your event. Make sure the information you present is relevant, up-to-date, and easily digestible. Avoid overwhelming attendees with too much information; instead, focus on delivering clear, concise messages that get your point across simply.

At the end of the day, it’s about having organized and structured events and cultivating genuine connections with the community. You have to be patient, adaptable, and have a genuine desire to address and understand the sentiment of those you’re trying to engage with over time. But if you put in the work, the chances are you’ll be able to walk away from the community having moved the needle in your direction.

Ramble on.

Ryan Nance

Ryan’s background in sales turned out to be a great fit for his work at 76 group. The people skills he developed during 15 years have been invaluable in helping clients gain community and stakeholder support for what are often controversial projects.

After all, Ryan notes, every job is a sales job, whether it’s selling an idea or easing community angst, it’s all about connecting with people, building trust and fostering relationships. His ability to relate to others and a witty sense of humor has made him a favorite with many of 76 Group’s clients.

Ryan’s first project was helping to build support for the ballot initiative that legalized the sale of beer and wine in grocery stores. Since then, he has worked on a variety of local and statewide campaigns, including the successful effort to bring sports betting to Colorado.

Ryan’s proficiency now lies with the firm’s energy work, helping to garner community and stakeholder support for new projects across the American west. In this role, he has shepherded projects for some of the world’s biggest energy companies, including approval for the largest oil & gas development in the history of Colorado. He has built an expertise in traditional energy, from development to multi-state pipelines, as well as new energy solutions like clean hydrogen and carbon capture.

Ryan grew up in Oklahoma and is a proud member of the Chickasaw tribe. He graduated from Westminster College in Missouri with a degree in French, minors in business and political science and a star of the tennis team (which he’ll likely mention within minutes of meeting you).

Ryan lives in Centennial with his wife, Rachel, two teenage sons, Radley and Rory. His free time is usually spent watching his boys play lacrosse, playing golf or skiing with his family.

Success!

Success!