OPP Team

Cheryn Robles, APR — Director, Community Relations

Cheryn Robles is an experienced public relations practitioner with specialized skills in community outreach and media relations both within the English and Spanish speaking communities. For the American Diabetes Association, she targeted and recruited corporate sponsors, fundraising walk teams and volunteers for "Step Out to Fight Diabetes" walks along the Gulf Coast. She managed committees in two cities while planning and coordinating pre-event recruitment activities and event logistics with overlapping timelines.

Before returning to New Orleans in Spring 2007, Cheryn handled stakeholder relations for several California government entities. As the communications manager for the Super Loop transit project, a bus rapid transit system serving the University City area of San Diego, Cheryn coordinated the outreach to the surrounding communities affected by the construction project. Her responsibilities included developing regular project bulletins, construction notices to affected neighborhoods, media relations and advertising announcing upcoming road closures or traffic changes.

She was also involved with updates to the project Website, as well as regular status meetings to coordinate additional outreach efforts. As the communications assistant project manager for the $670 million Mid-Coast Corridor Trolley Expansion Project, which extends the San Diego Trolley line from Old Town San Diego to University City, Cheryn´s duties included many day-to-day tasks such as: identifying and interacting with project stakeholders, creating project information materials, writing articles for the project newsletter, assisting with the organization and coordination of community meetings, public scoping meetings and other project events.

Cheryn developed a public relations plan and managed a team implementing regional and trade media relations efforts for the Port of San Diego´s inaugural Sculpture Show in the fall of 2006 while at the same time implementing community based social marketing efforts to elicit behavior change in a culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged San Diego watershed.

The Think Blue San Diego campaign focused on altering the way Hispanic, Asian and African communities used and disposed of pesticides in the Chollas Creek Watershed. Cheryn managed the third and final McClellan-Palomar Airport´s Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study public meeting. She coordinated public meeting event logistics, advertising and notifications while exceeding state and national environmental and Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

Before Hurricane Katrina, Cheryn worked in the public relations department of a full-service New Orleans advertising firm. There she implemented award-winning local and regional public relations campaigns for Keep Louisiana Beautiful, Louisiana Dairy Board, Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals as well as the Louisiana Department of Social Services. She was recognized as Promotions/Special Event Coordinator of the Year by the Advertising Club of New Orleans in 2004.

Cheryn earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a public relations emphasis, a second major in American Studies as well as History minor from Loyola University New Orleans. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and served on the New Orleans Chapter Board for three years.

Next: Sarah McLaughlin