PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Moreno Valley Unified School District
Created a public information campaign to increase the positive perception of the district’s educational value targeting parents, voters and local elected officials. The goal was to increase student retention. Communicate and promote the district’s positive academic achievements in the previous three (3) years.
The Art Institute of California, Inland Empire
Created a multi-media and public relations campaign to launch the institute, build enrollment and win approval from the established academic community at the high school, community college and university levels. The institute became the fastest growing campus within the forty-two (42) campus institute in the United States.
Meta Housing Corp.
Develop Small Business Outreach Program to procure construction services from small business enterprises (DBE/WBE/MBE/DVBE) for the new senior housing projects.
Inland Empire Minority Job Fair
Founder of the Inland Empire Minority Job Fair. Created job fairs to match mainstream corporations including Fortune 500s with minority job seekers. Attracted more than 30,000 minority job seekers and 360 employers who brought more than 18,000 job opportunities to the job fair.
California Portland Cement Company
A public information campaign for the California Portland Cement Company (CPC) Colton Plant to forge acceptance of their use two million tires a year as alternative fuel in their two cement kilns.
Presentations on the benefits of the fuel project were made to SCAQMD board members, Congressmembers, assembly and state senators, governors’ office, mayors and city managers and community leaders of communities adjacent to Colton. All were convinced to give their support for the project.
An additional part of our effort included a re-dedication of a huge 20-foot by 38-foot American flag that flew over Mount Slover in Colton until 2013. The Colton City Mayor, City Manager, City Council, Assemblyman Joe Baca and Congressman George Brown attended the dedication ceremony.
News of the event made the front-page lead story of The Sun, the cover page of the first edition of The Press Enterprise, and NBC Channel 4 news. Stories also ran in 20 weekly publications and we received coverage from as far away as Houston, Texas.
This allowed us to win unanimous approval from the South Coast Air Quality District (SCAQMD) to burn the tires without negative public comment.
City of San Bernardino Economic Development Agency
Engaged to help the Agency accomplish two goals.
- The first of these was to promote community awareness and build local government officials’ support for low-income multi-family housing developments and projects funded with an $8.4 million grant from the federal Housing and Urban Development’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
- The second goal was to promote community awareness and build support for a proposal by Regal Entertainment Group to lease and reopen the closed San Bernardino Cinema after the Redevelopment Agency portion of the Economic Development Agency made renovations to the theater. The previous operator went bankrupt and left the building unused. The Community was very leery of trusting another developer.
Housing Project
16th Street and Sunrise Project
Dameron was successful in increasing community acceptance for a rehabilitation of 100 low-income family apartments in very low-income, high crime rate, partially abandoned four-plexs near 19th street and Sunrise Lane in San Bernardino.
First Dameron drafted a letter to the residents who were told by opposing forces that they would be put out their homes any day. He personally hand delivered the letter to the residents. The letter put them at ease by letting them know that the city may buy their apartment complex. If the city did buy their home it would be a fair process would take at least six months and provided generous moving allowances.
We then held three meetings with owners to explain the process a meeting with approximately 150 residents to explain the process. The resident meeting included a free all you can eat pasta dinner to make sure the residents were full and calmer.
The residents meeting was organized with an opening statement from the housing director we then split into smaller one-on-one groups with six stations to force residents to talk about their unique and personal issues privately. This strategy also prevented a “mob” event from occurring, as there was not a general display of dissatisfaction but contained personal discussions.
Dameron created two media events, focused on first the demolition of the old structures, followed by a Grand Opening ceremony of the renamed, rehabbed apartments. We created and distributed separate invitations to community members and to the media via media alerts.
Talking points were developed and presented to the media, along with a 19-page citywide housing strategy white paper with our talking points. After learning why, the San Bernardino Economic Development Agency was tearing down buildings, many of the Los Angeles television media in attendance wished to tour the new apartments that day, and we provided them the opportunity to do so.
Pre-event coverage was obtained in the (Riverside) Press-Enterprise, San Bernardino Sun, and San Bernardino American, as well as broadcasted on 91.9 KVCR FM and 88.3 KPCC FM.
Post-event broadcast coverage was obtained on:
- KABC, (Los Angeles 7)
- KCBS (Los Angeles 2)
- KTLA (Los Angeles 5
- KTTV Fox (Los Angeles 11 & 13)
- 91.9 KVCR FM NPR (Inland Empire)
- 89.3 KPCC FM NPR (Los Angeles, Orange and The Inland Empire)
Post-event newspaper coverage in: San Bernardino Sun, (Riverside) Press-Enterprise, El Chicano Weekly and Inland Empire News.
Web Coverage was found on KABC, KCBS, KTLA and KTTV television stations, 91.9 KVCR FM, and 88.3 KPCC FM and the websites the San Bernardino Sun, The Press Enterprise, The Daily Bulletin, The Redlands Daily Facts, The San Gabriel Tribune, The Pasadena Star, The Long Beach Press Telegram and San Jose Mercury News.
Regal Entertainment Group
Dameron developed the talking points and did the community outreach to key community influencers. We meet with key community leaders to discuss the projects and build consensus for development. We also drafted with pre-event and post event news releases, which were distributed to more than 200 media outlets that reach the City of San Bernardino and surrounding areas.
The San Bernardino Economic Development Agency was able to positively tell their story, which appeared in local daily newspapers, community newspaper, on local radio stations and Internet news outlets.
Pre-event coverage was obtained in the (Riverside) Press-Enterprise, San Bernardino Sun, and San Bernardino American, as well as broadcasted on 91.9 KVCR FM and 88.3 KPCC FM.
Post-event broadcast coverage was obtained on: KABC, (Los Angeles 7), KCBS (Los Angeles 2), KTLA (Los Angeles 5), KTTV Fox (Los Angeles 11 & 13), 91.9 KVCR FM, and 88.3 KPCC FM.
Post-event newspaper coverage in: San Bernardino Sun, (Riverside) Press-Enterprise, El Chicano Weekly and Inland Empire News.
Web Coverage was earned from KABC, KCBS, KTLA and KTTV television stations, 91.9 KVCR FM, and 88.3 KPCC FM and the websites the San Bernardino Sun, The Press Enterprise, The Daily Bulletin, The Redlands Daily Facts, The San Gabriel Tribune, The Pasadena Star, The Long Beach Press Telegram and San Jose Mercury News.
As a result, the San Bernardino City Council approved the controversial project with one abstention. The project was completed and continues to serve the San Bernardino Area.
The City of Rialto Redevelopment Agency
Dameron developed a campaign to increase favorable media coverage for the City of Rialto Redevelopment Agency. We developed a series of seven press releases, highlighting upcoming projects and existing city assets for which the agency had helped secure funding.
Dameron successfully obtain coverage for all seven of the stories in the series, focusing on the intended message, appearing in local media, including the San Bernardino Sun, Riverside Press-Enterprise, weekly Spanish-language publication La Prensa, and several other weekly newspapers in throughout the Inland Empire.
Stand Up For San Bernardino
The “Stand Up For San Bernardino” campaign generated 28 minutes of broadcast television coverage, over 200 free Radio announcements, and more than 200 inches of newspaper and magazine articles in a two-week period.
The result was a positive change in the way that San Bernardino residents perceive their community.