Christie L. Goodman

Christie L. Goodman, APR, is IDRA’s director of communications. She designs and implements communications strategies and coordinates materials development, web sites and a podcast series.

Ms. Goodman has a bachelor’s degree in advertising and minors in sociology and art from Texas Tech University. She is accredited in public relations. Her accreditation is maintained every three years through professional development, service and leadership.

Ms. Goodman plans and implements communication strategies for building relationships with constituencies and fostering understanding of IDRA’s mission to strengthen schools to work with all children and IDRA’s philosophy: All children are valuable, none is expendable. She manages the IDRA media center operations, which include daily production of materials for training and technical assistance, program reports, and promotional materials; assistance with proposal development and packaging; and speech writing.

Ms. Goodman develops IDRA’s monthly newsletter (IDRA Newsletter, national circulation 5,500, also online since 1996) and other publications, such as curriculum, training guides, electronic newsletters and reports. Her responsibilities include planning, editing, writing, layout and design, coordination of production, and distribution planning. Ms. Goodman promotes IDRA issues, publications, and services in ways that are professional and focused on impact. For example, she assisted with strategic planning and implementation of a public engagement campaign to influence state policy regarding: dropout rates, failure of in-grade retention, use of public money for public schooling, and disciplinary alternative education programs.

Ms. Goodman generates and monitors media coverage of IDRA issues, prepares staff for effective media relations. She also guides strategic planning for external communications regarding IDRA issues, projects, events and mechanisms. She manages IDRA’s websites ongoingly for content, currency and usefulness. She coordinates IDRA’s communications through social media and led the development and production of the Classnotes Podcast series since launching it in 2006. In 2010, she co-edited Courage to Connect – A Quality Schools Action Framework with IDRA president, Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel.

Previously, Ms. Goodman worked with two non-profit interreligous organizations on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where she served as associate editor of a national magazine and led media training for staff. She represented the board and the National Council of Churches in taskforce work on the issue of violence in the media and monitored federal congressional and administrative action on the issue. She worked with staff colleagues to develop a plan of action for the board on the United Methodist Church’s new initiative on Hispanic ministries; served as an editorial advisor for Interpreter and el Intérprete magazines; and initiated a process to make the latest two educational Church and Society videos available with closed captioning.

In addition, Ms. Goodman has provided pro-bono and low-cost PR services to small religious advocacy and community‑based organizations, including the Joint Appeal by Religion and Science for the Environment, Rural Coalition/Coalitión Rural, Churches for Middle East Peace, and the Korean United Methodist Church of Greater Washington.

She has written numerous articles and led presentations on effective communication, use of social media, and social justice. Her articles have appeared in Christian Social Action, Baptist Peacemaker, the IDRA Newsletter, Lean Communicator, PRSA’s Tactics, Interfaith Impact Magazine, and Echo of the Four Winds. Among her awards is the national first-place Bronze Anvil for speechwriting from the Public Relations Society of America, the Del Oro Community Service Award from PRSA San Antonio in 2007 and the Del Oro Tex Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award from PRSA San Antonio in 2012. In 2019, she received the Women of San Antonio award from News4SA and KABB Fox News 29.

Ms. Goodman serves on the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Racial Justice (DEI/RJ) task group. She has served on the PRSA San Antonio board of directors for 16 years, including serving as chapter president in 2003 and launching the chapter’s annual awards program. As accreditation chair, she designed and led the chapter’s PR Insights series of seminars. She is a member of the Texas School Public Relations Association. She also serves on the board of the March of Dimes San Antonio chapter, leads two Girl Scout troops, and serves on the council-level GSSWT Volunteer Advisory Steering Committee. Ms. Goodman is a multiple recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award.