State schools Superintendent Sherri Ybarra announced today that Allison Westfall will join her staff, starting a week from Monday, as director of communications. Westfall, who served as public information officer for the state Department of Education from 1998 to 2006, is currently the director of community relations for the Nampa School District.

Westfall will be added to Ybarra’s communications staff; no one will leave, she said. The moves came after Ybarra consulted with Soholt Strategic Communications for a communications review of her office; the results came in January. “The findings confirmed what I've been hearing, that communications is an area where we were under-staffed and needs more attention,” Ybarra said, “including our website, social media, and serving internal and external stakeholders. I am asking the communication team to take the report and make improvements."

The team also includes Jeff Church, chief communications officer; and Kelly Everitt, communications specialist.

---

---