Coastal Civic Communications
Where Civic Trust Meets the Coast
Strategic communications consulting for coastal governments, port authorities, civic organizations, and resilience partners navigating complex public challenges.
Serving Tampa Bay's coastal communities
What We Do
Six practice areas. One coastal focus.
C3 works across the full spectrum of coastal civic communications, from the first hours of storm response to the long arc of building public trust in a changing climate. Our work helps coastal governments, port authorities, civic organizations, and resilience partners communicate clearly when the issues are complex, urgent, or deeply public.
- Emergency Response
Storm & Disaster Recovery Communications
When a crisis strikes, communities need clear, coordinated messaging. C3 provides rapid-response public information support — from initial alerts through long-term recovery narratives — keeping residents informed and trust intact.
- Joint Information Center (JIC) staffing and management
- Multi-channel alert and notification strategy
- Media relations and spokesperson preparation
- Public Affairs
Public Information & Government Affairs
Effective governance depends on transparent, accessible communication. We help agencies craft clear public narratives, manage media relationships, and build the institutional credibility that sustains long-term civic trust.
- Strategic communications planning and messaging
- Press office support and media training
- Public hearing and stakeholder engagement facilitation
Resilience PlanningCoastal Resilience & Climate Communications
Coastal communities face mounting pressure from sea-level rise, storm surge, and infrastructure strain. C3 translates complex climate science into actionable public communication strategies that build community resilience.
- Climate risk communication frameworks
- Community resilience narrative development
- Interagency coordination and public outreach campaigns
- Transit & Infrastructure
Waterborne Transit & Port Communications
Ports and ferry systems are economic lifelines for coastal regions. We support transit authorities with rider communications, service disruption messaging, and the public engagement strategies that keep communities connected.
- Rider and stakeholder communications programs
- Service disruption and emergency protocols
- Capital project public outreach and engagement
- Community Engagement
Community Outreach & Public Participation
Meaningful public participation requires more than a notice in the paper. C3 designs and executes engagement programs that reach diverse communities, surface authentic input, and build the social license projects need to succeed.
- Public meeting design and facilitation
- Multilingual and accessible outreach materials
- Digital engagement and online comment management
- Institutional Trust
Civic Trust & Reputation Management
Public institutions earn trust through consistent, honest communication — and lose it quickly when they don't. C3 helps agencies build and protect their reputations through proactive communications and principled crisis response.
- Reputation assessment and communications audits
- Crisis communications planning and response
- Long-term trust-building program design
Your community deserves clear communication
We are not a general-purpose PR firm that occasionally works with government clients. Coastal civic communications is all we do — and we've spent 15+ years building the relationships, the expertise, and the judgment that this work demands.
Whether you're facing a crisis, planning a major project, or building long-term public trust — C3 brings the expertise and commitment your community needs.
Rapid Response
- Rapid Response. Crisis communications support within hours, not days.
- Coastal Knowledge. A practical understanding of coastal governance, community dynamics, public access, storm impacts, and local pressure points.
- Plain-Language Communication. Complex issues translated into clear, accurate, accessible messaging residents can understand and use.
- Long-Term Partnership. Support that strengthens your organization's communications capacity before, during, and after public challenges.
- Lived Coastal Experience. C3's work is shaped by professional communications experience and lived coastal knowledge, including years on the water as a boater and former waterfront homeowner.
Coastal municipalities · Port authorities
Transit agencies · Marine businesses
Chambers · Nonprofits · Resilience partners
Tampa Bay · Pinellas County · St. Pete · Clearwater Beach and beyond
Get in Touch
Let's talk about your community
Every coastal community is different. Tell us what you're facing and we'll respond with a clear picture of how C3 can help.
A member of our team reviews every inquiry personally and responds within one business day — no automated replies, no sales pressure.
— The C3 TeamSend us a message
Share a bit about your organization and what you're working on. We'll follow up with a thoughtful response.
Communications built for coastal complexity
Coastal communities face a unique convergence of challenges — climate pressure, aging infrastructure, complex jurisdictions, and a public that demands transparency. C3 was founded to meet that moment.
We bring deep experience in government communications, emergency management, and public engagement to help agencies communicate with clarity, credibility, and care — especially when the stakes are highest.
Our team can staff Joint Information Centers during major storm events, guide port authorities through contentious public processes, and help small coastal municipalities build the communications infrastructure they need to serve their residents well.
C3 is a woman-owned, minority-owned firm. We believe that the communities most exposed to coastal risk are often the least served by traditional public affairs consulting — and we built our practice to change that.
"When a coastal community is in crisis, the quality of its communications is the quality of its response."— Trei Johnson, Founder, C3
Plain language that residents, officials, and media can all act on — no jargon, no hedging.
Earned through consistent, honest communication before, during, and after every challenge.
We treat every community engagement as if our own neighbors are in the room — because often they are.