2019 Leadership San Jose: Rosario Neaves

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Rosario Neaves is a dynamic, thoughtful, creative communications expert and spokesperson who has driven results for Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, regional businesses and local government. She serves as Director of Communications for the City of San Jose – America’s tenth largest city and the center of innovation in Silicon Valley – where she leads a team of Public Information Officers and is driving a comprehensive communications strategy to strengthen public engagement and ensure government openness and transparency. Her team of communication professionals manages the City website, government access television channel, public information requests, and more.

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Currently, she is focused on five priority areas for San Jose:

·       Crisis Communications: Preparing for and managing crises/disasters;

·       Brand Evolution: Building a Connected Brand;

·       Civic Communication: Building Dialogue and Creating a Community Conversation;

·       The Art of Storytelling: Capturing Employees Doing Good; and,

·       Measuring Success: Using Data to Drive Decision-making.

Rosario came to Silicon Valley from one of the largest housing authorities in the nation, the San Antonio Housing Authority, where she won the Texas Association of National Housing and Redevelopment Officials’ Award for her work telling the story of the East Meadows community, the transformation of an aging public housing complex into a model of modern, affordable housing.

Before transitioning to public service, Rosario was Vice President at Fleishman Hillard, a leading global communications and public affairs consultancy. Rosario has served on the boards of the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio, and St. Louis Dancing Classrooms, nonprofit organizations bringing creative programming to underrepresented youth. She holds a bachelor of science degree in Mass Communication from Boston University’s esteemed College of Communication, and she loves being a member of the 2019 Silicon Valley Organization Leadership San Jose class. She is passionate about cities, reducing poverty, cultural diversity, and giving a voice to underserved groups.