Samario named city's first public information officer

Editor's note: The following is a press release from the City of Menifee regarding the hiring of the first Public Information Officer in the city's 12-year history. Gina Gonzalez, the city's economic development director, has been fulfilling those duties in recent months.

MENIFEE, CA – City of Menifee City Manager Armando G. Villa is pleased to announce the
appointment of Dominique Samario as the City’s first Public Information Officer. Samario officially began on Aug. 17.

“We are excited to welcome Dominique to the Menifee team,” said Villa. “She brings with her close to 20 years of public relations, journalism, and TV production experience to the City, working on high profile news platforms such as NBC, CBS News and TV Santa Barbara. Her experience with community engagement and outreach will be an asset to the City, as we continue to enhance our communications, multimedia platforms, and overall transparency of City operations for the Menifee community.”

Samario, in her role as Public Information Officer, will oversee the City’s communications, governmental relations, and community engagement efforts. She will serve as the City's spokesperson and be a centralized source of public information for community groups, businesses, the public, and media. Her goal is to continue to build relationships between the community and the City and enhance Menifee’s proactive approach to engaging with residents and businesses. She will also work on the development and distribution of the City’s public information and communication materials.

Samario comes to the City of Menifee from the Central Coast,  where she served as a Public Information Officer for the cities of Santa Barbara and Goleta, overseeing a variety of programs including special events, economic development initiatives, community grants, and the City of Goleta’s Homelessness Strategic Plan. She has also worked in the County of Santa Barbara CEO’s Office overseeing educational and emergency video production.

After graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in Communication, she worked in news media in New York City. She then relocated to Santa Barbara to work for the City of Santa Barbara’s television channel and saw first-hand the impact local governments have on the communities they serve. While working, she earned her Master of Public Administration and Certificate in Local Government from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy in 2018, where she was awarded the John Randolph and Dora Haynes Foundation Recognition Award.

Samario recently moved to the area with her husband and two young children and is excited to now live near family who have resided in the area for some time. She looks forward to being a part of the Menifee community and Menifee City team.