Strategy, Policy & Public Affairs

Darin Chidsey, Acting Director
(213) 236-1836 | Email: chidsey@scag.ca.gov

Regional Services & Public Affairs

The primary responsibility of the Strategy, Policy, and Public Affairs division is to maintain and expand governmental, community and private sector participation in the regional planning work of the Southern California Association of Governments. This is accomplished by working with cities and counties; local government officials; community, business, and labor interest groups; and the news media.

The specific charges of the division include Regional Services, Media & Public Affairs, Legislation, Economic Strategy, and Office of Regional Council Support.

The Regional Services department focuses on liaison activities regarding regional plans and projects with City Councils, Boards of Supervisors, and other local agency governing boards; scheduling technical planning workshops; conducting one-on-one meetings with local elected officials; and organizing outreach forums on regional issues. Regional Services is responsible for member retention and recruitment of cities and counties. Through the Regional Office in each of the six counties in the SCAG Region, staff works closely with all SCAG planning partners, including the county transportation commissions, councils of government, and groups of cities from designated geographic subregions.

Media & Public Affairs focuses on promoting the agency’s plans, programs, initiatives, services and accomplishments to the news media, agency members, partners/stakeholders and the general public. The department is responsible for media relations, graphic design, photography, video production, website content and management of the agency’s brand.

The Legislation department maintains a State and Federal Legislative Program, which consists of the Regional Council's positions on policies and legislative initiatives related to SCAG’s core planning and policy areas—transportation, air quality, freight/goods movement, housing, environmental impact, sustainability, and economic recovery and job creation—that need the leadership and support of Congress and the California State legislature to resolve challenges facing the SCAG region.