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Gregg K. Trusty, Sr.
Public Information Advisor
Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office
Gregg K. Trusty, Sr., is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana. He was born September 29, 1944, to Clay Trusty, Jr., and Martha Shepperd Trusty. He attended Christ the King Elementary School (Indianapolis), Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Elementary School (Carmel, Indiana) and graduated from Carmel High School in 1963.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree through the School of Education at Indiana University with majors in Journalism and Secondary Education. While attending IU, he worked on the student newspaper, The Indiana Daily Student, as a reporter, photographer, copy editor, photo editor and night editor. Besides his work on the student newspaper, he worked on the student radio station as a news broadcaster and, for one year, as general news director.
Before beginning a quarter-century career with AT&T (formerly Western Electric), Gregg worked in the newspaper and public relations fields. He worked one summer (1965) as an intern for the Bloomington (Ind.) Herald-Telephone as a general assignment and police reporter; and two summers (1966 and 1967) as an intern for the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune as a general assignment reporter, copy editor and Late Edition Page One designer. He also worked eight months (January to August 1968) for the Bloomington (Ind.) Courier-Tribune where he held successive assignments as civic affairs reporter, daily columnist, wire editor and managing editor. He left the Courier-Tribune to assume a position as media relations supervisor for the Indiana State Fair Public Relations Department. Following the close of the 1968 Indiana State Fair, Gregg returned to Indiana University to complete requirements for his bachelor's degree.
From April 1963 to April 1969, Gregg was an enlisted member of the Indiana Air National Guard and was assigned to the Information Office of the 181st Tactical Fighter Group at Hulman Field in Terre Haute, Ind. He attained the career classification of Information Specialist, which carried an authorized rank of Master Sergeant. He was a Staff Sergeant when he was honorably discharged from the Air National Guard at the end of his six-year active reserve enlistment. As an information specialist, he was responsible for editing a monthly publication for the Group, and was responsible for public information, news media information and news media relations.
In the 25 1/2 years he was with AT&T, Gregg was involved in nearly every facet of public relations. His initial employment was in the Public Relations Department at the Company's Indianapolis Works. From January 1969 through September of the same year, he was assistant editor of the employee newspaper for which he wrote articles, made photographs and assisted the editor with layouts. He was also responsible for preparing messages twice daily for the plant's telephone tape message program. In addition, he was involved in news media information, news media relations and other facets of employee information.
In October 1969 he was transferred to AT&T's Shreveport Works as a public relations associate and editor of SHREVEPORTER, the employee publication of the Shreveport Works. He also assisted the public relations supervisor with other phases of the employee information program, as well as news media relations, news media information and community relations. He coordinated the plant tour program, Speakers' Bureau and Junior Achievement activities.
In April 1975, Gregg was promoted to public relations specialist and continued to be editor of the employee publication and Speakers' Bureau and Junior Achievement coordinator. His other responsibilities included:
In September 1977 he was given the added responsibility of coordinating public relations activities for the Shreveport Works, which included planning and directing special projects such as the General Manager's Annual Report News Conference and the annual exhibit at the Louisiana State Fair, as well as coordinating the day-to-day functions for which he and two other employees were responsible.
In August 1979, Gregg was assigned to a new position of public affairs representative, in which he was responsible for all news media relations, was the primary news media contact for the plant, was the company's legislative monitoring coordinator for the State of Louisiana and provided research and recommendations for Western Electric Political Action Committee contributions to candidates in federal elections in the State of Louisiana. In addition, he was responsible for liaison with elected and appointed public officials and governmental bodies at the city, parish, state and federal levels; liaison with non-governmental public affairs organizations such as chambers of commerce and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry; the plant's public officials visitation program; election and voter information programs; management information in the areas of public affairs, and educational relations. As public affairs representative, Gregg developed and implemented the plant's Public Affairs Plan and initiated new programs that greatly enhanced the plant's relationships with elected and appointed public officials at all levels of government.
In June 1982 he again assumed responsibility for all employee information, while continuing to manage a scaled-down public affairs program. At that time, he initiated, implemented and managed a revamped employee information program to include a quarterly employee magazine, two bi-weekly newsletters and periodic "spot-news" notices.
In January 1985, Gregg again spearheaded a revamp of the plant's employee information program, returning the employee magazine to a monthly (10-times-a-year) publication. Throughout 1985, he conducted extensive research into desk-top publishing and, in early 1986, began producing camera-ready pages for the employee magazine using desk-top publishing software on an AT&T Personal Computer (6310) and an Apple LaserWriter.
In mid-1986, he began research for the design and implementation of an electronic communications system for the plant. That system -- called "S-W-I-T-C-H" (Shreveport Works Information Transmission CHannel) -- was launched in February 1987. It incorporated text pages and locally produced videotape segments, all transmitted through a closed circuit television system to monitors throughout the plant.
In January 1988, following the retirement of the plant's public relations department chief, Gregg became head of public relations activities for the plant, a position he held until his retirement from the company in mid-1994. His responsibilities included strategic planning, development and implementation of communications programs, both internal and external, for AT&T's manufacturing facilities in Shreveport and Denver. He wrote and edited a weekly newsletter designed for employees at both locations. He also handled all news media relations for the Shreveport plant and provided planning and background support for an AT&T corporate spokesperson in Denver. He provided top management with professional counsel that anticipated the likely reaction of employees and the community to decisions being made. Besides writing, producing, directing and narrating special project videotapes, Gregg wrote speeches, wrote or reviewed letters of a sensitive nature and maintained a working relationship with members of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation.
When downsizing at the Shreveport AT&T factory in early 1994 eliminated the professional public relations function at the local level, Gregg chose to retire from the company and remain in Shreveport rather than transfer to AT&T's Public Relations Division Headquarters in New Jersey. That decision sent him into the Shreveport job market at the age of 49 in search of a new career.
At the end of May, Gregg was contacted by the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office and, on July 8, 1994, he became Director of Public Information and was commissioned a Deputy Sheriff. In that position, he managed a staff that handled news media relations, internal communication, community relations, crime prevention programming and senior citizen affairs. Enthralled and excited by his new career, Gregg freely comments that he "never knew working could be this much fun." In January 1996, the Sheriff's Office created the News Media Relations Division to allow Gregg to devote his full-time attention to media relations. In his current capacity, he is Caddo Parish Sheriff Don Hathaway's Public Information Advisor. In September 1997, the Sheriff's Office expanded the News Media Relations Divison to encompass internal communication, the reception desk, mail room and responsibility for the content of the agency's web site (www.caddosheriff.org). Along with handling media relations, Gregg manages manages a staff of four to accomplish the communications functions assigned to his division. Among their responsibilities is publishing The Caddo Star quarterly for employees and a variety of community leaders. One issue of The Star is the agency's annual report. They also publish the more frequent newsletter Caddo Extras to keep employees apprised of current events throughout the Sheriff's Office. [Note: If you want to receive The Caddo Star, send Gregg an e-mail message at trusty@iamerica.net and include your name and mailing address.]
Along with his diverse work life, Gregg has participated in a number of community projects and other professional activities. In 1980, he served as vice-chairman of the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce Legislative Affairs Task Force and was chairman of the Task Force's Employee Relations Sub-Committee. He served as a Business Consultant with Junior Achievement's Project Business and taught one hour a week in a local school. A "Charter Consultant" in the Shreveport area, Gregg taught Project Business from 1981 to 1992 at the Caddo Parish Magnet High School, St. Joseph School and Ridgewood Middle School.
He was actively involved in Sci-Port Discovery Center's fund-raising Mini Grand Prix races in 1992-94 as a member of the steering committee and as chairman of registration and security. He also served as a marshal captain for the 1993 Nike Shreveport Open golf tournament.
In February 1982 he was hired (part-time) by the Louisiana Youth Care Information Center as editor of Louisiana Youth Care Magazine, a statewide, bi-monthly publication dealing with youth care in the context of juvenile justice. The magazine is distributed to some 1,600 law enforcement and youth care professionals and public officials.
Gregg has been a professional member of the Society of Professional Journalists (formerly Sigma Delta Chi) since 1969. He has served as secretary, treasurer and a director of the Shreveport Professional Chapter, and served as chairman of the 1983 Region 12 Convention. In 1984, the Shreveport Journalism Foundation was formed as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to excellence in journalism education through scholarships and professional development. Gregg is a charter director of the Foundation and has served as its president since 1987. In that capacity, he conceived, implemented and has been general chairman of a series of successful community-wide annual golf tournaments as the Foundation's primary fund-raising activity. The six tournaments run between 1988 and 1993 raised more than $25,000 for the Foundation.
He was the 1982 President of the North Louisiana Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and, as the chapter's 1983 professional development chairman, developed and coordinated a series of day-long workshops. He also held a corporate membership in the International Association of Business Communicators from 1969 to 1993.
Gregg is a Past District Governor of District 25, Toastmasters International and holds the honor of Distinguished Toastmaster -- the organization's highest level of accomplishment. He is an accomplished public speaker, having won the District 25 Annual Speech Contest in 1973. He also served as chairman of District 25 Conferences in 1974, and chaired back-to-back District 25 and Region III Conferences in 1976.
He was a member of the River Oaks Homes Assn. Board of Directors from 1977 to 1987 and served as president and chief executive officer from 1983 to 1987. As president, he guided the Association in a transition to self-management. He is also vice president of Healthy Hearts of Shreveport-Bossier, a support organization benefiting the Schumpert Medical Center Health and Wellness Centers.
He is a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Shreveport where he has served as a lector (lay reader) and lay Eucharistic minister. He developed and conducted a series of workshops for all lectors in that parish in 1978 while serving as lector coordinator and served a one-year term as director of liturgical lay ministries in 1979-80, a position in which he was responsible for directing the activities of lectors, lay Eucharistic ministers, ushers and altar boys.
Gregg was married January 30, 1970, to the former Betsy Lippincott, also of Indianapolis. Betsy and Gregg are the parents of one son, G. K., Jr., who was born January 16, 1973.
For nine years, Gregg coached his son's football, soccer, basketball and baseball teams with the Southside YMCA, Broadmoor YMCA, Town South Youth Sports and River Cities Athletic Conference.
His leisure activities include golf, reading, racquetball and other forms of exercise, including step aerobics.