KCS Public Relations Team and OCTA Earn CAPIO Award for Advancing Active Transportation Across Orange County
The Kleinfelder Construction Services (KCS) Public Relations team, serving as the prime consultant for Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), is proud to share in the recognition of another CAPIO Award of Distinction in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Outreach Campaign category.
Presented by the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO), this honor recognizes a collaborative outreach and education effort for the county-wide Active Transportation Program (ATP). Spearheaded by KCS, the campaign focused on making walking and biking safer through equitable, multilingual, and community-centered engagement.
Driving Equitable Impact
From September 2024 to May 2026, the KCS Team — including Anna Finlay, Gina Chapa, Erika Dominick, Anthony Lopez, Helyn Oshrin, Terri London, and Jessica Ochoa — focused heavily on reaching residents historically underserved by traditional outreach efforts. This included non-native speakers, youth, and individuals traveling through high-collision areas.
By combining data-driven planning with culturally relevant, and multilingual engagement, the team expanded access to safety education through partnerships with schools, cities, community-based organizations, and law enforcement agencies.
Reflecting on Community Impact
By merging data-driven strategies with boots-on-the-ground execution, the team achieved significant countywide reach:
- 6,780+ Residents Engaged: Connected with community members across 71% of Orange County cities.
- 51 Safety and Education Events: Conducted pop-up events, mobile street team activations, and bike rodeos, with 61% held in disadvantaged communities.
- Extensive Resource Distribution: Distributed more than 24,000 safety educational materials offered in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
- Building Strong Partnerships: Collaborated with organizations such as Santa Ana Active Streets, Walk n’ Rollers, VoltVerified, local Boys & Girls Clubs, Cub Scouts, school districts, and city representatives.
As the team approaches project closeout, this milestone serves as a celebration of sustained momentum and expanded reach across the region. KCS is incredibly proud to have partnered with OCTA on this contract, successfully building lasting education programs and community relationships that will continue to benefit residents long after the campaign concludes.
“Supporting OCTA on this outreach and education campaign has been so rewarding for our team,” said Deputy Project Manager and Digital Communications Lead Jessica Ochoa. “We have been intentional in planning our outreach strategy alongside OCTA to ensure we reach the communities that need it most. Successfully engaging every city in Orange County with a disadvantaged community is a milestone we are incredibly proud to have achieved together.”
This CAPIO Award of Distinction highlights how equitable, hyper-local outreach can transform transportation safety goals into meaningful community impact. Congratulations to OCTA, the KCS Team, and all community partners who helped advance safer, more connected streets for everyone in Orange County.