Frank Cowan
Trainer, class designer
& founder of MSG
...is the former President of Media Survival Group. Prior to that, he served for 20 years as an Instructor/Public Information Officer with the California Specialized Training Insitute (CSTI) in San Luis Obispo, specializing in Crisis Communications. There he developed several programs dealing with the media and emergency information as well as day-to-day media relations and was course manager for CSTI's popular "Crisis Communications & The Media" four level course, "Legal Update", "Crisis Communications for Elected Officials," "Instructional Techniques", "PIO Team Training Workshop," and other special seminars. He's also an adjunct instructor for the University of Chicago/Argonne National Laboratories in their Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program.
Frank was Media Monitoring Branch Director following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and JIC Director for the McGrath Beach Oil Spill in Ventura County. He's worked in various JIC capacities during major events, including: the Northridge, Loma Prieta and Big Bear/Yucca Valley (Landers) earthquakes; the Logan Fire and Highway 41 urban/wildland fire in San Luis Obispo County; the Hollister Biker Rally; the winter storms of February, 1998.
He's a veteran of 21 years of radio and television broadcasting, first with Armed Forces Radio and Television Service and Voice of America, and later in various roles for network television affiliates, including News Director (NBC) and Executive Producer (CBS).
He was also a Police Officer for three years in San Luis Obispo, California.
He is a frequent guest lecturer and has presented numerous crisis communications seminars in Tokyo and Colombia.
Frank is past President of the California Association of Public Information Officials and a member of Southern California Emergency Public Information Officers Association and former member of the National Association of Public Information Officials. He served on the board of directors for Continuing Education for Public Officials (CEPO) and is an honorary member of the Press Photographer's Association of Greater Los Angeles.