Idaho Falls, ID – The City of Idaho Falls is pleased to announce that Bud Cranor has accepted a position as the city’s Public Information Officer. Cranor’s official start date is March 29.

Cranor replaces the City PIO position previously held by Kerry Hammon since 2013. Hammon transferred to serve in the newly created position as the PIO for the Idaho Falls Fire and Public Works Departments in October 2017.  There are now three city PIOs, two of whom are involved in public safety, including one at the Idaho Falls Police Department.

Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper explains, “Our public safety PIOs work under the direction of the police and fire chiefs and fulfill public safety responsibilities within those departments. While Mr. Cranor will work closely with the public safety PIOs, he will serve as the lead PIO and coordinate communications throughout and on behalf of all eleven city departments.”

“Getting the correct information out from a trusted source and in a timely fashion, especially in the event of an emergency, is critical for the safety of our community,” states Hammon. I’m excited for the opportunity to work with Mr. Cranor and learn from his experience while expanding our team’s capabilities and goals to keep the community informed,” adds Hammon.

Born and raised in Eastern Idaho, Bud Cranor has worked for the City of Henderson, Nevada, for the past 15 years where he served as the Senior Communications Officer. He also served as the Director of the Department of Communications and Council Support, Public Information Manager, Special Assistant to the Mayor and Council, and Public Information Specialist for the city.

He served as the city’s spokesperson and directed the city’s public information efforts, including emergency communications, issue and crisis communications, public information and education, media liaison activities, employee communications and the city’s graphics, videography and photography, print shop and mail services center.  During his tenure, he oversaw a staff of nearly 40 people and a multimillion-dollar budget responsible for the administrative and constituent affairs for the Henderson Mayor and Council.  In addition, Cranor had administrative oversight of Contact Henderson, the city’s customer relationship management system.

Prior to his work in Henderson, Cranor served as the Director of Nevada Governor Kenny C. Guinn’s Southern Nevada Office and was a member of the governor’s senior staff from 1998 to 2003.  In that capacity, he was the governor’s representative on the State Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission and was the liaison to the Division of Emergency Management and Department of Public Safety.  He was the governor’s representative to the White House following the 9/11 tragedy to give input and receive briefings regarding the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. 

Appointed by Governor Brian Sandoval in July 2013, Cranor was also a member of the Nevada State Board of Engineers and Land Surveyors. He also served on the APPLE Partnership Executive Committee, promoting reading and early childhood literacy.

He previously served on the Nevada Governor’s Merit Awards Board, the Nevada State Quarter Commission and the state of Nevada Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission. In addition, he served on the Clark County School District Emergency Response Plan Review Committee, the CCSD Bond Oversight Committee and the Voices in Voting board of directors.

In 2008, Cranor received the Golden Apple Award from CCSD for his support of literacy and education. The Henderson Community Foundation named him their 2005 Outstanding Citizen. In 2004, he received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from BYU-Idaho. He has also been recognized by the Public Relations Society of America and International Association of Business Communicators.

Before entering public service, Cranor held positions in the private and nonprofit sectors after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University, Provo, in 1995. He and his wife, Erin, are the parents of four children.

Media Note: For more information or to schedule an interview with city staff, contact Public Information Officer, Kerry Hammon at (208) 612-8122 or [email protected]. 

 ###