Strategic Communications Specialist, CBP
As a seasoned communications expert, CJ Blickenstaff has encountered countless inspiring stories showcasing the exceptional work of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers around the world.
However, as a Strategic Communications Specialist with CBP’s Office of Field Operations International Operations and Advisory Directorate (IOAD), Blickenstaff is part of a small team that relies heavily on the agency’s hundreds of field officers stationed around the world to share their own stories through after-action reports. These officers play a critical role in keeping bad actors and illegal contraband away from U.S. shores. However, Blickenstaff noted that these reports often fail to fully capture the scope of their accomplishments—an essential element in conveying their impact to stakeholders, from CBP leadership to the U.S. Congress and the President of the United States.
So, the Center for Homeland Defense and Security Emergence Program alum (cohort 2401) decided to use her change initiative entitled “IOAD Communications Arts Mentorship” to create a program to train CBP field officers operating as communications management officers how to convey the work through a multi-media lens.
“[IOAD] is a relatively young directorate in U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations that has already achieved remarkable progress, showcasing impressive collaborations and successes on a global scale,” Blickenstaff said. “However, in the realm of communications, we face a significant challenge: many of our field components are unaware of the extreme need for sharing information and imagery with headquarters. They’re also unfamiliar with the full range of products and services we can offer to amplify their successes.”
“After-action reports follow a bland format, but the work our officers do is often straight out of a Hollywood movie.”
-CJ Blickenstaff
Blickenstaff explained that while CBP field officers are well-trained in law enforcement, they are not generally versed in communications, so their reports are “chock full of great stuff but described in a manner that is really boring in nature.”
“After-action reports follow a bland format, but the work our officers do is often straight out of a Hollywood movie—like uncovering drugs hidden in everyday household products and tracking them across the globe using unconventional methods.” She said, “They’re incredible at what they do, they just kind of need a little training and coaching on how to tell their stories or prepare talking points so we can pick up the story and interview them, and then maybe add in a little video or photography to capture the moment.”
“It’s not possible for us to visit every country or be embedded with everyone, so we want to prime them on how best to share their wins. [If] we can’t tell their stories, and if we don’t educate our stakeholders, then they aren’t going to put their faith in us, and we won’t be as likely to get the resources they need to do their jobs.”
Blickenstaff, who has extensive education and skills in a variety of communications methods, said the mentorship proposal calls for training of the nearly 900 uniformed members of IOAD over continuously rotating four-week periods where they would learn how to tell their stories using various media from writing, photography, and video to graphic design and more. She said the ultimate goal is to create a “tremendously effective network of skilled communicators” across the globe.
According to Blickenstaff, the inspiration for the change initiative came when she visited two countries where CBP is operating to record interviews for an overview story about what IOAD does, and she was impressed by what they were working on, although it was a challenge to get them to talk about it on camera.
“It’s difficult to get these incredibly humble people—who are so passionate about their work—to open up about the true impact they make,” she said. “When you interview them, they’re always so modest. Then, when you send them the story, they say, ‘Oh, you wrote such nice things about me.’ I tell them, ‘It wasn’t hard to write nice things about you—what you’re doing is truly amazing.’”
Blickenstaff’s initiative not only aims to bridge communication gaps within CBP but also empowers officers to take ownership of their narratives. By fostering a culture of storytelling, she hopes to enhance CBP’s visibility, strengthen stakeholder trust, and ensure these critical missions receive the recognition they deserve.
She has already presented her change initiative proposal, with the support of her leadership, to the Acting Deputy Executive Director and Chief of Staff earlier this month and noted that the Acting Deputy Executive Director identified a few areas for refinement and requested supporting deliverables, such as a syllabus, selection rubric, and potential video solicitation. The team is hopeful to kick off the program early Spring.
Blickenstaff’s interest in CHDS began when her former supervisor encouraged her to apply to the Emergence Program. Her supervisor was “very excited” when she was accepted, recognizing her drive for innovation. Since then, she has also collaborated with another CHDS alum, her current IOAD Director Christina Bell (Master’s Program cohort 0703/0704). Her past and present leadership saw CHDS as a natural fit for her, noting that she is “always trying to improve processes and change the world.”
While she said she had a “million” ideas for a change initiative, the Emergence Program taught her to zero in on the best idea and to “infuse the idea with passion and direction.”
Blickenstaff said her entire CHDS educational experience has been “extremely rewarding,” pointing to the “camaraderie that came out of it with the exceptional human beings that I got to meet.”
“I’ve never enjoyed a collective learning environment and the surrounding discussions so much. This group was incredibly diverse in experience and opinion, yet always respectful to one another,” she said. “I don’t know what the secret ingredient is, but whoever is masterminding these programs has perfected the human chemistry needed to build a high-performing team. Our cohort has formed tight bonds, and I’m so grateful to call them friends.”
