Chris Coplan is Director of Communications and Community Engagement at Peoria Public Schools, overseeing all marketing, public relations and community engagement efforts for the district. In this role, he regularly communicates with more than 13,000 students, 3,000 staff members, the media and the community at large on issues ranging from snow days to educational policies, utilizing the district’s website, mobile app, social media, online newsletter, print materials and other communication vehicles.
A steady hand who wears many hats, Coplan has managed these needs successfully through a number of momentous and sometimes tumultuous events, including three changes in administration. He coordinated a series of community forums designed to provide input on the district’s five-year strategic plan; led communication efforts during a reconfiguration of grade levels; promoted the revitalization of the district’s fine arts programming; and headed an all-volunteer committee to market the Attendance Counts campaign.
With nearly nine years of service to the district, Coplan has also led a number of charitable initiatives, including Dream Center Peoria’s annual Backpack Peoria event. He assisted the Peoria Public Schools Foundation in establishing its 365 Club breakfast fundraiser, helped coordinate its annual golf outing and spearheaded a large school supply drive. He is also involved in Peoria Pathways to Prosperity and coordinates the district’s annual United Way drive as employer fundraising chair.
Widely recognized for his communication skills, Coplan has won awards from the Associated Press and Illinois Broadcasters Association, and he regularly lends his audio/visual skills to his church and to Peoria Players Theatre. A member of the Illinois chapter of the National School Public Relations Association, he has been active with the North Florence Neighborhood Association, Pekin Human Rights Committee and Colchester Lions Club, in addition to serving as a volunteer EMT and firefighter. In his spare time, Coplan enjoys working on home projects, playing outdoor sports, and spending time with his two dogs and three nephews. iBi
