Communications

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Portia Lake headshotPortia Lake, APR
Executive Director of Communications

[email protected]
770-651-2015


Portia Lake is the Executive Director of Communications for the Douglas County School System. She is an award-winning journalist and accredited public relations professional with extensive experience in media relations, crisis communications, photography, and videography. She graduated from Louisiana State University and did post-graduate coursework at Tulane University. A former television news anchor, producer, and radio reporter, Portia now loves sharing school success stories.  
She is proud to represent a school system that embodies the relentless pursuit of excellence and is excited to share student stories every day.
Portia is a married mom of twin boys thriving and succeeding in Douglas County Schools. She is active professionally and in the community. Portia serves as a United Way Douglas Board Member and is a member of the Kiwanis Club and Leadership Douglas Class of 2022. Professionally, she is a member of the Georgia School Public Relations Association, National School Public Relations Association, and the Public Relations Society America.
She enjoys being a soccer mom, reading classical literature, studying historical speeches, and cheering for the LSU Tigers.


Tracee GuilfordTracee Guilford, MBA
Director of Public Information

[email protected]
770-651-2112

Tracee Guilford joined the DCSS communications family in June 2023. She began her professional career in television news, serving as a local news anchor, reporter, and journalist. The Chattanooga native later transitioned into community relations management, acquiring extensive experience in marketing, community outreach, public speaking, and fostering positive relationships with key stakeholders. 

Guilford completed her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications at the University of West Georgia and furthered her education by earning an MBA in leadership from Walden University. With their two children, she and her husband have made Douglas County home for 18 years, finding enjoyment participating in sporting events. 

Professionally, she is a member of the Georgia Public Relations Association, the National Speakers Association, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated.      


principeAnne Principe
Coordinator of Interactive Graphic Design

[email protected]
770-651-2036

Anne joined the DCSS communications team in September 2019, and has settled into a new home in Douglasville. She has lived in Atlanta and the metro area for almost 30 years while establishing a career in newspaper production, graphic design, copywriting, marketing, and, most recently, school public relations.  A native of Savannah, Anne studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design before transferring to the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!) where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.  Anne has two children who are now young adults enjoying their post-secondary pursuits.


Ron Daniel head shotRon Daniel
Communications Coordinator

[email protected]
770-651-2124


Ron Daniel is a veteran writer, photographer and website and social media manager. He is a Douglas County native and graduated from Alexander High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University. Prior to joining the DCSS communications team, Ron worked for two decades in community journalism where he won more than two dozen awards for his writing and photography. He and his wife have three children and enjoy traveling and hiking.



How to Receive Information from the Douglas County School System

The school district uses several platforms to disseminate information to stakeholders. Parents and community members may follow the Douglas County Georgia Schools Facebook page where district information is shared. They may also sign up for the weekly electronic newsletter, DCSS Digest, which is emailed every Friday when school is in session.

Parents, guardians and employees will receive automated messages via email, phone, text and app posting. The phone numbers and email addresses are pulled through Infinite Campus, our student information system. If you are not receiving messages, please reach out to the registration clerk at your school to check your information in Infinite Campus. You may also reach out to [email protected].

To receive text messages, parents must opt in. Text 67587and type Yes to begin receiving messages.

Anyone may sign up for the school system app. Search in your phone's app store for "Douglas County Schools" and look for the familiar blue and yellow five-star logo. (There is more than one Douglas County Schools app, so look for the logo.) After downloading the app, you will have the option to choose the schools from which you would like to receive alerts.

Programs of the Communications Department


The Communications Department handles all media relations related requests and acts as the School District's Public Information Office. Please click the links below for information on the various programs of the department.

News

The Communications Department offers an easy way to submit news articles. By clicking the link below, you will go to a form that will offer you the option of submitting:

* a news article about something positive in our schools. The information might be used in the weekly district newsletter, on social platforms, or shared with the media.
* an item appropriate for an employee only newsletter
* a sympathy announcement for a relative of an employee
* a flyer to post on the Community Bulletin Board

Parents, employees, and community members are all welcome to submit news for consideration.

SUBMIT NEWS HERE

Calendar

The Communications Department assists in developing the school calendar with input from parents, employees, and the community. For the 2023-2024 Official Calendar, click Calendar.

Flyer Approvals

We are no longer approving hard copies of flyers for distribution in schools. We have set up a Virtual Community Bulletin Board which can be accessed from the main page of the district website. For guidelines, please click DCSS Virtual Community Bulletin Board.

The DCSS Digest Weekly Electronic Newsletter

The DCSS Digest is emailed to parents and employees every Friday during the school year. To see past issues, click here. To sign up to receive the publication, click here.

The Standard of Excellence Publication

Schools submit articles to be published in the The Standard of Excellence section of Chapel Hill News & Views September through May. 

Teacher of the Year

Every year, each school selects a teacher to be honored as Teacher of the Year (TOTY). From this group of 35 teachers, one teacher is selected as Teacher of the Year for Douglas County. 

Teacher 4 A Day and Principal 4 A Day

Business and community members have an opportunity each year to shadow a principal or teacher in one of our schools as part of the Teacher 4 A Day or Principal 4 A Day program. 

Douglas County Education Foundation

The Douglas County Education Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit that awards scholarships each year to high school seniors in Douglas County and awards Classroom Impact Grants to teachers for initiatives not funded by local, state, or federal dollars. For more information about the foundation, click here


Social Media

The Communications Department also updates Facebook and posts videos to YouTube for the Douglas County School System. Click below to access these platforms.

  youtube

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