Howie Padilla

Communications director

Howie Padilla has more than two decades of communications experience in the Twin Cities Metro Area working on both sides of the media and public relations table. He has been with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety since 2022. 

As a reporter for the Star Tribune, Howie covered public safety issues in the Twin Cities and throughout the state, including a school shooting on the Red Lake Reservation, law enforcement safety issues, and criminal trials. In 2007, he left the Star Tribune to help Saint Paul Public Schools with media relations work. 

Since then, he has built a public relations career at the St. Paul Police Department, Metro Transit, and the City of Minneapolis. 

He has helped guide communications in a variety of events and investigations including Super Bowl LII, the investigation of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, officer-involved shooting events, and everyday acts of kindness and heroism. 

His passion for public safety and for joining a communications team that tells the stories of those that serve the more than 5.5 million people in the state are what drew him to the Department of Public Safety.

 

Jen Longaecker

Deputy communications director

Jen Longaecker has worked for the Department of Public Safety since 2013 in a variety of roles. She began her time with DPS as a public information officer for the State Fire Marshal division and Office of Pipeline Safety. She also served as DPS’ social media manager and staff photographer. 

Jen has experience handling strategic communications and social media messaging during critical incidents. 

She was in the joint information center during the historic civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd and the killing of Daunte Wright, and also developed strategic communication for the COVID-19 pandemic and Line 3 pipeline construction. Jen has taken photos at several funerals for Minnesota fallen first responders and helped local agencies with crisis communications and media relations.

Before coming to DPS, Jen was a 911 dispatcher for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Jen spent the early stages of her career as a newspaper editor and reporter covering public safety and courts. 

Jen is a University of Wisconsin-River Falls graduate.