Kevin Riggs

Senior Vice President

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Kevin Riggs, Senior Vice President with Randle Communications, brings an unrivaled perspective and media savvy to the firm’s senior management team.  He is an Emmy-winning reporter and has been recognized among California’s top political journalists during a career that spanned four decades.  In this capacity, he has covered some of the world’s most remarkable and influential leaders, earning a reputation for quality, fairness and professionalism.

Riggs plays a leadership role in the firm’s strategic communications, media relations and business development initiatives.  Riggs also oversees the firm’s proprietary media training program, which is designed and customized to meet the needs of spokespersons and leaders in government, politics, business, trade associations and nonprofit sectors. There’s nobody more in tune with how the media works, and he understands from firsthand experience the power of strategic communications.

From 1994-2011, Riggs worked for Sacramento’s NBC affiliate KCRA-TV, serving as a general assignment reporter, anchor and the lead for politics and the State Capitol. He has covered many historic national events including the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, 1999 Columbine shootings, and 2000 Florida presidential ballot standoff. Riggs also led election and campaign coverage of the New Hampshire primary, as well as the GOP and Democratic national political conventions.  From 1984 to 1994 he worked for Fresno’s ABC affiliate KFSN-TV, and from 1981 to 1984 he was the Bureau Chief for Santa Barbara’s CBS affiliate KCOY-TV.  In Santa Barbara, Riggs covered former President Ronald Reagan.  From 1979 to 1981 he was News Director with Santa Barbara’s KTMS Radio and from 1977 to 1979 he served as a reporter for San Luis Obispo’s KATY Radio. 

Riggs has been recognized with numerous awards for broadcast excellence, including being part of the KCRA team that was awarded the national 2011 Edward R. Murrow Award by the Radio Television Digital News Association for breaking news coverage of the Galleria fire.  He also won a regional Emmy for coverage of the Galleria fire and was nominated for two others related to coverage of the 2010 Gubernatorial Election. His 2010 campaign special on candidates Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown also won a top award from the Radio and Television News Directors Association. Riggs earned top honors for political coverage in 1996, 2000 and 2006 from the Center for California Studies at CSU Sacramento. In 1992, Riggs earned an Associated Press award for best documentary in a statewide competition. He also serves on the Alumni Advisory Board for the journalism department at his alma mater, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and provides political analysis for KCRA in his weekly blog The Riggs Report as well as regular in-studio appearances.

Riggs received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. He lives in Sacramento with his wife Karen and their two children. In his spare time, Riggs loves to restore classic Ford Mustang automobiles and travel.

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.
– Henry Ford