Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

St. Pete Beach hires first public information officer

By PAUL SWIDER
Published January 1, 2006

ST. PETE BEACH - Rumor control is a central strategy for St. Pete Beach's newest hire, Natalie Strong, who will start as the city's first public information officer Tuesday.

"The most important aspect of this new position is making sure that accurate information gets out," said Strong, 23, of a new part of the city's Web site she will build to deal with stories people hear on the streets about city actions and plans.

Strong comes to the city from a production job with television station WTSP and so has been following the city's redevelopment efforts and the opposition they've generated. Living in Sarasota but having grown up in Pinellas County, the 2003 mass communications graduate from the University of South Florida said she has a particular understanding of the issues involved in a beach community's adaptations.

"I grew up in Clearwater, and I know firsthand how it can be difficult to see your community change" she said. "I feel that my knowledge of the ongoing redevelopment issues, not only in St. Pete Beach but throughout beach communities in the Tampa Bay area, is a very valuable asset to the city and its residents."

Strong said she plans to reach out to all groups in the community early and often to create a connection with the city. In budget discussions this year, city commissioners said they wanted to create the position because there was no one in the city dedicated to talking to the community, and the redevelopment difficulties were a product of such ineffective communication. Strong will be paid $42,153 in her new position.

"I know going in that will be my first step, establishing trust with the community," she said. "I want to get to know the people, hear their views. They feel like their voices have not been heard."

Strong said she will use her television experience, including a stint with Sarasota's SNN, to eventually revamp the city's use of its cable-access channel 15. She said she'll use her experience with her brother's graphic design company, Strong Designs of Clearwater, to rebuild the city's Web site. She plans to update the site at least weekly, if not daily, including the "rumor control" center. She'll also work on a communications guide for all department heads to follow. Her job includes representing the police and fire departments, "more than most PIOs take on," she said.

Strong said her television experience has brought her in touch with other communities' PIOs, so she knows the business from that end already. She emphasizes that she intends to become a trustworthy source of information.

[Last modified January 1, 2006, 00:28:15]