Vicki Elder
District casework manager for Corrine Brown, Elder moved to Jacksonville from Little Rock, Ark. in 1980, where she was a practicing attorney just out of law school at the University of Arkansas. She was involved in a solo practice and worked as a court-appointed attorney. She has experience with juvenile, family law and criminal law. Elder also has a master’s degree in social work from Florida State University. She parlayed both degrees in a hybrid of political social work, making her an well-qualified district casework manager for U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown.
“I get to hear from any constituent who has a problem with any federal agency,” said Elder. “I serve as a liaison to that agency.”
Asked how she got the job, Elder said she simply applied and was hired. She oversees anywhere from 2,000-3,000 cases a year, and about 200 of those are open at any given time.
“We are the first line of defense,” said Elder. “We get calls when the President is about to be impeached, when the war on terrorism is floundering or for anything at all.”
And she said if someone sends a letter to Brown, they are going to get a letter back.
Jacquelyn Smith
District director for Ander Crenshaw
Smith is district director for U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw. Born in Chicago and raised in Tampa, Smith earned a bachelor’s degree at FSU and then studied journalism and public affairs at American University in Washington, D.C.
Smith worked for The Greenwich Time in Greenwich, Conn. as an assistant features editor before returning to Washington to serve under former President George Bush, whom she calls “Bush One.” She then worked for Labor Secretary Lynn Martin as deputy division director for the Women’s Bureau in the Department of Labor.
Smith later returned to Tampa, where she taught at the University of South Florida and served as assistant dean of undergraduate studies, overseeing the Truman Scholarship Program and various internships.
“Being a teacher and a journalist prepares you for anything,” said Smith.
Smith worked for Crenshaw in his gubernatorial campaign in 1994 and then went back to USF after he lost. When he was elected to Congress, Smith was hired to serve as deputy director of the Jacksonville office.
Mary Johnson
North District aide to Cliff Stearns
Johnson spent 25 years as a homemaker with three adopted children before becoming North District aide to U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns. She was born in Ocala, attended FSU and traveled extensively as the wife of a military officer.
Johnson was an active volunteer in the Republican Party, and through her church, she knew Stearns from various events. Johnson said her motive was really his politics.
“I really adopted his conservative politics philosophically,” said Johnson, who was Stearns’ first full-time volunteer.
Johnson was active in the 1989 campaign and has worked for Stearns since 1992. The Jacksonville office handles complaints and agency questions for North Florida’s six counties.
“We handle constituent services, case work, problems with agencies, congressional inquiries, outreach, relations with government affairs committee and attend various town hall meetings and forums,” she said.
Johnson finds out what constituents are saying and brings that report back to Stearns. “He’s a strong conservative like me,” said Johnson, “fiscally as well as socially.”
Joanelle Mulrain
Northeast Florida regional director for Sen. Bill Nelson
Mulrain was vice president of Corporate Communications for Baptist Health Care before retiring two and a half years ago. She decided to parlay her experience into health care consulting (Mulrain Resources) on one side with a retail store (Mulrain Gardens) on the other. “It was a weird synergy, I know,” said Mulrain. “But it was fun.” It lasted nine months.
Mulrain, anxious to return to the business world, took a job with St. Johns Investment Management as a strategic analyst for 10 months before the opportunity to open the Jacksonville office for Sen. Bill Nelson arose. She was hired as Northeast Florida regional director for Nelson and coordinates constituent services for seven counties: Duval, Nassau, Clay, St. Johns, Bradford, Baker and Union.
“I move information to and from constituents and to our other offices in Orlando and Washington,” said Mulrain, adding that what she enjoys most is learning about the issues that impact Jacksonville, and Florida in general, and then relaying those back to the senator.
“I’ve got my ear to the ground,” she said.
Military, environmental, educational and economic development are some of the major issues she addresses.
Mulrain said her motives in working for Nelson were less political and more aligned with her desire to be active in the community; she likes being a part of where Florida is going. Mulrain said that because Nelson’s wife is from Jacksonville, he has a very personal interest in the city. Mulrain grew up in Jacksonville and graduated from Jacksonville University. She’s active in the Jacksonville Women’s Network, the Rotary Club and serves on the board of advisors for the Arthritis Foundation, the Heart Association and the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art.
—by Sean McManus