by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Downtown Vision, Inc. has hired Lyn Briggs as its new marketing director. Briggs is currently an account executive with The Dalton Agency and will join DVI on a full-time basis Monday.
DVI executive director Terry Lorince said Briggs will have a positive impact on DVI and its mission as the group tries to help downtown Jacksonville regenerate and flourish.
“She has been involved in a lot of projects,” said Lorince. “She is not from here, but she has been in Jacksonville for the last five or six years. She has a good handle on how to get a story out.”
Briggs joins Lorince, director of operations Joe Snowberger, office manager Amy Crockett and a host of Downtown Ambassadors on the staff at DVI, which Lorince said she’d still like to expand by one.
As director of marketing, Briggs will be responsible for continuing to build the organization that DVI has established since Lorince came on board in January 2001. Since then, DVI has initiated the Ambassador program, which places people all over downtown Jacksonville from, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and during special events. In addition to providing locals and others information about downtown, the Ambassadors also serve as an extra set of eyes and ears for the police, escorts for those uncomfortable with walking to the cars alone and litter control.
One of DVI’s biggest successes has been FridayFest, an after-hours party on the third Friday of the month in Hemming Plaza, which was originally started by the Chamber’s Downtown Council.
Lately, DVI has promoted the popular Out to Lunch!, with live music in Hemming Plaza on Friday and the farmer’s market under the Skyway.
All of these events — and every other within DVI’s $1 million annual operating budget — will be up to Briggs to promote.
“She will be charged with the task of helping market downtown and everything that encompasses it,” said Lorince. “That includes communications, marketing and public relations.”
Briggs replaces Jacqueline Dasta, who resigned last month after just two months on the job.