by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
Mayor John Peyton’s new chief of special initiatives and communications said she’s being brought in to do some political heavy lifting for some of Peyton’s priorities.
Susan Wiles spent five years at the side of former mayor John Delaney. Before that she worked at the federal level, serving as former U.S. Rep.Tillie Fowler’s Jacksonville district director. Wiles said she will call on her experience to help move City restoration projects forward.
She said her work will complement the detailed work of the current staff.
“A lot of the staff work is very specific; they’re hammering out every minute detail,” said Wiles. “My job will be to provide an overarching vision.”
She plans to begin work in September to advance the St. Johns River restoration and would work as liaison between City and Federal governments on land preservation and the City’s park system.
Wiles will split her time in City Hall between big-issue advocacy and oversight of the City’s written and external communications.
Wiles will work with Director of Written Communication Susan Pelter to develop Peyton’s policy toward a myriad of City publications, including the Consolidator and Neighborhoods magazines. The Peyton transition team’s Neighborhood Department Subcommittee debated whether the glossy, award-winning Neighborhoods magazine was an efficient use of tax dollars. However, Wiles said Peyton had not decided whether to change the City’s written communication policy.
“Those are all wonderful publications,” said Wiles. “But every mayor has the right to put their own stamp on how to make the best use of its publications.”