by Brad Parsons
Staff Writer
Why did the City’s written communications director leave a career in classical music in favor of governmental staff work that has taken her from the U.S. Senate chambers to City Hall? When Susan Pelter recalls the reason she has to laugh.
“I was tired of the politics,” said Pelter, chuckling. “The music world’s internal politics just got to me. It was through pure serendipity that I got a job on Capitol Hill.”
Worn out from working full-time while achieving her master’s degree in music and looking for a way to pay the bills, Pelter said a friend from the University of Maryland directed her to the office of former U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond from South Carolina. Pelter applied for a job to do staff work and write speeches.
Thurmond’s name is near omnipresent throughout the country’s post-1950s political landscape. However, Pelter knew little about her home state’s most famous politician.
“I was about the most apolitical person on the face of the planet,” said Pelter.
Asked for a writing sample, Pelter provided a copy of a college paper about “poetry and music and the leadership of Schumann.
“They had no idea what I was talking about,” said Pelter. “But they said the punctuation was perfect; I got the job.”
A self–described “knee–jerk liberal” at the time, Pelter said she quickly warmed to conservative politics.
“My family was Republican, my dad was a Marine. I didn’t realize it but my politics were conservative in a lot of respects. I was very conservative fiscally and a hawk on defense. It turned out I got on the right side of the aisle,” said Pelter.
Pelter recalls hearing Thurmond read her first speech from the Senate floor. She learned that her training as a performer translated to her writing.
“You need to be careful you don’t express yourself too much,” said Pelter. “Your personality needs to be put aside so you can get into the other person’s head. It was surprisingly easy for me to do. Being a performer, I was used to getting into my character’s heads and expressing somebody else’s viewpoint.”
One part of the job still comes difficult to Pelter. Those speech-opening jokes.
“Writing jokes is the hardest thing in the world,” she said. “I could write a speech that will make you cry, but to make people laugh is tough.”
Her work for Thurmond led to a job with Republican Senate Leader Bob Dole during his 1988 run for the presidency. In 1990 she returned to Thurmond’s staff, this time as press secretary.
Three years later she got a call from a freshman representative recently elected to represent Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville.
When she first met Tillie Fowler, Pelter said she was impressed by her energy.
“She had this spark; she wanted to change the world,” said Pelter.
With Pelter working behind the scenes and in front of the press, Fowler went on to become a near-universally respected guardian of Northeast Florida’s interests. When Fowler left office, Pelter left politics. At the time she said she thought it was a permanent move.
That changed, she said, when she received an offer to handle written communications for Jacksonville’s new mayor. She recognized the same energy in John Peyton that first drew her to Fowler.
Although she said their speaking styles are different — Fowler more formal, Peyton more colloquial — Pelter said she found a similar chemistry with both.
“Both have extremely quick minds, the ability to speak off the cuff, which is great when you’re writing for them because you can’t anticipate everything,” said Pelter.
Trained as an opera singer, Pelter still takes the opportunity to perform locally. She thinks Jacksonville’s culture will continue to play a role in the city’s success.
“I think Jacksonville has a tremendously exciting cultural scene,” said Pelter. “It’s not as well publicized perhaps, but there’s a wonderful cultural spirit here behind downtown’s revitalization.”
Pelter said the availability of museums and a world-class symphony shows the community’s commitment to culture. She said the arts enhances Jacksonville’s quality of life and plays a vital role in attracting business.
“Businesses looking to relocate look very closely at the cultural landscape,” she said.
Like the success she sees for Jacksonville, Pelter’s own success is owed to both her political and cultural background. She has no regrets that she left a life in opera behind. She said her career path has allowed her to do important work, live a more secure life and still provides her with “plenty of opportunities to perform.
“For me, I made the right choice. It led me in a different direction than I thought, but it suited me better. I like not having to travel all the time; a cold is no longer career-threatening, and music still adds a wonderful dimension in my life.”