by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
The City Council’s two newest aides may look alike but, make no mistake, the similarities stop there. Mina Hosseini and Meghan Friel, who work for Council members Ronnie Fussell and Richard Clark, respectively, have been at City Hall for little more than a week.
And despite being among the Council’s youngest aides in recent years, Hosseini, 22, and Friel, 25, have backgrounds that set them apart.
Friel, 25, arrives with Capitol Hill experience. A former aide and communications director for Rep. Chris Cannon of Utah, she and Council member Clark have hit the ground running.
“We started getting a lot of constituent calls right away,” said Friel, who has been in Jacksonville for less than six months. “But I think that’s great because it has allowed us to get to know a lot of the various City offices and agencies right away. A lot of calls is a good thing.”
Friel said she loves living in Jacksonville and that she looks forward to becoming more familiar with the area.
“So far it’s been wonderful. Jacksonville is a very beautiful city,” she said. “Aside from their being the beaches and a nice downtown, there are also several smaller communities here that really add to it.”
Like Friel, Hosseini got her foot through the doors at City Hall by logging in hours during the campaign season earlier this year. A University of North Florida graduate, Hosseini was hired by Fussell to help manage his burgeoning campaign in January and was approached about being his aide after he won.
“I’d never had any political experience before then. I never even thought I about it, but I discussed it with Jessica Adams, (aide to Council member Daniel Davis) and I thought I would give it a try,” she said. “I really like it.”
For her, Hosseini said each day at the Council offices is a new experience.
“I’m constantly learning and I like that,” she said. “The other aides have been very welcoming and have been very good at answering any questions I have.”
A Jacksonville resident for more than a decade, Hosseini maintains a busy schedule. Aside from working full time, she takes UNF evening classes while pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration.
“I don’t have a lot of free time, but I think it will all be worth it,” she said. “I don’t see anything wrong with working hard.”
Friel agreed that the days can be long, but that the benefits are plentiful.
“It’s going great and Richard and I are happy to be here,” she said.
But what about the constant reminder that she and Hosseini look alike?
“Yeah, we hear it all the time, but I guess it’s just a funny coincidence,” Friel said. “I don’t really see it if you ask me.”