by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
The new director of communications for Mayor John Peyton is Misty Skipper, who joined the City’s media relations team as press secretary in November 2005 after serving as the media spokesperson at CSX Transportation.
Skipper said she has learned a lot during her transition from the world of corporate communications to the public sector and credits her predecessor for getting her ready to take over as the City’s spokesperson.
“It has been a great opportunity to be a part of this organization. I have learned so much from Susie (Wiles),” said Skipper.
One of the similarities between CSX and the City is that there’s no down time, she added.
“When I was at CSX, I was on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week because you never knew when a crisis would require media attention,” said Skipper. “Government on the other hand is more project-specific. But one of the things I’ve learned is people never stop discussing government and what it’s doing. Everything that happens is a potential news story.”
While Wiles’ departure will mean an adjustment in the communications staff, Skipper said the goals and philosophy will remain the same.
“Government has an obligation to be responsible to the public,” she said. “One way we do that is to make sure the public is informed.
“The mayor has outlined public safety, economic development and the St. Johns River as his focus areas for the remainder of his term in office. My goal is to help promote the good work this government is doing in those areas. We need to talk about those issues and make sure the public understands them. We also have to identify opportunities for the citizens of Jacksonville to play a role in moving those initiatives forward. That’s what this office has always done and what we will continue to do.”
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