LTC 241-2021 Appointment of Interim Marketing and Communications DirectorM IA M I BEACH
O FFIC E O F TH E C ITY MA N A G ER
N O . LTC# LETTER TO C O M M ISSIO N
TO :
FR O M :
D A TE:
H on o ra b le M a y or D a n G e lb e r an d M em b e rs of the C ity C o m m ission
A lin a T. H uda k , C ity M ana g /rW
u0 n e 11,2 0 21 [""
SUBJECT : A pp o in tm e nt o f Inte rim M a rke ting a nd C o m m un icatio ns D irecto r
A s a ll of yo u kn o w , ou r M a rketin g an d C o m m u n icatio ns D irector T onya D a nie ls and he r husband
ha ve m a d e the de c is io n to m o ve ba ck to the ir ho m e tow n of C hicag o. W hile losing Tonya poses a
lo ss fo r the C ity , th is is a jo yf ul decisio n fo r he r fam ily. W e are very ha ppy fo r her. I initiated a
re cru itm e n t im m ed ia te ly up o n Ton ya 's an nou nce m e nt and expe ct to be ab le to evaluate and
in te rv ie w ca n d id a tes w ithin the ne xt cou p le of m o nths. In the interim , w e have an outstand ing team
of pro fe ssion als in the D e pa rt m ent tha t ha ve co mm itt ed to m e the ir contin ue d dedication to
eff e ctive ly co m m un ic ating to ou r re sid ents, visitors and the m edia.
I ha v e aske d M elissa Be rt hie r, A ssista nt D ire ctor of M a rketing and C om m unications to assist m e
by se rv in g a s the In te rim M a rketin g and C o mm un icatio ns D irector until w e ap po int a perm anent
re p la c e m e n t. M elissa Be rt hie r ha s be e n w ith the C ity since 2013 . Fo r ne arly three yea rs she has
se rv e d as the city's A ssista nt D ire cto r of M a rketing and C o mm u nicatio ns, overseeing all
co m m un ic a tion eff ort s, includ in g daily lia isin g w ith lo cal and na tio nal m e dia , m anag ing our ro bust
so cia l m ed ia pre se n c e as w e ll as pro vidin g m e ssa g ing and creative direction fo r hu ndreds of
co lla te ra l de live ra b le s . M elissa also cl ose ly pa rt icipates in the im po rtant w o rk of the new
N e ig h b o rh oo d A ff airs D iv ision an d se rv es as Ed ito r-in-C hief of M B m a gazine. A dd itio nally, she
ha s pa rt icip a te d in co un tle ss rid e-alo ng s w ith C o de C om p lia nce , Fire and P olice and is extre m ely
kno w le d geab le of the ope ratio ns.
M e lissa , a re sid en t of M ia m i Be a ch , ha s also cha m p io ned m any of our city's m ed ia successes -
fr o m o u r cutt ing -e d g e resilie n ce ad ap tations to our fight aga inst illega l, short -term rentals, including
su c ce ssfully pitc hin g an d organ izin g in n u m erab le m e dia tours to high lig ht our gro undb reaking w ork
in re silie n c e .
I ha v e ha d th e plea s u re of w o rkin g w ith M elissa fo r over a yea r and have continue d to be im pressed
w ith he r ded ic a tion and pa ssio n fo r the C ity as w ell as her w o rk ethic. I be lie ve her pro fessional
sk ills a n d in s titution a l kno w le d g e of the C ity's ope ratio ns w ill ensu re that w e ha ve continued and
con siste n t co mm un ic a tio ns du rin g th is tra nsition pe rio d. Plea se join m e in than king M elissa fo r
ag re e in g to ta ke on th is add itio n al ro le w hile w e fin a lize the recruitm ent pro cess.
Plea se a lso join m e in co ng ratula tin g Ton ya on he r new journ e y and w ishing her the very best.
C C : Ex e c utive Staff
M a na g em en t T ea m
241-2021