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The Public Information Offce is responsible for public information and education, communications and public relations for Leon County’s programs and services. The division aims to develop and maintain a positive image of Leon County by fostering pro-active and responsive communication with employees and the community.

Public Information Offcer Jon Brown is responsible for the offce’s management and daily operations. Before his tenure in County government, Brown started a website development company that grew into an award-winning integrated marketing and creative solutions frm. He currently serves as a board member of the nationwide City-County Communications and Marketing Association, a member of the Florida Public Relations Association and on the board of the Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee. An honors graduate of Florida A&M University, Brown has a background in Civil and Software Engineering and trained at the Kennedy Space Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is also a past-president of the American Advertising Federation Tallahassee and a founder of the North Florida Multicultural Marketing Symposium & Multicultural Marketing Student Forum.

• Received a national Silver Circle Award from the City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA) for excellence in communications, as well as an Award of Excellence for creating digital/interactive government services.

• Coordinated more than 100 press conferences,

meetings and community events and distributed more than 180 news releases and advisories to promote County programs and services.

• Sent more than 33,000 bulletins via the County’s new media subscription service, GovDelivery, providing residents with up-to-the-minute news at their fngertips on everything from road closures to Countywide events.

• Implemented daily updates for the County’s award-winning Emergency Information Portal (EIP), which includes emergency alerts and associated health warnings, road closures, sandbag locations, shelter locations and status, evacuation routes and important health information.

• Played an integral role in a Countywide task force to prepare for severe cold fronts during record-breaking winter, which included Leon County’s at-risk homeless population. Staff participated in a multi-agency tabletop exercise to prepare for communications needs during natural or man-made disaster scenarios.

• Served as the temporary communications offce for the Leon County Research and Development Authority during a critical transition period and provided public relations and communications assistance.

• Developed Twitter (http://twitter.com/LeonCounty) and Facebook presences in order to keep citizens aware of County news.

• Partnered with the Offce of Sustainability to present the frst Leon County Sustainable Communities Summit, highlighting the County’s

leadership in green initiatives and environmental responsibility.

• Served on the Tallahassee-Leon County Complete Count Committee for the 2010 Census. Staff also co-hosted the ‘Mail-It-Back’ Rally, featuring County and City leaders, and participated in the local effort “National Neighborhood Blitz: March to the Mailbox” events.

• Raised awareness of the beginning of hurricane season by participating in a Red Cross-sponsored news conference and distributing thousands of Hurricane Survival Guides with the support of Emergency Management and surrounding counties.

• Addedmore than a thousand photos to Leon County’s photos microsite, www.LeonPhotos.org .

• Collaborated with MIS, HR and the County Attorney’s Offce to develop a social media/digital communications policy.

Educat ion, Informat ion & Communi ty Outreach

Did You Know

Commission meetings, live or previously recorded, can be viewed online at www.LeonCountyFL.gov or Comcast Channel 16. Agendas and minutes can also be accessed on the County’s website or by calling 606-5300.

Publ i c I nformat i on Off i ce

Jon D. Brown

Public Information Offcer

606-5300 BrownJon@leoncountyf.gov

lobby ing for Leon County ’ s Legi slat i ve & Economic Interests

Leon County collects a $3 civil fee for all moving traffc violations and provides the revenues to the Leon County School Board to enhance driver education courses for area teens.

Did You Know

Econom i c development

Legislative Affairs and Economic Development provides coordination to ensure that Leon County receives resourcesandsupporttobestserveitscitizens. The division provides policy recommendations for the County’s high-priority issues, creates the annual legislative priorities and monitors legislative issues.

Director Ken Morris has been employed by Leon County since 2004 and holds a master’s degree from FSU’s Askew School of Public Administration. Morris has served as the County’s point person on numerous projects, including property tax reform legislation, jail overcrowding issues and economic development opportunities.

Prior to joining the County, Morris worked for several offces of the Legislature, including the State Administration Council and the Offce of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability. He was also selected for the esteemed Speaker’s Fellowship Program in 2003, serving as a legislative analyst for the Local Government Committee and the Select Committee on Affordable Housing in the Florida House during the 2004 legislative session.

• Managed the County’s state and federal legislative priorities and provided weekly updates to the Board and senior staff on the progress of legislative activity.

• Continued to oversee the County’s Economic Stimulus Quick Response Team to maximize federal funding opportunities for local projects.

• Leveraged $9.8 million of County and City Recovery Zone Facility Bonds, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to entice the construction of a three-story offce and retail complex in the heart of downtown Tallahassee.

• Oversaw the development of a community partnership to open a teen center at the Palmer Munroe Community Center.

• Managed the County’s contract with the Leon County School Board to enhance driver education and behind-the-wheel training for area teens.

• Provided staffng and support to the Leon County Research and Development Authority during its transition period.

• Established the County’s Frenchtown/Southside Revitalization Citizen Advisory Committee to address poverty, economic development, and unemployment issues in distressed areas.

• Secured a $2.1 million grant for the Joint County/City Public Safety Complex through the federal appropriations process.

• Served on the WORK FORCE Plus Reinvest Local Advisory Council to organize efforts relating to employment services and training funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

• Provided staffng to the Public Safety Coordinating Council, which is charged with monitoring programs that reduce jail overcrowding and alternative programs of incarceration for nonviolent offenders.

• Implemented a one-year vocational training program at the Leon County Jail for non-violent female inmates to reduce recidivism.

Ken Morris

Director

Legislative Affairs & Economic Development 606-5300

MorrisK@leoncountyf.gov

The Leon County Legislative Delegation conducts an annual public hearing in the County Commission Chambers to hear from Leon County residents prior to each legislative session.