Name
Brittany Benner Perez.
Age
29.
If you graduated from college, where did you go?
Columbia College, Chicago.
How long have you lived in Tallahassee?
Almost five years (August will be five years).
Where do you work, what is your position there and how long have you worked for this company?
Deputy director of communications, Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR).
Start date: February 1, 2010.
I have worked with the OIR, in this capacity, for nearly a year and a half.
Are you married?
Yes.
If so, how many children do you have?
None, yet.
What brought you to your current job?
Refer to response for question No. 8 first (good segway).
As a reporter, I was able to learn so much about so many different things. I truly loved reporting and I found the experience to be quite rewarding. At the same time, I was ready to begin building a new skill set, one with which I could apply my reporting skills while continuing to grow professionally. As luck would have it, I had mentally prepared myself to try something new when this opportunity came along with the team at the Office of Insurance Regulation.
As deputy director of communications with the OIR, building on my journalism foundation and applying my real-world media experiences have proven critical in not only fulfilling my daily duties, but also -- and even more importantly in dealing with crisis communications situations.
Insurance is so important to so many different aspects of life and I am humbled by the knowledge and expertise of my fellow colleagues. Insurance is complicated and has so many shades and layers of gray; it is never black and white. It is constantly evolving. I am constantly learning. The experience is rewarding. I enjoy my job.
Describe what you do?
As deputy director of communications, my daily responsibilities include working with the media to answer questions, manage crisis communications, provide data, arrange interviews, prepare background material and useful information to brief principals for interviews, organize press events, serve as spokesperson for TV, radio and print publications, coordinate cross-training for communications team members to maximize knowledge and skill set, and stay apprised of current insurance-related issues. Additionally, I oversee the public records division of the office, which includes managing the processing of public records' requests.
The OIR also recently launched a newly-renovated website; I participated with the web redesign team to make the website more user-friendly and include additional content. Internally, I also oversaw the development and publication of the inaugural edition of an internal OIR quarterly newsletter for employees.
I am also an active member of the Florida Public Relations Association. I recently participated with ER for PR which was a pro bono communications consulting opportunity for organizations that do not have a communications team.
What were you doing the last five years of your life?
Before I joined the OIR, I was a reporter, or more accurately a backpack journalist. I covered politics and stories about statewide issues for media outlets across the state. You are probably wondering what a backpack journalist is. Basically, I covered stories from start to finish by myself; I was the reporter, photographer, editor and producer. My stories appeared on television, in newspapers and online. My primary employer was WTSP in Tampa, though I also covered stories for WTSPs sister stations in Jacksonville, WTLV and WJXX on a daily basis. Because of the unique Gannett partnership, I also converted my television stories to print and online-friendly versions, which appeared in Gannett newspapers across the state (including Tallahassee Democrat, Florida Today and others). Furthermore, I fed my stories through CNNs satellite, many of which were picked up and aired on CNN.
The job was challenging, exhilarating, demanding, rewarding, fast-paced; no two days were ever the same and I loved it! I met so many amazing people, covered some incredible stories, and reveled in the thrill of the journey. At the same time, it opened doors to other opportunities I had not yet considered. And, after missing Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays and other holidays and special moments with my family -- because of the nature of 24/7 media -- I decided it was time to be receptive to other possibilities.
What do you want to do with your life long-term?
I knew I wanted to be a reporter since I was young (in school). I was dedicated to pursuing the media profession and I sacrificed a lot to make it happen. I moved hundreds of miles away from home, to a state [Aberdeen, S.D.] I had never been, a place where I knew no one, so I was able to completely immerse myself in work. The experience was priceless.
After spending two years in the bitter tundra, I decided the Sunshine State would be a good next stop. Here I am.
As life would have it the more you know, the more you realize you dont know. Other opportunities have presented themselves. Doors have opened. This time, I took a chance and switched careers.
The bottom line is this: I am more open now than ever before in terms of exploring options for future potential career opportunities. Sometimes you have to go with the flow and see where life takes you instead of mapping out your future. I am happy where Im at, though I am open to moves that could include communications, public relations, state government or something completely different. It took me a long time to be at peace with not knowing and not having a plan, but doing the best job you can day in and day out and trusting that things will work out the way they are supposed to.
On a personal note, I am recently married. We would like to start a family, someday.
What do you do in your free time?
Travel, shop, sing, dance, surf, spend time with family.
If you could be granted one wish right now, what would it be?
I wish my grandmother was alive and healthy for at least one more year and that someone would find a cure for cancer. She was strong, independent, compassionate, unconditionally loving, but at the same time tough as nails when she needed to be. We were very close.
Cancer claimed her life two years ago. She is survived by my grandfather, though I know a huge part of him died with her. I am not sure I will ever get over it and the pain I felt from the time she was diagnosed to the time I held my grandfathers hand in the hospital when the doctor told us she expired. My grandparents celebrated 50 years of marriage in 2008; she was diagnosed with cancer two months after their anniversary; she died six months later after putting up a good fight.
Elaine Ann Koeller was my rock and I wish she was still here so I could see her smile, listen to her contagious laugh, spend time sitting together and doing nothing, shop for shoes and purses, watch her plant flowers in her garden, listen to her relentlessly rail against the injustices of unfair insurance practices, play silly games at Christmas before she would allow us to eat or open presents, andsmell the enticing Christian Dior Dune fragrance in her warm, loving embrace.
What would you change about Tallahassee and/or the Capitol if you could?
The Tallahassee airport should be bigger, with more frequent and affordable flights. My entire family resides out-of-state, traveling can be cumbersome I wish it was quicker, easier and more affordable. We need to attract more business so we can secure more major airlines, encourage competition, and come up with a great marketing strategy to make this plan take flight!
Thank you for the opportunity to share this with you and your viewers.
