Long-time Pacific Missile Range Facility spokesperson Vida Mossman is joining the administration of mayor-elect Bryan Baptiste. She’ll take up the role of the county’s new Director of Community Response. The job combines the responsibilities of public information officer for the
Long-time Pacific Missile Range Facility spokesperson Vida Mossman is joining the administration of mayor-elect Bryan Baptiste.
She’ll take up the role of the county’s new Director of Community Response.
The job combines the responsibilities of public information officer for the county, as well as overseeing a new program within the Office of the Mayor titled ‘Olelo ‘O Kaua’i, or the Voice of Kaua’i.
“The vision of the program is to eventually become an Office of Community Response,” said Baptiste.
“The main focus of this office will be listening to the community,” said Mossman, who will retire from her position as the Public Affairs and Protocol Officer for the Navy at PMRF in Barking Sands.
The concept of the Office of Community Response is to include the Director of Community Response as well as three liaison positions to be the ears and eyes of the Baptiste administration, according to a prepared statement from Baptiste.
Baptiste said he hopes Mossman and her aides will be able to answer community questions faster, plus give more localized responses to community concerns.
The three aides will focus on various districts of Kaua’i.
“This (plan) is still in its conceptual form and needs concurrence and approval from the County Council,” said Baptiste.
Typical topics for the new office would be responding to reports of pot holes and graffiti, timely maintenance of county property, and general quality control issues, Baptiste said.
“The new Office will also tie into the ‘Olelo ‘O Kaua’i program that will help me know and assess the goals, objectives and concerns of our community by reaching out and getting involved,” he said. “Vida is the perfect person to lead this effort.”
“I have always taken a collaborative approach to governing and encouraged solutions to problems from every sector of our community.”
Mossman is a Kaua’i native and 20-year veteran of military public affairs. She is a Waimea High School graduated and attended Kaua’i Community College. The bulk of her training in communications has been from on-the-job government experience. She lives with her husband in Kekaha.
