To the City of Hattiesburg

For seven years, I've been the person behind the curtain who has informed you of news that has impacted your daily life. You may or may not have known it - but, big or small, whatever it was, I was there ready to deploy the notice you needed as a citizen.

Those notifications in the first six months were mainly about standard road closures and the weather. When you elected Toby, you threw our corner of the universe into apocalyptic territory. There was so much rain, ice and snow.

The months that followed the first six months included several elections to pass things that are now funding incredible projects in our community. There were also road closures, water main breaks, correcting the faults in a recycling program, the public-facing side of catching up on several years of audits, and the beginning of placing a podium in every corner of the City as we began to tell her story.

As time passed, the news continued to get better and better. I remember gathering a very random but intentional bunch of Hattiesburgers on the front steps of City Hall in December 2018.

Christmas came early. And while it seemed dull on its face, catching up on audits and having our bond rating restored was a big deal. That single moment launched grant applications and was a path to funding opportunities. Because of it, it wasn't too long before we announced the receipt of grants that would fund projects we had only discussed as future possibilities, broke ground and cut ribbons. Barricades also became the norm while projects in each ward began turning dirt.

We aimed to ensure that every ward saw progress AND that you knew progress was occurring. You deserve to know when somebody will pick up your trash, why a street is closed, and general updates regarding the development of your City because this is your City.

Then, there was 2020. We launched an anti-littering and a Census campaign, only for the world to shut down within days of those announcements. I was shooting a video in Kate & Toby's home for the Census when Toby got the call from Forrest General. Mississippi's first positive case was right here at home, and just like that, we switched gears and began a marathon response to one massive public health crisis.

For 18 months, we dedicated messaging to public health.

That first month included 23 straight days of working 12+ hours. And if a public health crisis wasn't enough, several levels of Jumanji also included the country facing issues around social justice, THIRTY named storms during hurricane season, and the threat of murder hornets.

Next to childbirth, it's still one of the hardest things I've ever been a part of.

Like so many of us - I wondered if the madness would ever end and if we were doing everything we could do. I also experienced a lot of personal growth. Every single thing was a new level of complexity, and the fire tower at the Hattiesburg Police & Fire Academy became therapy as I tried to climb my way out of what felt like a daily spiral. In that time, God used much of the madness to teach me about vulnerability, consistency and how little I am in control (of just about anything).

Regardless of where anyone stood, I can confidently share that the people in this office wanted everyone to be okay. And maybe that's a story for another day, but I would put our team up against anyone because of what we went through during that time.

The months following that blip in the timeline also included another election and another season of great moments - the movement of dirt on a transformational project like the overpass (twice), the opening of a $30 million Public Safety Complex, and the unveiling of more murals than you can shake a stick at.

It's been a lot. And when I look at all of those big milestone moments, I'm reminded of how much good has happened. But it also reminds me of a lot of the days that you didn't know about.

There's a fine line between being struck with grief and having a job to do. And there's nothing that prepares you for phone calls about a plane crashing into a neighborhood, the death of a child during a shooting, a home fire that claimed a life or the death of a beloved employee who was - quite literally - here one moment and gone the next.

Doing it once was difficult. Multiple times? Devastating.

This role has taught me so much about empathy, fully understanding the impact of a crisis, and how important it is to check on each other. Many of you see a team constantly up and doing, but behind the scenes, it's a team of people who likely got a call about a tragedy you don't know about and still had to make sure the wheels were still moving.

Through it all, we navigated every crisis as best as we could, and how we communicated with you continued to evolve, letting transparency lead the way (and for the not-so-devastating crises - sometimes a little snark and humor helped, too).

In 2017, Toby asked me to join him on this adventure because he wanted to change how a government communicates with its residents. Few believe I told him "no" twice, but that's the best part of how this story began.

Whether it was myself, Ann, Betsy, Kermas, or the cabinet, we all inevitably said "yes." We chose to dive headfirst into our roles because we felt a deep calling to serve our community. And when the days were unbelievably hard, we knew we were in this space for the right reasons and times.

With that, we slowly turned a massive ship. You (78% of you, at least) know where to get information when you have a question about what's happening in your city. I'm grateful to have played a small part in that.

And although the days have been long, it's the people we've met and the stories we've been able to tell that have been worth every second. It's a big part of why it's hard to share that this Friday, I'll walk out the doors of City Hall for the last time as your communicator.

(I'm not going too far - just down the street to Southern Miss for an opportunity that will allow me to build and share more stories - just in a slightly different capacity.)

The last seven years have molded me into who I am. I was 30 when I walked into this office, and I had no idea what we were getting into. But I know I am a better person because of it.

Now, it's time to let someone else sit in this seat who can build on what I feel has been a strong foundation for communicating with you daily.

Before I go - I want to leave everyone with just three things:

1. The people who lead your city are real people who are firmly invested in bettering your quality of life. They care about you and your future in this City. When it's easy to be negative, try to pull in some perspective. I can assure you that there is always-always-a reason for something. Sometimes, all you have to do is call and ask.

2. This is your City. If you see something - say something. Traffic light out? Small water leak on your street? Something out of whack that needs to be fixed? Tell someone. Please don't wait for someone else or for it to get worse.

And, if you choose to say something - say it TO the people who can help. Please don't randomly put it on social media for the world to see in hopes that someone else will take notice to fix. Call the Mayor's Office or the department over the issue. Talk to staff who will track down the problem. Be a part of the solution that gets it fixed. Also - if you see litter on the ground, please just pick it up and throw it away.

3. Don't do dumb things. Ever. It's just not helpful - for you or for anyone.

Thank you for letting me do this for as long as I have. While I'm not sure what this new normal of my life will look like without sharing when the weather is going to get rough, what street you shouldn't go down because there's a project going on or how the next infrastructure announcement is going to impact you - I can only hope I've left some legacy that will lead to someone else loving this City just as much as I have and telling her story well.

- Sam