FIONA MORGAN

fiona@amnews.com

The City of Danville has hired a community liaison, Melanie Crossfield. This is a brand new position that will help the city with communications.

Crossfield has worked in retail management, worked for an extension office, did marketing for a local distillery, and was most recently the director of communications and member services at Shelby Electric Cooperative in Shelbyville for four years.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Science and Agribusiness Management from Eastern Kentucky University, and a Master’s of Business Administration from Northern Kentucky University.

Crossfield grew up in Lancaster, graduating from Garrard County High School. She wanted to come to Danville to be closer to home.

“I just knew this is where I wanted to be and when I looked at the position I thought it sounds like a lot of what I could use my skills for, the things I was doing already, but to be closer to home and help my local community,” she said.

The position covers many areas; one main part is to help businesses get access to resources in the city, and the other part is to improve communication between the city and the public.

Crossfield will be regularly updating the city’s website, social media platforms, and sending press releases and newsletters.

“On the public side, it’s making sure information is well organized, people are getting the information they need; if they go to our website or need something from the city that they’re able to easily access that,” Crossfield explained. “Just being a clear line of communication for the city, and on the business side of things, making sure people are aware of all that Danville has to offer.”

City Manager Earl Coffey said in a recent city commission meeting that people can reach out to Crossfield as a general contact for the city if they don’t know who to talk to.

“Our expectation is that we have improved communication from the city but also to the city,” Coffey said. “We’ve added the community liaison in order to have a place for businesses to contact and receive direct services from the city; if they’re reaching out to someone and can’t find who to talk to, our goal is to have this position be customer service-centric and communication-centric.”

Crossfield will also be collaborating with the economic development agencies, helping bring people and businesses to town.

Other responsibilities in this position include proactive marketing of the city, support for community development initiatives, help with achieving economic development goals, and partnering with other agencies.

“The city has changed; in the last five years it’s grown and it continues to grow, so I look forward to being a part of that, and right now I’m trying to meet as many people as possible,” Crossfield said.

Crossfield is currently reaching out to local people and businesses, getting to know the area, listening and assessing needs, and working with Coffey to develop their communication strategy.