County hires communications director

Sarasota County Administrator Randall Reid has hired former Miami-Dade County division manager for Community Information and Outreach Donn Patchen as director of communications, according to an email from Reid sent to County commissioners Friday.

Current communications staff member Crystal Pruitt held the interim position earlier this year followed by Selby Public library Manager Liz Nolan, who took the temporary title about one year after the position was left vacant when Susan Scott resigned in July 2011. Reid hired Patchen several weeks after announcing a staff reorganization that included the resignation of one longtime county employee and the addition of a director from Alachua County.

“We are developing a excellent staff of which I am quite proud and look forward to him joining our staff Sarasota County in appropriately 30 days,” Reid said in the email.