SARASOTA COUNTY - Shelia Roberson has been named Sarasota County's Director of Communications, a role that continues her more than 23 years of service with the county and more than 30 years in the public sector.

In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the department’s operations, including 311, Public Records, Creative Service and Public Information and Community Outreach divisions. Roberson has served as interim Communications Director since July.

According to Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis, Roberson’s experience fostering community partnerships, deep understanding of public service and its impact to residents’ daily lives brings valuable insight of public operations, community needs and relationships to the critical role.

 “We had an excellent pool of candidates. This job extends beyond traditional communications efforts. It’s also about how we engage with the public, support residents through our 311 call center, and ensure public records requests are fulfilled in a timely manner. Shelia’s experience and knowledge of the county and our organization will be invaluable as the Communications Department continues to inform and engage with our community,” Lewis said. “Her ability to be effective leading a team and her commitment to public service make her the ideal choice.”

For Roberson, being selected is an important opportunity to continue driving forward strategies, innovation and building trust in local government and services.

"It’s an honor to work alongside so many dedicated staff at Sarasota County, and I look forward to leading and supporting the talented communications professionals we have serving our community every day," Roberson said. 

Roberson previously served as the Business Operations division manager in the county’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources department. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Parks and Recreation Administration from Mars Hill University.