By Jessica Ulett
TAMPA— When Liana Lopez was a student at the University of South Florida, she had no idea she would one day be the Chief Communications Administrator for Hillsborough County.
On a daily basis, Lopez leads both the communications and customer support teams, with an office on the 26th floor of the Hillsborough County building and a breathtaking view of downtown Tampa.
Lopez, a Tampa native, decided to stay in Tampa and attend the University of South Florida for a year because she still wasn’t sure where she wanted to go to college.
She ended up staying for five years.
“It took me a little longer than most, but in the end I got a great education and I’m glad I went there,” said Lopez.
The first thing Lopez did when she started at USF was get involved on campus. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity and worked in multiple on campus positions. Lopez also wrote for the Oracle, worked in the College of Education, served as Vice Chair on the Homecoming staff, was on Gold Counsel and was also a USF Ambassador during her time at USF.
“I just fell in love with it,” said Lopez. “The education, the professors, the experiences, the friendships. It was just a good school and a good fit for me.”
In the middle of Lopez’s junior year, she began to question if her major was the right fit for her.
“I wasn’t really sure where to go,” said Lopez.
She had a friend who was majoring in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and through her friend, Lopez was able to meet ProfessorGary Warner. Warner allowed Lopez to audit his class, the day the class discussed the Tylenol crisis and crisis management, and Lopez was hooked.
Lopez was required to complete an internship but couldn’t find one that she was interested in until Professor Warner helped her get one at the mayor’s office.
“My whole path when you look at it is because of the USF internship I chose,” said Lopez.
Lopez stayed in contact with the people she worked with at the mayors office. She thought she was going to have a position there after she graduated; however, there was no position available. “You need to nurture and maintain relationships,” said Lopez.
She decided to work at a nonprofit for two years before being contacted by an old colleague at the mayors office about an open position. Lopez got the position and during her tenure with city government, worked for two mayors and left as the Director of Public Affairs.
“I love public service, but if I could be a professional volunteer I would,” said Lopez.
Lopez also mentors and connects with current USF students by speaking to classes and working with FPRA (Florida Public Relations Association).
USF students have also collaborated with Lopez by having their work aired on “Destination Hillsborough”.
“I really think it’s important to give back and stay connected with the students,” said Lopez. “They actually help me stay connected in the field because my field is changing so much.”
The hardest part of graduating was not knowing what was next for Lopez.
“Be open to new possibilities and new experiences,” said Lopez. “Know yourself, take some time to figure out what you want to do, research companies, and look for cultural fits that are equally asimportant as financial fit and the job task.”