Meet Brittany Norris // Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, City of Jacksonville
Brittany Norris started out designing t-shirts for an ad agency, and has ended up working for the Mayor of Jacksonville, FL. Her journey involves a 2016 coalition meeting, winning a commissioner seat, a mayoral race decided by eight votes, and, occasionally, saving a manatee or two.
As Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the City of Jacksonville under Mayor Donna Deegan, she makes complicated government feel like something worth paying attention to. She ended up in JAX by accident and stayed on purpose, and she's still betting on what the city can become.
Tell us who you are in just a few words or sentences.
I’m a communications-minded city employee, former elected official, and haphazard gardener who managed to find the sweet spot between policy nerd and creative person.
You currently work as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the City of Jacksonville. What does a typical day or week look like for you?
I help the Mayor’s Office work with the 19 members of the Jacksonville City Council. The city operates through legislation, from authorizing expenditures to implementing new laws. My role is to make that as efficient and collaborative as possible, so a good portion of my job involves building relationships, crafting strategy, solving problems, and translating complicated policy into something people can actually understand.
A typical week can include everything from legislative meetings and public policy discussions to community events, press conferences, budget conversations, and sometimes even saving manatees. Each day is different, and I love that.
Previously, you’ve worked in ad agencies as a digital marketer, primarily in web & graphic design. What pushed the jump to politics? Did your previous gigs prepare you?
I’ve always been interested in storytelling, and marketing just happened to be my first outlet for that. Working in design and advertising taught me how to communicate clearly, understand audiences, and build things that connect with people. Politics is surprisingly similar. At the local level in particular, good government is about communication: Can people understand what’s happening? Do they feel heard? Do they feel like a part of the solution?
My creative background helps me think strategically and outside the box, but it also gives me an appreciation for messaging and the power of narrative in shaping the legislative process.
But there was no jump to politics. It was more of a slippery slope. After the national election in 2016, I was working to build a coalition of locals who wanted to learn about local government, and how to get involved, etc. From there I met a former Atlantic Beach Mayor who saw potential and invited me into the fray.
I ran for a Commissioner Seat in 2017 and won.
You served as Commissioner for years before running for mayor. After a nail-biting recount, your opponent ultimately won the race [editor’s note: by eight votes, but who’s counting?] How did this influence the next steps in your career? Looking back, what are your reflections on that time?
Losing by eight votes was a gut punch. And as much as it sucked, losing opened the door to a different opportunity with the City of Jacksonville. Looking back, I think I learned how to lose gracefully, how to go out with my head held high, but also how to keep showing up, and how to separate my worth from an election result.
I’ve gone over every part of the campaign in retrospect, and perhaps my biggest takeaway is that I should have asked for help more often. I had some really amazing volunteers, but I still felt hesitant to ask for support or people’s time. That was silly. The worst they could have said was “no.” So my advice to anyone running is to be honest. Admit when you need help.
Mayor Deegan is the first woman to serve as mayor of Jacksonville (!!!) What’s it like working under her leadership?
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working for Mayor Deegan. She leads with empathy and authenticity, which I think resonates deeply with people right now. And she truly cares about making Jacksonville a great city. She’s a native and well-versed in what makes this city tick, and she’s also curious and ready to learn about issues, solutions, and more. I’ve learned a lot in this role, and I’m grateful she took a chance on me three years ago.
You’ve advocated for the Emerald Trail, helped Mayport Road join the East Coast Greenway, and daydream of “complete streets.” What draws you to this work?
I’m just a millennial girl longing for a walkable neighborhood. But truly, “complete streets” is such an amazing example of government working well. It’s an approach that includes people, place, and context in the planning process. It also connects with advertising by understanding the user experience and elevating it to a worthwhile part of the solution.
Practically speaking, safe transit options for all mean more foot traffic for local businesses. That’s economic stimulation. It encourages healthier lifestyles for citizens. It gets people out and about, allowing for more organic interaction, strengthening communities, and supporting mental health. It’s darkly funny to me that all the initiatives we create as a society to solve these problems could have been mitigated from the start with public infrastructure focused on people, not vehicles.
Can you tell I’m a joy at cocktail parties?
What aspects of your current role are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of helping bridge gaps between people who don’t always naturally trust or understand one another. Government can become very siloed and transactional, and I try to bring a more collaborative, human-centered approach to the work. I’m also proud to be someone who can take complex issues and make them understandable and actionable. Local government affects people every single day, and I think there’s real value in making those systems feel less intimidating and more accessible.
Outside of work, what does your current community involvement look like?
Currently, it doesn’t look like anything. This role is one of the more time-intensive, demanding jobs I’ve held, and I’m still figuring out what work-life balance looks like.
As an artist and creative, how do you flex your creative muscles?
I’ve found photography to be easier to access these days, and I want to expand the time I spend taking photos of things I love. As I get older and watch folks move on, I treasure the photos I’ve collected of the people I love and the moments I’ve cherished.
This summer, I want to designate a part of my home as a studio or working space that’s open and accessible, where I can hop in and out of creative endeavors. So hopefully I’ll get back to illustrating and painting again soon. Less streaming, more creating.
As a military brat, you spent your adolescent years in multiple states, but you’ve been rooted in Jacksonville since college. What’s kept you there?
Jacksonville was never the plan long-term. I went to the University of North Florida because it was the economical decision (and I’m grateful to have entered adulthood without student debt). But I graduated right as the 2008 recession was ramping up, and I didn’t have the money or job opportunities to leave Duval.
But this is where my love of Jacksonville begins. It’s a big city, and 30 years behind comparable municipalities, so there's still room to get in on the ground floor. I made my way from a part-time job designing Bob Marley t-shirts to spearheading the digital efforts of award-winning agencies, to running for office, and now working for the Mayor.
The ground-floor access available in Jacksonville allows for such good things. We have an amazing food scene because small businesses can get established and grow among very local patrons (shoutout Chancho King, Catullo’s Italian, Reve, and Othello!) The local music and art scene is lively and unique. The opportunities for enjoying nature are endless. Jacksonville still feels like a place where there’s room to build things and influence what the city becomes over the next few decades.
What are you consuming right now?
Let’s be fair, I’m rewatching ‘Community’ for the millionth time. I just wrapped up ‘Pluribus’ on Apple TV, and it was fantastic. Highly recommend! That or ‘Murder Bot.’ I’m also working my way through ‘Project Hail Mary,’ which is a great read. Lastly, I recently stumbled upon Lupita Infante. She’s an incredible singer and songwriter who performs traditional mariachi, norteño, and ranchera music. I’m stuck between her repertoire and Kacey Musgraves’ latest album.
What does your ideal day off look like?
A beach walk with the dogs that includes stopping at a local coffee shop, meals or moments with friends, and a bit of outdoor time peppered with good ocean breezes. My job requires a lot of responsiveness and constant context-switching, so my ideal day off is slower, quieter, and unstructured, preferably with good food, good weather, and zero meetings.
Where can we find you? Drop your links.
You can find me on Instagram. I’ve sworn off Facebook, and I’m too old for TikTok.
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