A Kentucky New Era news reporter will become the marketing and events coordinator for the Hopkinsville Parks and Recreation.
Taylor Duke will begin her new job on Aug. 2, city officials announced Monday. She has been a reporter at the newspaper for seven months. In her new job, she will fill a vacancy created in June when Chris Jung left to become director of marketing and community relations for Jennie Stuart Health.
Duke was one of 39 people from five states who applied for the job, Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tab Brockman said in a news release. The candidates included 12 people from Hopkinsville.
Finalists were asked to create an event and marketing plan. Duke was selected from a field of four finalists.
“During interviews it was obvious that Taylor has quickly developed a great love of Hopkinsville,” Brockman said in the release. “She has already learned a great deal about the community from covering it as a member of the press, which will make her transition smooth. Her personality and sports knowledge, along with her communication and social media skills, will help our team’s ongoing efforts to be effective in letting everyone know about local recreation and leisure activities and special events. Taylor’s experiences from growing up and living in other communities will bring a fresh perspective to share innovative events throughout our department.”
Duke will be responsible for social media, marketing and sales for the Planters Bank-Jennie Stuart Health Sportsplex and for other parks and recreation events. She’ll also serve as a public information officer for the Hopkinsville Public Works Department. Her office will be at the sportsplex.
“Taking on this role with Parks and Recreation and the sportsplex is a dream,” Duke said. “I’m ecstatic to be part of the effort that is moving to make Hoptown a more exciting place to live and visit.”
Duke is from the San Francisco Bay area. She attended the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky, where she participated in track and field and was a member of the dance and cheerleading squads. She was editor of her college newspaper, The Patriot. Duke has also been a freelance social media consultant.
In response to an open records request from Hoptown Chronicle, a city official on Tuesday provided Duke’s salary information. She will be paid $43,014.
An advertisement for the job listed the salary range as $42,171 to $58,083.
(This story was updated to include information about Duke’s salary.)
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
