PIO heads up town events
Alicia Head stays on the move, planning events and monitoring happenings in her hometown.
Head began working for the Town of Hilliard as an administrative assistant in July 2021. Last month, she gained her current job title as public information officer and event coordinator for the town.
“I never knew that I would have this gift, is what I call it,” she said. “I didn’t know I could touch people the way that I have and give information to them. It’s evolving and it’s growing.”
For her first project, Head and several other town employees fashioned 100 crosses that were installed at Town Hall Park. Each cross featured a small U.S. flag. The patriotic installation became a permanent fixture. Town officials also host a Veterans Appreciation Day ceremony each year, with this year’s observance on Nov. 9.
“We’re really about our veterans,” Head said. “If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have the freedoms that we have now. And a lot of people forget that, so that’s our reminder. I come from a military family and there’s a lot they still won’t talk about to this day. That’s my way of showing them that we care and we haven’t forgotten.”
Wanting to promote the town, Head organized Food Truck Friday on the last Friday of the month, year-round. This summer, live entertainment featuring country, rock, and praise music was featured, in addition to monthly cornhole tournaments.
“As long as people are wanting it and enjoying it, we’ll keep doing it,” she said.
The town’s Christmas tree lighting event held during Thanksgiving weekend is another longstanding tradition. The event was previously held outdoors at Life Care Center of Hilliard until 2022, when a live tree was decorated on the Town Hall Park property.
An artificial Christmas tree was since purchased so that the tree could be utilized for future events. Santa Claus and The Grinch stopped by to visit children and families.
“It was an all-day affair,” Head recalled. “We had the Christmas market during the day and then it rolled into the tree lighting. And it was just a good time for your family. And we’re in a one-red light town and in doing this, we’re able to share what’s so amazing about our small town.”
This summer, Head initiated the town’s Fourth of July themed golf cart parade.
“It was a good time. I mean, we’re a golf cart community now so why not do things to incorporate more people,” she said. “We have people coming from Callahan that will come register their carts just to participate.”
The Hilliard Harvest Festival returns for its second year, with live music, family fun, carnival games, a pumpkin patch, fresh produce and various vendors. A petting zoo is also planned. The festival will be held in Town Hall Park from noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 28.
Since 2021, the municipalities of Callahan and Hilliard have co-hosted a fireworks display at the Northeast Florida Fairgrounds. This year’s event marked Nassau County’s bicentennial and county officials donated toward the expense.
Head is also coordinating the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, which will be at the fairgrounds April 17-21. The wall is nearly 300 feet long and 6 feet high at its center. It stands as three-fifths the size of the original wall in Washington, D.C. The display will be escorted into town with military veterans keeping watch. Vietnam-era memorabilia will also be onsite.
“We have the 24-hour security on it,” Head said. “We have that already covered. Our veterans, they’re doing that.”
Community volunteers from the Hilliard Action Committee assist with annual events.
“Our volunteers play a crucial role in planning, organizing and carrying out the events on the day of,” Head said. “We also hold meetings at Town Hall to discuss what the community wants to see and the best ways to make that happen. We’re always looking for more people who are interested in joining us to help bring these events to life. If you know anyone who might be interested, we’d love to have them.”
In her role as public information officer, Head is responsible for “managing communication between the town and its residents,” she said. “This includes crafting and disseminating important updates, handling media inquiries and ensuring that vital information is accessible during emergencies.”
Head posts social media updates related to the town’s various departments, including town utility payments and other issues affecting residents.
The Town of Hilliard recently earned a National Weather Service StormReady designation. Head updates residents on weather information during storm events via the U.S. National Weather Service in Jacksonville.
“The goal is to make communities better prepared for when weather danger strikes so you know what to do and where to go, if there’s a need for that, just getting that information out quicker,” she said. “Not everybody follows the National Weather Service or different things, but they will follow somebody that’s more local to them.”
Head grew up in Hilliard and has always enjoyed helping others. When dad Keith Blount was injured in a motor vehicle accident, she raised funds by selling chicken dinners.
In 2020, she organized a drive-thru food giveaway of 250 smoked chicken dinners and homemade desserts. Many residents in need received home-delivered meals.
Planning new and recurring events keeps Head motivated to do her best.
“My personal background has always been public service,” she said. “I’ve always been a behind-the-scenes girl. I keep everything in order – that’s Type A – and just assist.
“I don’t like to be in the spotlight. And they have pushed me way out of my comfort zone. I grew up here. And I’ve experienced first-hand how close-knit this community is. … It kind of feels like it’s been a calling so I just keep pushing myself.”