Mayor Madeline Rogero today announced two promotions in the City of Knoxville Communications Department. Jesse Fox Mayshark will become Senior Director of Communications and Government Relations, and Eric Vreeland will be Deputy Director of Communications.

“Communications is a vital function of city government, both with our constituents and with our partners at the local, state and federal levels,” Mayor Rogero said. “Jesse and Eric have both been tireless in their commitment to open and transparent communications for my administration. These promotions reflect my confidence in them as they assume their new leadership roles.”

Mayshark, who has been the City’s Director of Communications since December 2013, will join the Mayor’s Cabinet. He will continue to head the City’s Communications Department and will work under Deputy to the Mayor and Chief Policy Officer Bill Lyons to develop policy and communications strategy for City initiatives. He will also serve as liaison in advancing the Mayor’s priorities with local, state and federal partners.

Vreeland has served as the City’s Communications Manager since December 2013. As Deputy Director of Communications, he will manage much of the day to day flow of public information across City departments. He will also continue to serve as chief media liaison.

The Communications Department runs the City of Knoxville’s website (www.knoxvilletn.gov) and works with the Mayor and all City departments to provide information about City services, projects and priorities. 

Both Vreeland and Mayshark worked as newspaper reporters and editors for decades before joining the Mayor’s staff. They actually first worked together in 1995-96, in the newsroom of the old Knoxville News Sentinel building on Church Avenue in downtown Knoxville. Both have bachelor’s degrees in journalism, Mayshark from Penn State (’91) and Vreeland from Missouri (’86).