FORMER AID TO COUNTY MAYOR TAKES NEW JOB AS ASSISTANT TO ISLAMORADA MANGER

Katie Atkins is the new Islamorada public information officer and assistant to Village Manager Greg Oravec. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

A familiar face in Florida Keys government has landed a new job with the village of Islamorada.

A former executive aide to Michelle Coldiron, Katie Atkins was hired to become the public information officer for the village, formerly held by Mary Swaney, and the assistant to Village Manager Greg Oravec. Atkins is a former journalist from Western New York who came to the Keys in 2016 for a job with the Keynoter. 

She then became a reporter with the Keys Weekly before taking a job in government in 2018 with Coldiron following her election victory for Monroe County Commissioner District 2, which serves the Lower Keys and Marathon. Atkins served as the legislative assistant through Coldiron’s mayorship. 

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to work at the village and feel my county experience is helping with the transition,” said Atkins, who resides in the Upper Keys. Atkins’ first day was Nov. 29.

Oravec said Atkins’ professional experience and education were a good fit for the position, as well as her enthusiasm and commitment. 

“We are very excited to have Katie onboard,” Oravec said. “I am looking forward to watching Katie flourish in her new role and for Team Islamorada to be even better as a result.” 

The addition of Atkins to the village staff is one in a few that have occurred since Oravec was picked to serve as village manager in June. Last month, Oravec announced the hiring of Daniel Gulizio as director of planning. The former deputy director of planning in Suffolk County, New York, Gulizio began his new job Dec. 1. His hiring came following the resignation of Ty Harris, then planning director, in July.

Jim McCarthy is one of the many Western New Yorkers who escaped the snow and frigid temperatures for warm living by the water. A former crime & court reporter and city editor for two Western New York newspapers, Jim has been honing his craft since he graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 2014. In his 4-plus years in the Keys, Jim has enjoyed connecting with the community. “One of my college professors would always preach to be curious,” he said. “Behind every person is a story that’s unique to them, and one worth telling. As writers, we are the ones who paint the pictures in the readers minds of the emotions, the struggles and the triumphs.” Jim is past president of the Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club, which is composed of energetic members who serve the community’s youth and older populations. Jim is a sports fanatic who loves to watch football, hockey, mixed martial arts and golf. He also enjoys time with family and his new baby boy, Lucas, who arrived Oct. 4, 2022.