A St. Pete-based public relations firm is expanding its operations in the area. B2 Communications recently hired Diane Jones, a 20-year PR veteran in the Tampa Bay area.
Jones most recently ran her own firm, DJ Public Relations, for eight years. Her company worked with high-profile clients including the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority, Pasco County Utilities, Tampa Bay Water, Visit Citrus and Independent Financial Services.
She also served as public communications manager for Pasco County for four years and director of public and government relations for AAA Auto Club South in Tampa for eight years.
“We are thrilled to have Diane join our team, not only because of her extensive experience in public relations in the Tampa Bay community but also because of her specialized knowledge of transportation and water issues and in working with local governments,” said Missy MacFarlane, co-founder and principal at B2 Communications.
Jones is accredited in public relations from the Public Relations Society of America. She’s also a member of the group’s Tampa Bay Chapter and previously served as its president in 2002. She serves on the national Universal Accreditation Board overseeing the Accreditation in Public Relations.
Jones is also a past chair of the Public Relations Society of America’s Sunshine District representing seven chapters and serving nearly 1,000 members in the state.
B2’s latest hire received her Master’s degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications with a public relations concentration. Both degrees were earned locally from the University of South Florida.
B2 also recently hired two account coordinators. Tyler Killette and Keeley Sheehan are both University of South Florida St. Pete grads who worked in journalism before joining B2.
B2’s growth stems from some new high-profile projects including representing design teams for the new Pier and the Pier approach. The group has also taken on the role HDR Engineering’s communications and outreach consultant for the City of Tampa’s Streetcar Extension and Modernization Feasibility Study.
Other B2 clients include Colliers International Tampa Bay, Central & Southwest Florida; Colliers International South Florida, USAmeriBank, Paramedics Plus, Revenue Management Solutions, SPCA Tampa Bay, Marlow’s Tavern, Lennar Homes, Premier Eye Care, Metro Development Group, St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Fisher & Phillips, and Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts.
