Senior Visual Information Specialist Jane Mathews
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Jane Mathews has joined the Los Alamos County Communication and Public Relations team as a Senior Visual Information Specialist.
Mathews began her new job Feb. 18, which entails public relations, social media and digital art throughout the County.
County Public Information Officer Julie Williams-Hill said Mathews filled a needed spot in the team following the departure of Senior Visual Information Specialist Vint Miller.
“When Vint Miller decided to move to Oklahoma, we knew finding someone to fill his shoes would be challenging,” she said. “Luckily, we were incredibly fortunate that Jane decided to join our team. We’re excited to have her.”
Before coming to Los Alamos, Mathews worked and lived in Texas. However, she graduated high school in New Mexico and is excited to return to the area and be near family, she said.
“I love the size of Los Alamos and how easy it is to enjoy by foot or bicycle,” Mathews said.
She described her career as quite the journey.
“I’ve been on a long and winding career that started in graphic design, then landscape architecture and planning, and came back to graphic design,” Mathews said.
While in Texas she worked in the planning department for the City of Fort Worth where she focused on informational graphics and communication in the city’s comprehensive plan. She was looking at open positions in Northern New Mexico when she saw the job posting for the Los Alamos County position.
Joining the Communication and Public Relations team was the right decision, Mathews said, adding that she has enjoyed meeting with council members and working with the team to develop the goals of the County Council.
One of the avenues to develop council goals is producing videos for public education, Mathews said. For instance, she is scripting a few public awareness videos for the Recreation Division. In addition, the Communication and Public Relations team is working to increase the County’s presence on social media.
“I’m excited about the possibility of getting information out to the public in a fun way,” she said. “I feel because I am on the Communication and Public Relations team we have our finger on the pulse of the community. What is exciting to me is having a hand in what is going on.”
Mathews encourages the public to take an active role as well by following the County on its social media channels, which include Instagram and Facebook, and potentially TikTok.
Mathews resides in Santa Fe and said that she enjoys her daily commute to town.
“I think the landscape is just gorgeous,” she said.
Mathews said she is “thrilled” there are not one but three locally owned coffee shops in town: Wolf and Mermaid, Cream and Sugar and Ruby K’s. She joked there is debate raging over which one serves the best cappuccino.
“I’ll never pick sides,” she said. “I’m just happy we have options!”
The growing number of coffee shops indicates Los Alamos as a whole is changing and Mathews said she is enjoying seeing and being a part of the change.