Behind the Scenes: Linda Mittiga – PR for Sayville Schools

If you have children in the Sayville School District, work in the schools, or just happen to find yourself at a school-related function around town, you surely can’t miss the figure that is always there.

You may not know her name, but you sure can pick her out of a crowd. She always has a smile on her face, and she will surely provide you with help if needed. Her name is Linda Mittiga and while she no longer has children in the school district, it is still where she calls home, serving as its public relations specialist. Her job is definitely a multi-faceted one and, as such, she is often required to wear many hats. Patch wanted to learn a little more about this behind the scenes personality and here’s what we found out… 

Many people around town and in the schools know you as the woman behind the camera. Can you tell readers a little about your job?

My camera work at events is just a fraction of what I do, although it is what the public sees me doing. Back in my District office I am a…

• Writer of press releases, news articles, official letters which always require administrative or staff approval before they are made public.
• Photographer, editing all the photos and videos I take at events with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Microsoft Photostory and Moviemaker, along with Animoto and Final cut.
• Layout designer working with such software programs as Adobe InDesign, Quark, Microsoft Word, Publisher, and Powerpoint, conceptualizing and producing for Sayville School District Central Office many of the print materials that include brochures, announcements, booklets or pamphlets.
• Web manager, disseminating information on the District’s website in the featured news. I upload an average of 200 photos a month, and more recently have been enhancing some stories with FLIP videos I’ve edited. At Dr. Schartner’s request, I have launched Sayville School District’s Facebook page which I also manage.
• The editor,  writer, layout designer, and producer of the award-winning newsletter publications: Highlights (now re-christened TIDINGS) of the Sayville School District (which used to be monthly until we cut costs) and Winner of the NYSPRA Excellence Award, as well as editor, layout designer, and producer of Currents in Sayville Curriculum — Winner of the NYSPRA Merit Award.
• An advisor who assists in the development and improvement of community relations.
• The press-person who pitches events and stories to local, regional and national media.

How long have you been working at the school through BOCES?

I began working for the district in 1998 as a freelance newsletter producer and moved into the part-time public relations specialist position in 2001 under the BOCES umbrella.

This isn't a full time position, but you seem to be everywhere all the time. How do you do it?

Anyone in the news business knows, that “news is 24/7."  One might think that school functions and events happen within the work week, but often enough there are important weekend events, evening events, (not to mention the varsity and junior varsity events and games) and unexpected occurrences that are newsworthy.

The BOCES shared-service model necessitates I be part-time in order for Sayville School District to benefit from the state-aid funding ratio. In plain English, I have to pick and choose the events I can actually cover within the framework of my part-time status. When I cannot physically cover an event, I follow up with calls, e-mails, (always asking for photos), so, despite my time restraints, I can give the event the best possible coverage under the circumstances. My only regret is I do not have enough time to cover everything!

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?  

My PR job is all about good news! PR to me means Positive Reinforcement. Despite all the dire headlines and economic woes, I am replenished by observing how our children contribute their time, best efforts and talents to make this world a better place. The dedication I witness among the district teachers, staff, administrators and volunteer Board of Education members continues to amaze me, and I am pleased that, through my work, I can share a daily dose of this good news with the community via our websites, as well as through tips and articles in local media.

I also admit I enjoy the creative aspects of designing and writing for publication, whether it be printed or on the websites. Most importantly, as a Sayville resident and parent, I feel particular lucky and proud to be living and working within such a good community as Sayville. 

What's the biggest challenge?

Keeping up with all the newsworthy events and keeping my sanity at the same time! 

How has technology changed your job over the years?

It has made it simultaneously easier and more difficult! While technology has dramatically helped me improve my diverse creative skills across software design programs and Internet platforms, it has also challenged me to determine the best methods of delivering public information to the local community.

The competition is fierce. People used to read newspapers and their mail, watch TV, or listen to the radio to tune in the news. Now it seems people really don’t have the time to read anymore. Instead, they get their news as part of a flood of information rushing toward them at fiber-optic speeds. With the Internet and its various methods of delivery, including smartphones and tablets, we are hitting information overload.

Filtering out the pertinent/personal information (that, for example, there is an important PTA meeting, sporting event, scholarship sign-up deadline) to reach people on “hyperlocal” things that truly matter in their lives is becoming a challenge.

I don’t expect everyone is ready yet to come over to the “paperless” side and check Twitter, Facebook, or gather news through their phones and personal devices, but I feel I have to be ready by thinking ahead about what is possible… I guess, if all else fails, there’s always smoke signals.