Tiffany Russell Promoted to Director of Communications for City of Virginia Beach

Following a nationwide search, Tiffany Russell has been appointed Director of Communications for the City of Virginia Beach. Russell has served as the interim director since November 2021.

“I am thrilled for the opportunity to serve my hometown in this capacity and build upon our mission to provide strategic and tactical communications solutions,” Russell said. “As the City of Virginia Beach looks for ways to expand access for key audiences to engage with their local government, I look forward to helping achieve those goals.”

As Director of Communications, Russell will be responsible for the municipality’s overall communications strategy to include employee communications, marketing, branding/co-branding, public relations, broadcast, web and social media presence while also providing critical communications support during emergencies and planned events.

“Tiffany brings to this position a diversified wealth of experience in marketing communications both in the public and private sector, and she has proven to our organization how a strong communications strategy can help deliver business results. Tiffany is the ideal choice to connect with our internal and external audiences and take our communications function to the next level,” said City Manager Patrick Duhaney.

As part of her career path with the City of Virginia Beach, Russell has spent time in various roles including Event Coordinator for the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Director of Public Relations and VP Marketing for Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau and most recently as the Marketing and Communications Manager for the Communications Office.

In collaboration with many talented City staff members, she has been instrumental in the accomplishment of several significant, results-driven initiatives for the City including managing destination marketing campaign efforts that helped lead Virginia Beach/Norfolk DMA to #1 market in the country for overall hotel occupancy percentage for 18+ straight weeks during COVID-19 in 2020; creation of the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) "More Recruitment” campaign in summer 2021; theme concepting for the “Ripple Effect” flood protection program bond referendum, which successfully passed in fall 2021; and most recently, the “VB 10” redistricting communications plan.

Russell is a Virginia Beach native with nearly 20 years of experience driving key business outcomes and managing media, marketing, advertising, events and crisis communications for public and private sector organizations to include the City of Virginia Beach, Girls on the Run, Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art and nationally syndicated radio talk show program “The Dave Ramsey Show.” Russell holds a M.A. in Strategic Communications from National University in San Diego, Calif., a B.A. in Public Relations from Harding University in Searcy, Ark. and Accredited Public Relations (APR) certification from the Public Relations Society of America.