LA MESA HIRES PERRI STOREY AS ITS FIRST COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

The city of La Mesa has hired its first communications manager, Perri Storey. She is a 50-year-old veteran of municipal government who also will become the first Black woman to hold a senior leadership position in the East County community.

The city created the position earlier this year in part to address concerns about a lack of diversity, especially in the wake of the racial and social unrest that occurred in the spring and summer of 2020. Storey will be working with all city departments, with a strong focus on the Police Department.

“La Mesa is doing great things, but we do not have the time to get our message out,” City Manager Greg Humora said.

Humora officially introduced Storey as La Mesa’s newest hire at the Nov. 9 City Council meeting. The city would not provide her salary, but said that her “salary range” is from $95,208 to $115,728.

A Detroit native, Storey most recently worked for San Diego City Councilmember Monica Montgomery

Steppe. Storey is a relative newcomer to La Mesa, living in the city less than a year, but her background put her at the front of the line after La Mesa staff looked at the more than 80 applications for the communications manager job.

“I see myself as a credible messenger to help people know what’s happening,” Storey said. “And I’m the first Black woman to hold this position in La Mesa. I think, as the first, that this is an opportunity to make a difference. Anytime you have the ability to be diverse or offer diversity, it is a benefit. It doesn’t mean we always have to be in agreement, but it’s important to give everyone the opportunity to amplify their voices.”

Among Storey’s most important tasks will be to work with Police Chief Ray Sweeney and the La Mesa Police Department to rebuild trust within the community, especially with people of color.

In recent years, the city has struggled with several incidents involving Black people, including a 2018 altercation at Helix High School when a White police officer twice threw a Black female student to the ground.

Then came the May 30, 2020, social justice demonstration in front of the La Mesa Police Department to honor the memory of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a White Minnesota police officer on Memorial Day, and to protest the May 27 treatment of Amaurie Johnson, a Black man, by former La Mesa police officer Matt Dages, who is White.

That protest turned into a riot that ended with the burning of several buildings in downtown La Mesa and the looting of many stores. A subsequent survey showed the department’s response to the unrest left the public distrustful of the La Mesa Police Department.

With decades of experience working in the public eye and in the government sphere, Storey was chosen by a panel after months of interviews seeking the right fit to help the city implement its new community engagement plan. The engagement plan will be reviewed every year and updated every two years “to remain consistent with communication trends and adapt to the city’s needs,” La Mesa Assistant City Manager Carlo Tomaino said.

Humora said 83 people applied for the job. Fourteen were invited to interview in front of a panel of public and private sector industry experts, Humora said. The initial interviews included a written exercise, oral presentation and answering prepared questions from the panel — “a very thorough process,” he said.

Storey said the interviewing process was very challenging and went from July through early October.

“It was so amazing to get that job after that interview process,” she said.

Her job entails coordinating website updates, preparing newsletters, social media communications, marketing campaigns, media engagement and writing news releases.

In addition to working with La Mesa’s police, she will also connect with the city’s public works and community services departments to improve communication with the community. Humora said she will assist with the city’s boards and commissions recruitments and help La Mesa move toward homelessness prevention.

“Perri had the best mix of experience and was the best fit for the city of La Mesa,” Humora said. “She has experience working directly with elected officials and with various levels of government including public works and public safety. She also understands and knows much of the San Diego media, having worked for the city of San Diego for quite some time. She also comes from the local government perspective which is a plus. All in all, she was a great fit.”

Storey moved to San Diego more than a decade ago, and was most recently the director of communications for Councilmember Steppe, a job she began in January 2019.

She previously worked for the city of San Diego in different information and community outreach roles from 2009 through 2015, including four years in the Public Works Department and two years as official spokesperson for Councilmember Myrtle Cole.

Storey’s past jobs include work as a detention officer in Charleston County (South Carolina) from 2017-18 and a program manager in data management operations for the city of Detroit from 200108.

Storey moved to La Mesa from San Diego last year. She is a certified Zumba instructor, has a 30-year-old son, Matthew Sampson, and is a world traveler who lived in Germany for a year while working in the hospitality industry.

She attended Michigan State University and graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit in 1994 with a degree in business administration with an emphasis in advertising, marketing and public relations.

Although she is a relatively new La Mesa resident, Storey said she likes what she has seen so far.

“I like that it’s a big small city,” Storey said. “It’s a small town, but has great character. It’s quiet and clean. I think you could really raise a family here. I can tell it’s that kind of community.”

karen.pearlman@ sduniontribune.com

Perri Storey