Shane Alldon Sockwell’s 

Professional Portfolio and Resume 
   
  

Table of Contents 
 

• Resume
• Dean’s List letter
• Clarinda Triangle article
• Sonya Daniel profile story
• Mardi gras backgrounder
• Media relations policy
• Colgate advertisement
• GameStop flier
• Wet &Wild Festival event flier
Shane Alldon Sockwell
mailing address: 1491 Chemstrand Road, Pensacola, Florida 32533
cell number :(850) 607-3049
email: SAS67@students.uwf.edu

PROFILE 
™ I am a highly motivated person with experience and education in the field of Public Relations 
and Communication.   
™ I am proficient in all document processing applications and excellent typing skills.  I have work 
and education experience using  Excel, PowerPoint, and In design. 
™ I possess superb problem solving skills and the ability to think on my feet.  
 
EDUCATION 
Pensacola Junior College 
Degree earned: Associate of Arts 
 
University of West Florida 
Projected graduation  April 2011: Bachelor of Communication and Public Relations 
ƒ Dean’s List 
ƒ GPA 3.50  
ƒ I am a member, and student liaison to the Florida Public Relations Association.  This networking 
organization has helped me develop myself as a professional public relations practitioner, and 
has taught me numerous methods to utilize in my field. 
ƒ I earned great grades in Public Relations Writing, Newspaper Writing, Principles of Public 
Relations, Public Relations Law and Ethics, Interpersonal Communication, Principles of Mass 
Communication, and Graphics in Communication. 
 
WORK EXPERIENCE 
 
Escambia County Public Information Office 
Intern and volunteer 
• Wrote press releases, articles, back‐grounders, and worked in the archives. 
 
Darden Restaurants 2000‐2007 
Pensacola, Florida 
Server 
ƒ Customer service, suggestively sell, and cashiering. 
 
Chili’s Bar and Grill 2007-2009
Oxford, Mississippi and Pensacola, Florida
Server and 5‐star trainer 
ƒ Customer service, suggestively sell, and cashiering.  
ƒ 5‐star trainer and regional training captain. 
ƒ Update training material, and keep in contact with corporate training department. 
 

Dean’s List letter 
 

Invitation to the Dean’s List requires superb grades. I received 4 of these letters while at the
University of West Florida.
May 24, 2010

Shane Sockwell
1491 Chemstrand Rd, Lot 6
Cantonment, FL 32533-8940

Dear Mr. Sockwell,

Congratulations on your outstanding academic work during the spring semester of 2010. You
have earned recognition by your membership on the Dean’s Honor List. We are proud of your
progress and wish you continued success in the challenges ahead.

Sincerely,

Jane S. Halonen, Ph.D.

Dean
 

Clarinda Triangle article 
 

This article was written for the county newsletter, and circulated to thousands of
people. It captures the tumultuous story of a local neighborhood that was blighted
in the early 90s by a chemical leak.
Clarinda Triangle: Then and Now
By Shane Alldon Sockwell

Clarinda Triangle was once a Pensacola neighborhood, home to 400 residents.

One by one, the nearly 80 buildings have been removed and that same
neighborhood is now a tree covered 15-acre manicured lot. You may wonder what
happened.

The chemicals from a nearby lumber treatment facility leaked into the soil and
groundwater causing contamination. The lumber treatment company was closed in
1982 and by the mid 1990’s Clarinda Triangle was blighted and unfit for
habitation. The county began the difficult task of cleaning up the mess that was
left behind.

Beginning in 1997, the residents were relocated. The process was finally
completed in 2008. All the buildings in the neighborhood were then demolished
and cleared. In the years between 1997 and 2008, the vacated neighborhood
became known for vagrants, illegal drug-related activities, and debris dumping.
“There were mountains of tires dumped there, tons and tons of them,” said Glenn
Griffith, the county’s Brownfield coordinator. “One pile alone had over 500 tires
in it.” The presence of asbestos and lead-based paint in the houses and buildings
complicated the $550,000 cleanup process. Over 50 percent of the waste was
recycled.

The two-year cleanup project was funded by a U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development grant. “The demolition of Clarinda Triangle is a big step
forward. It’s going to be good for the county and the citizens,” said Griffith. The
property is prime for commercial redevelopment once the ownership is transferred
to Escambia County.
 

Sonya Daniel Profile story 
 

This profile story was written for a newspaper writing class.  I interviewed an old professor, and 
Escambia county public information officer, Sonya Daniel.  The resulting story has always been 
something I’m proud of, because of the respect I have for Mrs. Daniel. 
Sonya Daniel Profile 
By Shane Alldon Sockwell

Sonya Daniel opens her eyes in the morning, and without hesitation rolls out
of bed. She quickly reaches for the remote and flips on the television which is
already tuned to WEAR channel 3. She goes through the normal hygienic
rituals, but all the while her ears are following the reporter as he talks about
the news of the day. She sighs as the reporter interviews an angry citizen.
More stuff about the recent deadly fire. Deep down she wishes this one would
resolve itself, but it won’t.
When asked about the most challenging aspect of her job she smiles. “It’s
when you have to deliver bad news about your organization,” she says. “Most
recently, its things like the problems between the firefighters, the grand jury
indictment of one of our commissioners, and the termination of my boss’s
contract.” There seems to be nothing here to smile about, right?
Sonya Daniel is the lead Public Information Officer for Escambia County. At least
that is the hat she is wearing today. She also teaches night classes at the University
of West Florida, eagerly participates in church activities, and finds time to be a
devoted wife. Needless to say she is a woman with great purpose. Ask her and
there is always something to smile about.
Being the Public Information Officer for a whole county is a time consuming job.
As stated earlier she starts her workday as soon as her eyes open. Driving to work
she is preparing herself for the workday ahead. As soon as Sonya gets there she
“huddles” with her crew, and devises a game-plan to best deal with the current
challenges. “This is an opportunity for us to discuss the plans for the day -
scheduled meetings, deadlines on assignments, what's in the news and coverage of
the office,” Mrs. Daniel says. “Despite our best efforts, there's always something
unexpected that occurs involving the news media.” There are six bureaus and
more than 30 divisions in Escambia County. Her office is responsible for the
communications and messaging between them and the community.
The path she took to get to this job could only be described as a journey. “I started
out in television with TV 34 in South Florida, and then to advertising with the
Media Arts Group, next came marketing for the Central Florida Blood Bank, and
finally government public relations with the Ft. Pierce Police Department,” she
relates with only a slight sigh. “I was offered a job with the St. Lucie County
Board of County Commissioners and in 2002 Escambia County offered me a
position.”
Mrs. Daniel has such a challenging job, and yet she still finds time to teach night
classes as well. “As part of my work, I've always been involved in training co-
workers,” Sonya says. “After Hurricane Ivan, I was approached about teaching
public relations writing at UWF. I honestly felt unworthy and still do.”
She is such a genuine and hard worker, but she and her office are often the targets
of sometimes mean-hearted criticism. To find these comments, all one has to do is
search the Pensacola News Journal forums. Too often the public accuses her of
withholding information, or siding with the elected officials over sensitive
subjects. She understands she works for the 300,000 citizens of Escambia
County. Her job drags her to work on weekends, holidays, and demands her
attention for countless hours while she is off the clock. “All of it is for the benefit
of our residents,” she states sincerely. “As hard as we try, we can't make everyone
happy, but it still hurts to know we have let someone down or when they don't
believe we are telling them the truth.”
 

Mardi gras background paper 
 

I wrote this Mardi gras background paper for a public relations writing class. Extensive research
went into this project. I read for hours, and then wrote this backgrounder. It contains
information about the origin of the Mardi gras celebration, and continued practice.
 Mardi Gras backgrounder
By: Shane A. Sockwell

The tradition of Mardi gras has stood against the toll of time, and though not a national
holiday, millions of people celebrate this flamboyant holiday every year.

Mardi gras first arrived in America as a French Catholic tradition. The Le Moyne
brothers, Pierre Le Moyne D’Iberville, and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, were sent by
King Louis XIV to America in defense of Frances claim to the territory Louisiane. On March 3,
1669, Mardi gras day, the Le Moyne's expedition entered the mouth of the Mississippi River.
They set up camp 60 miles downriver from where New Orleans is today. In honor of the
holiday, Iberville named the spot Point du Mardi Gras.

In 1702 Bienville went on to found Mobile, Alabama the first capital of French
Louisiana. By 1703 French settlers in Mobile began celebrating the Mardi gras tradition.
Mobile is known for having the oldest organized carnival celebrations in the United States. 1720
Biloxi was made capital of French Louisiana, and the new status gave the French settlers reason
to celebrate with more fanfare. New Orleans was made the capital of Louisiana in 1723. Given
its Creole background, Mardi gras became the event most strongly tied to the city.

The Mardi gras celebrations in the United States revolve around mystic private social
clubs. These clubs have taken to calling themselves krewes. The members of these krewes
usually are the business elite of each city. Invitation only balls are held in dinner halls. Women
wear ankle length ball gowns and colorful masks over their faces. The men wear two-piece,
tailed tuxedos and colorful masks as well. Each krewe builds a flamboyant carnival float. The
floats parade through the cities tossing small gifts known as "throws." Throws may be trinkets,
candy, cookies, women's panties, doubloons, cups, hats, Frisbees, medallion necklaces, or bead
necklaces of every variety. The celebrations range from family oriented parades in Pensacola, to
the raucous merry making in New Orleans. People come from all over the world to experience
the festival atmosphere of the American Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras is a huge source of tourism. Every type of person imaginable enjoys the
traditional festivities. The young and the old revel together. Anywhere from 700,000 to
1,000,000 people visit the Mardi gras events in New Orleans every year. New Orleans makes
over $20 million in direct tax revenues alone. City wide Mardi gras generates an estimated $1
billion in New Orleans on a yearly basis.
• Mardi gras New Orleans, 2010.
http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/history.html
• New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation. New Orleans Tourism, Mardi gras
statistics. 2006. http://dev.neworleansonline.com/pr/releases/pr_MGstats.pdf
 

Mock Media Relations Policy 
 

While in my media relations class I wrote this mock media relations policy for the Escambia
County Sheriff’s Office. After extensive research I choose the policy components I felt would
benefit a county wide police force, and its leadership. This policy is a guide to managing
relationships with media contacts, and the correct procedures for handling all media related
issues.
Media Policy Philosophy

The goal of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office media relations policy is to provide the

media with accurate and timely information, to assist them in providing information to the public

and to support the mission of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The Media Relations

Office assists the ECSO responsible, effective and efficient law enforcement services to prevent

crime and enforce the law with integrity and fairness. In order to accomplish these goals we

provide up-to-date information on our website, prepare news conferences, utilize social media

connections, aide journalists with their 24-hour news cycle, and act as liaisons between the

Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the media.

Role of Media Relations Director

The Media Relations Director is responsible for management of communications between

the ECSO and all media. As well as managing all internal communications involving the media

and public information. All information from the ECSO will be released through this office.

The Media Relations Director is responsible for all communications from Sheriff Morgan. This

role includes identifying, establishing and maintaining an executive-level system to monitor and

manage all communications.

The Media Relations Director will, in connection with all department heads and

supervisors, determine eligibility for speaking with the media. All supervisors meet the

requirements necessary to speak with the media, but will notify the Media Relations Director’s

Office before, during and after any such communications. We will be available to assist in any

communication needs they may have at any time. It is our responsibility to effectively offer
Sheriff Morgan and all Command Supervisors anything necessary to facilitate the smooth flow

of information to and from the media.

Employee Procedure for Release of Information

All press releases and responses to queries will be made from this office. Due to the

nature of information released, we maintain 24-hour availability through our office, at 850-436-

9201 or by contacting our public information officers:

7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Marian Bryan 850-333-3333

7 p.m. – 7 a.m. Shane Sockwell 850-555-5555

All members of the ECSO may respond to the media, given certain restrictions. We

strive to maintain a positive image and be accessible to the media, but must be vigilant with

professionalism and accuracy. All communication with the media must be within provided

guidelines. Our goal is to provide information to the media and to provide it accurately through

the proper channels. You may speak with the media when it concerns incidents in which you

were directly involved, but only after receiving authorization from your supervisor or

commanding officer.

Media queries should be directed to the Media Relations Director’s Office. If contact has

been made with the media, a report should be made by phone and then, in writing, immediately.

The Media Relations Director’s Office should have notification of any media communications at

all times.

Media Procedures for Contacting ECSO’s Media Relations Director’s Office

 Contact from the media is welcomed through the Media Relations Director’s Office. We

strive to be available for the 24-hour news cycle and provide phone contact information below.

ESCO Media Relations Director’s Office: 850-436-9201 www.escambiaso.com

PIO Marian Bryan 7a.m. – 7 p.m. 850-333-3333 mbryan@escambiaso.com

PIO Shane Sockwell 7 p.m. – 7 a.m. 850-555-5555 ssockwell@escambiaso.com

If an ESCO Media Relations representative is not reachable please leave a message. We

value your communications and check all modes of communication frequently and we will

respond to your call or email immediately upon receiving it. Also, please access our website at

www.escambiaso.com and our Facebook page: Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

Restrictions on releasing information

All information regarding on-going investigations is deemed confidential and may not be

released by any personnel of the ECSO. The Media Relations Director’s Office will refer to

Sheriff Morgan to determine the eligibility for appropriate release of any such subject matter.

ECSO Crisis Plan

In the event of a crisis, a plan has been designed to be put into place immediately. Sheriff

Morgan, the Media Director’s Office, and all Command Supervisors will immediately meet to

discuss implementation of this plan. Employees will be contacted through e-mail or by phone

for any further information and any other communications necessary to proceed.

In the event of a crisis, all media communication should come from the Media Director’s

Office only. We will be in extremely close contact with Sheriff Morgan and Command

Supervisors at all times.

Matters of media interest

All matters of media interest can be addressed through proper media relation channels.

Questions and concerns can be addressed through email, phone conversation, and appointment.

Major crime incidents

Crimes currently under investigation are under the authority of the detectives assigned the

case and subsequently their commanders. The Media Relations team works in an advisory

capacity to the investigations team.

In situations where press communication is necessary the Media Director’s Office

coordinates press releases, press announcements, press kits, and news conferences. If in the best

interest of the ECSO an associate from the media relations team will take on the role of

Spokesperson and speak for the investigation team.

Photographic/videotape material

All photographs, computer-generated photos or other material may be released to the

media only by the Media Director’s Office. You may not release any items of this type at any

time. In the case of missing persons, or a suspect on the loose, contact the Media Director’s

Office for assistance in providing this information to the media and to the public.

Social media
 The Media Relations Director’s office will establish and maintain an up-to-date website

and Facebook page for the ECSO. Our office will monitor, update, and revise the website and

Facebook page.

Employees should refrain from any social media comments or conversation regarding

official business from this workplace. It is of vital importance that all information should be

considered proprietary and should remain confidential.

Media identification

While we do not issue identification badges, all representatives of the media should

provide identification from the organization they represent. No media representative shall pass

police lines, but may gather information at the designated lines from proper personnel.

Urgent public broadcasts

All urgent broadcasts will be made through the Media Director’s office. We will be

notified through the proper channels of the ECSO and follow set guidelines for release of urgent

bulletins. We maintain a plan for immediate broadcasts of missing persons, public warnings of

suspects on the loose, and other serious emergencies.

Media vehicles/helicopters

Except in exceptional circumstances, and then only with the prior approval

you must not use the services of media-owned transportation

Crime Stoppers
 Crime Stoppers receives and distributes information about criminal offences

and relies on information from the public. ECSO is contracted with WEAR TV3 to

release information and editorial material for use in Crime Stoppers promotions. The

Media Relations team manages the messages released through Crime Stoppers in

accordance with contractual obligation.

Unauthorized media disclosure

Accidental and intentional leaking of confidential information places members

of operation at risk. Any member found to have leaked information to the public or

the media will be subject to relevant disciplinary or criminal action.

 

Colgate Toothpaste print advertisement 
 

This Colgate print ad was created for a graphics in communication class. It demonstrates the use
of the crop tool and minor graphical editing methods. This project also demonstrates my ability
to lay type manually, and also with the In Design application.
 

GameStop print advertisement and flier 
 

This GameStop print ad was designed for a graphics in communication class. It demonstrates a
very wide array of graphical editing skills. Everything in this project was created from scratch
with the exception of the type. It is double sided and could be used as a mail or newspaper
insert.
 

Wet & Wild Festival 
 

The Wet & Wild event is a family oriented outdoor event held in the Perdido Key area. I was
given a list of the activities held at the Wet & Wild Festival and designed this special event flier.
This event flier was designed a Public Relations writing class at the University of West Florida.