Staff
Florida Bridgewater-Alford
Director of Community Relations
Ms.
Florida Bridgewater-Alford manages various aspects of the Community Relations initiative for the University of Florida.
Previously, Florida served as traffic director and office manager for Bogie Broadcasting Inc. Then she served as a member of The Gainesville Sun Newspaper (NYTimes Group) news staff for nearly seven years in various capacities including news assistant, news researcher and staff writer. In addition, she was The Sun's first Web producer and a member of its online redesign committee for gainesvillesun.com, which won re-design awards during her tenure.
She is a member of several organizations and civic groups including the National Association of Black Journalists, Public Relations Society of America, and the Newspaper Association of America, New Media Federation. A committee chairman of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Mu Upsilon Omega Chapter, Florida is board vice president of the Twenty Pearls Foundation Inc. — charitable and development arm of Mu Upsilon Omega.
Professionally, she has served as a judge for the national Bronze Anvil Awards programs, one of the highest awards recognizing Public Relations tactics.
Dividing time between being a mother, wife, PR professional and a community leader, Florida currently serves on the Reichert House Advisory Board, Santa Fe Community College Blount Center Advisory Board, American Cancer Society Board member, former president and secretary of the Volunteer Center Board of North Central Florida, a board member of the Healthy Community Initiative in Alachua County, and is a graduate of Leadership Gainesville Class 32, among other efforts.
Giving dozens of volunteer hours annually, Florida received the Outstanding Advisor Award, NPHC, at the University of Florida for two consecutive years (2002, 2003) and for a third year in 2005 while serving in that capacity from 2001-2005.
Florida is a proud 1993 UF graduate and has completed post-graduate Public Relations studies as well.