Moderator
Estella is the communications director for the State Attorney’s Office, 13th Judicial Circuit, encompassing Hillsborough County. She is a board member with United Way Suncoast. Estella has developed award-winning public affairs programs in Tampa Bay.
She was most recently a Principal with Hill+Knowlton Strategies, a global public relations firm, where she led client teams in the public affairs and corporate affairs practices in Tampa, Florida. At H+K, she drove and executed strategic communications campaigns including proactive media relations, digital and social content projects for aviation, maritime and private utility clients.
She was also part of “H+K Distinction”, a diversity and inclusion initiative to retain and recruit minorities in the PR industry. Prior to joining H+K, Estella was the government affairs manager for the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) where she managed external relationships with 2.5 million residents in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties. In that role, she built common ground with a diverse range of Floridians and worked in the trenches managing complex water resource issues between the District, constituents and elected officials.
Prior to her work at SWFWMD, Estella worked as a senior project manager at the Collins Center for Public Policy. While there, she traveled the state organizing and engaging communities around policy issues such as economic development, indigent healthcare, civic education, and mediation. Before her tenure at the Center, she worked in public affairs at the Florida League of Cities where she led statewide civic engagement initiatives and launched the League’s first-ever social media plan.
Estella holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communication. Estella was selected as a member of the 2016 Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Up & Comers class. She was also part of the pioneering team that launched Give Day Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay’s first 24-hour online giving campaign.