Brian Hill named Temple Terrace Employee of Year for broadcast work

Brian Hill, the Temple Terrace digital communications technician, was named the city’s Employee of the Year at the Oct. 20 City Council meeting. Mayor Andy Ross presented the award to Hill, who manages the audiovisual and streaming infrastructure for local government broadcasts.

Hill’s role involves arriving three to four hours before town hall meetings to set up cameras and equipment. After the session concludes, he spends another one to two hours packing up his gear. He is the only city employee dedicated to these functions, providing recording and streaming support for advisory board meetings, training sessions, and special events.

The recognition came as a surprise to Hill, though he had previously been named Employee of the Month. He noted that he works alongside many capable colleagues. "They really see the time that I put into doing what I do here," Hill said, referring to his wife and children, who were the first people he told about the award.

Hill’s career with the city began indirectly. He originally handled Temple Terrace broadcasts while working for Tampa Bay Community Network, a community access channel contracted by the city. He later started his own business and continued serving the city as a client. An opening on the staff about three years ago led to his current permanent position.

His work is not without technical challenges. Hill recalled a recent meeting where delayed audio forced him to troubleshoot the issue the following day, as fixing it live would have required shutting down the broadcast and interrupting the proceedings.

Beyond regular meetings, Hill favors photographing and filming the Fourth of July parade. The physical demands of covering the event inspired him to start running. He has since completed several 5Ks and is preparing for his first 10K race.

Hill lives in Tampa with his wife and three teenagers. He said the primary reward of his job is delivering information to residents. "I love being able to bring them the information they desperately need at times," Hill said. "It brings me joy just getting that information out there to them."