ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — Meet St. Pete Beach’s first-ever beach manager Ayoko Ruckdeschel.
“I really enjoy it," she said.
Even though it's her job, how could she not enjoy it? Ruckdeschel gets to drive around on the beach and talk to happy beachgoers, locals, business owners, city leaders and employees.
“And, who would complain about seeing dolphins jumping in and out of the water all day?” she added.
But those are just some of the perks, not the actual job.
“The purpose is to be a liaison between the general public, the residents, and all the city components," Ruckdeschel said.
She also oversees the maintenance of each waterway and monitors the dune system to make sure folks aren’t damaging it.
“We try to avoid people trespassing and damaging the dune system. Ultimately that’s what the resiliency of the beach is going to be,” Ruckdeschel said. “I also educate people on the importance of the dunes.”
Ruckdeschel has been with the city for years. She said she jumped at the chance of taking on this new role and hopes to mold it into a valuable position for the city.
The position was created as a result of the growing popularity of St. Pete Beach, which is a good thing.
It comes along with some other new perks for the city, like adding more routes to its freebie shuttle service and the Sunrunner shuttle service that runs directly from St. Pete to St. Pete Beach.
“It’s a great time for the area,” Ruckdeschel said.
