Alabama DOE spokeswoman and the naked truth
I think I can say with certainty that my former AJC colleague Dana Tofig, now spokesman for state school Superintendent Kathy Cox and the state Department of Education, does not have anything like this lurking in his past.
Poor Malissa Valdes. She is Dana’s counterpart at the Alabama DOE. It has surfaced that she posed topless in Playboy while a student at Auburn eight years ago. I don’t think she was hiding the racy photo; you can still call it up on the Internet. (Don’t try on your work computers. I don’t want to read about any of you in the police blog.)
Maybe, at the time, it seemed like a good idea. But I have to wonder how anyone — even a college student — aspiring to a career in public information would think a topless Playboy shoot would help the resume.
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14 comments Add your comment
Jeff
September 14th, 2009
2:32 pm
Well,
I told my wife a year ago, when I first started getting heavily involved in politics, that I had zero interest ever running for office. I would simply be the behind the scenes guy that also runs a political blog.
I’m currently running for Leesburg City Council.
In other words, you never know what is going to happen down the road.
She may not have intended to do anything at all in the public sphere, or maybe she was just having fun and/or needed the cash at the time. Who knows.
And really, who cares? So she posed nude – same as every other woman out there at some point, even if in the privacy of their homes for themselves or significant others. Her “sin” here was doing it in a men’s magazine and getting some money from it. wow! (extreme sarcasm).
People need to quit being so freaking judgmental already!
jim d
September 14th, 2009
2:42 pm
I agree jeff,
i think we need a show of hands of all those that have NEVER been photographed in a nude or semi-nude
Ernest
September 14th, 2009
2:51 pm
Well said, Jeff! What does what she did as a college student have to do with her current job performance? Sometimes we do get ‘hypersensitive’ over issues like this. Heck, you can see topless sunbathers at some beaches.
If this were something XXX rated, I would have a different opinion.
Larry
September 14th, 2009
4:18 pm
Malissa wasn’t overexposed
After reviewing the photographs in question, they were clearly up to Playboy’s exceptionally high standards.
I see no problem here.
Maureen Downey
September 14th, 2009
4:26 pm
Larry, I changed the headline just for you. She is no longer “overexposed” in Playboy.
Maureen
jim d
September 14th, 2009
4:42 pm
Larry,
I defer to your expert opinion.
Reality 2
September 14th, 2009
5:25 pm
In general, I agree that what someone did while in college – as long as it is legal – should not be held against the person. On the other hand, I just wonder if she can perform her duties effectively with this exposure hanging over her head. Does she directly deal with parents? If they are only dealing with politicians and media people, maybe she is fine. But if she has to deal with parents, there are some weird folks out there…
Patrick
September 14th, 2009
5:28 pm
Maureen, I find your blog here to be totally pointless. You don’t have anything original or constructive to say. You’re just reposting another blog, which is really about Paul Hubbard’s efforts to control education in Alabama and he’s using this non-issue (ancient topless nudity) that gets prudes wound up to take a shot at the state’s superintendent of education. If you take a look at Ms. Valdes’ statements in her official role, she’s quite competent and effective, a rarity in Alabama or Georgia.
Maureen Downey
September 14th, 2009
5:30 pm
Reality 2, I don’t think spokespeople for state education agencies have a lot of direct contact with parents, but they do travel with their superintendents. The issue here would be whether curiosity about the Alabama spokeswoman would overshadow her boss at public events. The secret to being a successful spokeswoman or spokesman is don’t be more interesting to people than your boss.
Maureen
Maureen Downey
September 14th, 2009
5:43 pm
Patrick, Actually, most spokespeople for state agencies in Georgia are pretty bright, oftentimes more so than their bosses. I agree that among the seven entries I’ve posted today at Get Schooled, this is the most lightweight. But I am trying to balance the deep thinking topics – charter school funding, campus crime, lecture versus discussion in classes, swine flu responses in schools – with something lighter.
However that said, I have to reiterate my continuing surprise at how college students don’t realize that the Internet extends the shelf life of their mistakes and questionable choices. I have many friends now who don’t hire anyone without checking them out on the Web.
And I know 23-year-olds who have missed out on jobs and internships because of what the Internet revealed.
I do think that we all have to think twice about what we write or post.
Maureen
Cere
September 14th, 2009
6:43 pm
Wow – pretty impressive to only be 8 (or less) years out of college and the spokesperson for the state superintendent of schools!
I think it’s so interesting that these young women pose nude or sextext or post racy photos of themselves on the internet and then wonder what all the fuss is about when they get into a grown-up job…. How does one get a college student to project themselves into the future in professional adult life?
Warrior and Mom
September 16th, 2009
1:09 am
IT would come back to haunt her someway, because of many job candidates are googled to see anything regarding “public profile” exists and to verify the resume.
When will Obama’s resume back to bite him? He was the legal council for ACORN. Now we know why all of the ACORN folks want to keep people in the houses…for prostitution.
Warrior and Mom
September 16th, 2009
1:14 am
GA’s last state school superintendent is still in jail, and should be released since it is 7th year of 8 year sentence. Wonder how her face lift is holding up now.
Instead of stealing all of the money, she could have used her bright mind to really help the students of the state of GA.
toto: exposing the man behind the curtain
September 16th, 2009
3:00 am
The NAKED truth about ACORN:
Acorn California has some visitors…..
http://www.wikio.com/video/1573763