The taxing role of Miss Liberty

Once upon a time, Lady Liberty showed up at franchise expos in a long turquoise robe that resembled a loosely wrapped bed sheet and a foam-rubber crown. Not anymore, and certainly not in New York, hometown to the original Statue of Liberty, which Liberty Tax’s spokeswoman is modeled after.

Brittney Wojtaszek has been Miss Liberty Tax for the past three years after winning a YouTube video contest for the honor. It’s a full time job, Wojtaszek said during the International Franchise Expo at Javits Center in New York City June 20-22.

In addition to attending trade shows and franchisees’ grand openings, Wojtaszek keeps a running conversation on her own Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram and Pinterest pages. At the IFE, her task was to visit booths and then post photos of herself interacting with someone on Facebook via Twitter. She also stars in a variety of YouTube videos for the brand, everything from giving tax tips to clowning around as an Olympic hopeful.

Wojtaszek isn’t just a pretty face. She has a master’s degree and taught public speaking. This job allows her to combine her love of travel with her expertise in public speaking, she said. About 85 percent of the time the job takes her on the road, she added.

An added benefit to her being chosen spokeswoman, she added, is that she’s Latina, and Liberty targets minorities.