Collier County Commissioner is elected in a partisan race, by district, to serve a four-year, staggered term. The role of the commissioner is to adopt an annual budget, levy taxes and special assessments, adopt county ordinances, provide for the prosecution and defense of legal causes, provide and maintain county buildings, establish and enforce zoning, place issues on the ballot, provide services related to health and welfare of citizens and appoint members to and create boards and commissions.2023-2024 Salary: $103,414
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Background
Elected County Commissioner of District 1 on Nov 3, 2020. I’m a 1988 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and served in the military for 24 years--retiring as a full Colonel in 2012. I held positions in NATO, The Pentagon, and worked in 80+ countries. I’m a former Commander at Andrews Air Force Base supporting Air Force One, was also the Base Commander of Eglin Air Force Base in Ft. Walton Beach FL… and later returned to the U.S. Air Force Academy serving as Base Commander there as well. After military retirement I was recruited to Naples as COO of Physicians Regional Medical Center serving for 4+ years and later was a senior executive at Avow Hospice. While in the military, I worked for two Presidents, for General Schwarzkopf, and was the Aide to an Air Force 4-star General for three years. I hold a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Air Force Academy and three master's degrees. I’m a 2013 Leadership Collier graduate and active in many local charitable & veteran organizations.
We need prepared, proven, qualified leaders with Experience & Qualifications leading our County. Overwhelming citizen support tells me they feel I’ve brought that. It takes depth to manage our $2 Billion budget to Protect & Improve our community. I personally answer every e-mail, hosted 300+ town halls, write a newsletter w/ 75,000+ readers. I'm easily accessible, listen to all citizens, and use my deep military/civilian leadership & business expertise to best serve. Everyone won't agree with all I do or every vote I make--but I'm NOT a politician. I'm a proud full-time public servant.
I have addressed traffic problems and taken action to improve flow to the best of our ability. In my District I aggressively worked with FDOT to pull projects forward, add stoplights, improve safety, & reduce congestion where possible. With growth comes cars and citizens. Those who currently live here were once opposed by those who preceded them. Growth is inevitable but it doesn't mean we rubber stamp things -- we don't. Legal authority doesn’t exist to just deny everything… but I work with citizens and County staff to ensure proper adjustments, improvement, & downsizing where possible.
As a former military Base Commander in the panhandle of Florida I'm no stranger to dealing with red tide, water purity, & algae blooms. As a Commissioner I work closely with our Water Management District, FGCU Water School, and other organizations to address/implement actions to improve water quality, clean up areas, and do all legally possible to address significant water & environmental concerns. In my 3+ years we have tightened policies & procedures to improve water quality. In my District I've approved projects that have done the same on our beaches, Marco’s Tigertail, and many more areas.
We’ve done more for affordable housing in the last 3 years than the last 3 decades. Affordable housing is needed to support our workforce, first responders, teachers, families, & retirees. I have approved some of the nicest high-quality units in our County. It's not government subsidized housing or built like it. I have taken aggressive actions to approve policies & projects to address the issue and partner w/ teams for grants and to make projects financially possible. At times unpopular to some citizens who understand the need for affordable housing--but want us to put it elsewhere.
Our County is blessed with so many charitable organizations that address food shortages, housing needs, childcare, homelessness, etc... but it's never enough. I've been a strong volunteer for many of them prior to even being a Commissioner. We need to continue to make it easier for these organizations to function, acquire funds, and operate more easily within our County. It's also critical to find & reach those who have the most need. Often those who need the most are hidden in our community. I’ve fought for the needs of organizations looking for County support to expand, save money, etc...
That’s not exactly what we did or why. Conservation Collier amassed over $60 Million but over the last 2 years only brought the County $5 Million in projects. Citizens didn’t vote to pay an added tax to watch it sit dusty in the bank. We took care of emergency County needs while sending a strong message to Conservation Collier leaders and also overhauled their team & processes. We now have bought/protected more land in the last 8 months than had been done in over a decade. That’s what citizens voted for. The ordinance is still being worked to ensure the program is used & reimbursed properly.
