The reason I chose to run for Village Council is to preserve the unique character, charm and sense of community of North Palm Beach. I am not a career politician; I am your neighbor, your advocate, and someone who truly cares about the future of North Palm Beach. I am running to bring fresh ideas, greater transparency, and stronger resident participation to the City Council. My parents moved our family to North Palm Beach in 1972 when my father was recruited by the Palm Beach County Sherriff’s office where he served our community for decades before retiring with the rank of Detective Sargent.
North Palm Beach was a wonderful, magical place to grow up fishing along the banks of the Earman River, catching Fiddler Crabs by hand and fishing for Sheepshead by the pilings of the US One Bridge, playing baseball at Osborne Park or sitting in front of the Village Store drinking a Strawberry Nehi and eating a Nutty Buddy I purchased with money I earned pushing a Lawnmower.
This is one reason I am running for Council. To preserve this way of life, the way I grew up, the way my children grew up and my now almost 3 year old third generation Florida born granddaughter is enjoying. I love taking her to Anchorage Park.
One of the things I love most about NPB is the sense of community and the generational aspect of it. I purchased my Grandparents house in 1987 right around the corner from where I grew up and my mother still lives. My children grew up with children whose parents I grew up with in the same neighborhood. This is so very special. Another aspect I love so much is that people I grew up with, grow up, get married, build a house in the farms or acreage, and when they become empty nesters and their parents pass on, they come back to the houses they grew up in! My neighborhood has many people living in it that grew up here with several being second generation original owners. Their parents bought brand new in 59-60 and now they live in the house they grew up in. We must continue to preserve this very special and unique characteristic of our Village.
Close to 2,000 residents and stakeholders of NPB put forth a magnanimous effort in creating the Citizens Master Plan outlining our collective vision for the future of the North Palm Beach we want to see. This plan was turned into a Form Based Zoning Code and adopted in 2021 and, until the residents vote otherwise, is the guiding document of what we, the people, want in our Village. This is another reason I am running.
I regularly attend and speak at council meetings. I keep residents informed by my posts on social media which raises awareness that causes discussion and leads to action. I have good relationships with several council members and regularly communicate with them via phone, text and email. I have worked closely with the Village Manager on issues affecting our community, I have worked closely with Public Works, Code Enforcement, the Building Dept. and Seacoast Utilities regarding the fiber optic cables being run throughout our village. I caught them placing their cables in people’s front yards outside of the Utility Easements instead of in the swales as their permits called for. These cables have now been removed and placed in the swales where they belong. I am known by both the Police Chief and the Fire Chief as well as Fire Chief JD Armstrong now retired, and retired Police Chief Rick Jenkins who is a long time family friend. I fully support both of their departments and will make sure their staffing and equipment needs are met.
I read every agenda for every village council meeting, and, when I can’t be there in person, I watch the video. I am up to speed on all current matters affecting our Village and am ready to roll up my sleaves and get to work for the residents, on day one!
My professional career of 40 years was in the field of real estate acquisition, development, brokerage, finance, syndication as well as construction and project management. I was the Senior Vice President of Hospitality Investment Advisors which spun off of Servico Hotels founded by Arthur I Meyer. We specialized in Hotel and Restaurant acquisition, development, operation and management. Even though I was involved in development, I never built anything over four stories. When we acquired the Hurricane Grill and Wings company, I was charged with overseeing the development of new corporate restaurants from conception to design and construction. I founded and ran my own property management and brokerage firm. I am currently happily retired. My last corporate job was Vice President of Franchise Real Estate which is a division of Untied Franchise Group in West Palm Beach where I led a team of leasing agents advising our franchisees in locating and securing locations nationwide and helping them establish their business and become successful entrepreneurs. These skills will be a compliment to the talent already on the council. It is my desire to be the voice of the people and to listen to and address their concerns.
I plan to work constructively with the North Palm Beach Business Advisory Board and The Chambers of Commerce to attract new, vibrant businesses to North Palm Beach to foster economic development, improve our way of life and develop a prosperous economy. I would like to find creative ways to foster economic development and revitalization of the US One Corridor in accordance with the Citizens Master Plan with mixed use developments that encourage a pedestrian friendly and walkable environment. We must also streamline the regulatory and permitting process and help businesses through this process and treat them as the strategic partners they, are instead of letting them navigate these complex issues on their own. The future of North Palm Beach is bright and I look forward to being a part of it.