Candidate name: Jamie Brush DeLacey

Seat sought/district:  Matlacha Pine Island Fire Control District, Seat 1

Party, if applicableZ: N/A

Age: 35 

Education/degrees:  Florida Gulf Coast University (Spring Commencement April, 27, 2008); bachelor’s degrees in communication and interdisciplinary studies

Occupation and place of employment:  Jug Creek Marina and Fish House attendant and beautycounter manager

Time in the district in which you are running; years of residency in Lee County:  My father built our Bokeelia home in 1983, so I’ve been a part-time Lee County resident my entire life and full-time resident for about 15 years. My husband’s family was among the original settlers in our area, making their way from the Canary Islands as fisherman and eventually settling on Cayo Costa.

Business or professional experience applicable to the office you are seeking: People say one of my greatest assets is my ability to actively listen. Studying communications and rhetoric for a number of years, I have found that one of the many lost arts in our world is the ability to actively listen to what another person is saying. So often we enter a conversation or arena with preconceived notions, thoughts and views, and we more often than not lose  sight of the greater picture. My desire to run for the Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Council District circa 2018 was ignited when my retired father kept seeing an exponential growth in his fire tax bill and became worried that his fixed pension wouldn’t sustain the increases over time. I can look back and see that even though my intentions to help my family were virtuous, I was only focusing on the fiscal piece of the puzzle. Attending meetings regularly over the past 5 years, I have seen similar financial worries among fellow district guests. It wasn’t until my mom suddenly passed away last April and I had to spend a great deal of time on the scene with our fire department and medics that my attitude toward the fire department as a whole dramatically changed.  The black-and-white budgetary numbers seemed far less important when interacting with caring, smart, responsive team members. One of the challenges I constantly see at meetings, especially when it comes to budgetary concerns, is that our commission is unable to communicate why the fire department needs these increases. If our fire department truly needs budgetary increases, then our commissioners need to clearly communicate why and not default to answers like “this is how it has always been done” or “it is what it is.” I believe that if we want our community to support the budget, our fire commissioners need to listen to the voices of their constituents, provide solid reasoning for their decisions and articulate their thoughts well.

Political Experience/offices held: This is my second time running for the Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Council District. The first was against John Cammick in 2018, when I lost by only a handful of votes. It was such a tight race that members of our community, as well as some fire department personnel, have encouraged me to pursue another seat. Over the past 5 years, I’ve been the most punctual guest in attendance for our district meetings, always offering a unique and thoughtful perspective to agenda  items. 

Civic/Community involvement: Abiding Love Lutheran Church member, Abiding Love Lutheran School Board Chair, Abiding Love Sunday School volunteer, Greater Pine Island Civic Association director, Calusa Waterkeeper Ranger and Pine Island Little League Baseball Mom.  Our family also stays busy with local trash/litter cleanups, nursing home  visits, and supporting locally run events.  

Family: My husband Travis and I met at Jug Creek when I was about 7 or 8 years old. My dad was notorious for embarrassing me with the local kids, telling them I didn’t have many friends and to give me a call sometime — all while passing off his bright yellow business card. It wasn’t until high school that Travis and I were formally introduced and he realized I was the girl from many years ago. Now married with two children, Colton (5) and Saylor Marie (3), we love spending time on the island or surrounding islands, working diligently to preserve the integrity of our hometown and its rich fishing history. Even though my dad embarrasses me to this day, I love him with all my heart and will continue to be his full-time  caregiver in my mom’s absence. Speaking of my mom: Judy was greatly admired by friends and family alike, always going the extra mile for anyone in need. She was an exceptional teacher with a masters degree in early childhood development who specialized in teaching high-risk elementary school students. After retirement from OCPS, she continued to help care for others until her death. My mom was my rock, and whenever I’m sad and feel like giving up, I channel her strength and hear her encouraging voice to help carry me through. My brother, sister-in-law and niece live in Jacksonville.  Travis’ grandfather, Tony DeLacey, Sr., is remembered by many on our island, specifically for his dedication and service to the Lee County Sheriff Department, serving as the only sheriff on the island for a number of years until his retirement. Travis’ grandmother Faye, maiden name Dooley, was a pillar of our community and her family can be traced back to the Calusa Indians. My father-in-law, Tony DeLacey, Jr., is well known around the island for his commercial fishing endeavors, and my mother-in-law Heidi now resides in the Colorado Mountains.  

Military Experience:  My dad’s final Naval detail was in Orlando, which is where I was born. My dad began his military career with an appointment to the United States Military Academy West Point. Upon graduation, he switched from Army to Navy and served an additional 22 years in the armed forces as a naval officer while also working full-time  for the government as a civil engineer, project manager. My paternal grandfather graduated from the Naval Academy Annapolis, and after years of service, was appointed rear admiral, obtaining many distinguished medals such as the Navy Cross, Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross. My maternal grandfather also served in our armed forces and was away at war when my mom was born. Although I myself have no firsthand military experience, I have inherited my ancestors’ drive to be thoughtful and driven in my pursuits, keeping in mind the bigger picture for greater good. 

Website: No website.

Why are you running? To bring diversity to our Fire Board in order to bring more balance and thoughtful  decision making to our community.

Planks of your platform: Actively listen to the needs of our fire district as well as our community and make thoughtful decisions accordingly. 

Top three issues:

* Sustain current millage

* Better articulate the needs of the fire department

* Practice common sense