Why Suzanne Kidd has my vote for Seat 1

From the Suzanne Kidd campaign

In just one short week, on Tuesday, March 13^th, we Apopkans will pick a new commissioner for Seat 1 on our City Council. I want to share with you why my friend, Suzanne Kidd, has my vote and the vote of everyone I know.

To begin with, Sue has made learning about Apopka a labor of love. During the 17 years, she and her family have lived here, I think she has learned more about Apopka, its history, its issues, its needs, than many lifetime residents.

Besides being a loving wife to Don and an amazing, devoted mom to Victoria, Sue has served her homeowners' association 6 times on its Architectural Review Board and 4 times on its Board of Directors. She has served our City on numerous committees, most recently as the chairperson of the Visioning Project Steering Committee. Sue is known throughout Apopka as the lady who always shows up. Shows up for every meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission. Shows up to all 18 hours of budget workshops every summer. Shows up even to meetings of committees she’s not on, like the Recreation Master Plan Committee. No wonder she’s so well informed. Anytime I want to know about new developments in Apopka, I just ask Sue. I know I’ll get the facts. I like that.

But the most important reason I support her is for her embrace of the future for our City. She recognizes Apopka’s long history and deeply respects it, but has her feet planted squarely in the present, yet pointed forward towards the future. A lifetime of living has shown her that growth and change are inevitable in life so we must seize it and shape it to our needs. As a 30 year teacher of interior design and architecture, Sue’s vision for what our City can become flows through her every thought and action. She has helped shape the City’s plans for the Station Street District. She has participated in the design of the soon-to-be-built Alonzo Williams Park Community Center. She even proposed an alternative traffic flow for the congested SR 436/US 441 interchange near Highland Manor. In the words of my Apopka neighbor Barbara Washington, “Suzanne is a visionary, knowledgeable in building construction and city beautification, who will use her expertise to improve our growing community.” I like that.

But Sue’s concern for our City’s future doesn’t stop there. She has developed strategies to spur economic growth through expansion of our commercial and industrial sectors, growing our employment base, and nurturing a fledgling eco-tourism industry to become our next economic engine. Her concern for our hard-working but over-burdened City staff means she will press to find the means to help them deliver city services more effectively. And her recognition of how important expanding our quality of life is to our community will lead her to push for greater recreational and cultural offerings for all. I like that.

Lastly, Sue has the personal qualities I value in an elected leader. She is honest, straightforward, does her homework, and always comes prepared. She is clear-thinking, analytical, level-headed, and very pragmatic. She digs deep for solutions. She’s proactive and very deliberative, never reactionary. She’s open-minded, inclusive, and considerate of all sides of an issue. Sue is compassionate and feels deeply about the difficulties faced by many in our community. In the words of New Journey Youth Center founder and CEO Danyiel Yarbrough, “Sue listens to the community and will fight to ensure our voices are heard.” I really like that!

But don’t just take my word for it. Learn about Suzanne for yourself at her website KiddForApopka.com and Facebook.com/kiddforapopka. I hope you conclude like I did, that Suzanne Kidd is the most qualified and prepared to represent us in Seat 1.

Sincerely,

Judy Coleman, Apopka.

Note: This is a paid political advertisement from the Suzanne Kidd campaign.