FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FORT
MYERS, Fla. (October 4, 2002) –
Three Lee County Government department heads have been selected by Gulfshore
Life Magazine as among its 12 “Men & Women of the Year” in Southwest
Florida. All are honored in the
October issue and received a trophy at an award’s ceremony last night at the
Mediterra in Naples.
The honor is the magazine’s
annual tribute to those in our area who show success in their private pursuits
as well as a healthy interest and influence in the public sphere.
Many in this year’s group, according to the magazine, moved to
Southwest Florida from somewhere else yet “want to preserve the good things
that brought them here – balancing a healthy environment with a vibrant
economy.”
Honored from the county were:
Wayne Daltry, Smart Growth Director; Janet Watermeier, Economic Development
Director; and D.T. Minich, Director of the Visitor & Convention Bureau.
Other honorees were Clotilde
Otranto, Ed Carlson, Lois Thome, Ben Hill Griffin III, Gary M. Sandor, Mary
Susan Gallien-Clinton, Mayor Paul D. Pass, Kim Cliett Long and John R. Wood.
Daltry was tapped in February
to head the county’s newly created Smart Growth Department and shepherd the
citizen Smart Growth Advisory Committee through a process to make
recommendations that help balance quality of life, the economy and our
environment heading into the future. Well-known
in Southwest Florida, he was formerly executive director of the Regional
Planning Council for 20 years and worked for the agency for 27 years.
He is a graduate of The Citadel and has a master’s in planning from
Florida State University.
Watermeier has been director of
the Economic Development Office of Lee County since 1995, working to bring new
business to the area and help existing businesses expand.
Last December, Governor Jeb Bush appointed her to a two-year term on the
Florida Transportation Commission – giving Southwest Florida and Lee County an
important voice in statewide transportation matters. She also is chair of Enterprise Florida’s Marketing
Committee, vice president of programs for the Florida Economic Development
Council and is a member of the Southwest Florida Transportation Initiative and
Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council.
Minich has been director of the
county VCB for two years and also served as deputy director during his 10 years
with the department. During his
tenure the agency has successfully expanded the local tourism economy and won
numerous state and national awards for its marketing and promotion efforts.
Minich is a graduate of the International Association of Convention and
Visitors Bureaus’ (IACVB) executive program in destination management and
received his Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) designation in
1998.
“These honors are reflective of the high quality employees working for Lee County Government and their dedication and commitment to our community,” said County Manager Don Stilwell.