FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Pete Winton, Lee County Administration
               (239) 335-2777

COUNTY LANDS EMPLOYEES RECEIVE PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS

Pictured left to right, Teresa Mann, Karen Forsyth, Michele McNeill and Michael O'Hare.
(Robert Clemens not pictured.)


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FORT MYERS, Fla. (December 19, 2003) - Five employees with Lee County's Division of County Lands have received a prestigious professional designation based on their experience and course work.

The Senior Right of Way Member designation has been awarded to Karen Forsyth, Robert Clemens, Teresa Mann, Michele McNeill, and Michael O'Hare. The International Right of Way Association awards the certification.

The County Lands Division buys and sells property for Lee County Government. Some of its most common functions are negotiating the purchase of such things as Conservation 20/20 properties, right of way for road projects, and facilities such as the recent purchase of the SunTrust Building in downtown Fort Myers that will be used as part of the county's downtown government complex.

All five employees demonstrated expertise in the areas of real estate appraisal, negotiation, right-of-way engineering concepts, and real property law. In order to receive such a designation, one must have at least five years experience in governmental real estate, successfully complete 220 hours of course work with examinations, and pass an eight-hour comprehensive final examination.