A handful of residents have applied to claim two vacancies on the Anna Maria City Commission.
The city received five applications from residents seeking to succeed Robert Kingan and Deanie Sebring as of Dec. 1, according to city clerk LeAnne Addy.
Applicants include:
- Gary McMullen;
- Kathleen Morgan-Johnson;
- Pat Olesen;
- Susan Stephen;
- Sharon Wisniewski.
Only two seats will be filled by a vote from the commission’s three members.
Sebring’s seat has been vacant since she resigned and moved away in October. Her successor will serve the remainder of her term, which expires in December 2024.
On the other hand, no one qualified to run for the seat occupied by Kingan, who elected not to run for a second term in November.
His successor will step into a full two-year term, since Kingan’s expires in December, before the selection process outlined by the city.
That process includes the solicitation of applicant questions that will be posed at a city-hosted public forum at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive, where applicants will introduce themselves to the public and respond to residents’ questions.
In the meantime, it’s never too early to get to know the prospective commissioners.
Morgan-Johnson, Olesen and Wisniewski spoke with The Islander the week of Nov. 27 about their hopes to serve on the city commission.
McMullen and Stephen applied recently and their applications were shared Dec. 1 as a result of a public records request by The Islander. The newspaper plans to schedule profiles and interviews with the newer applicants later this month.
McMullen
According to his application, McMullen has lived in Anna Maria for more than 70 years and serves as the current vice chair of the Anna Maria Historical Preservation Board.
McMullen graduated from Florida State University and has worked in government management for more than 30 years.
He also worked as one of the city’s first code and parking enforcement officers.
McMullen wrote in his application that his tenure in the city and staff experience gave him a unique perspective of the city and its operations.
He added, “One of my goals is to retain and increase our resident base.”
Morgan-Johnson
- Kathleen Morgan-Johnson has lived on the island for 20 years, beginning in Holmes Beach and moving to Anna Maria in 2005.
She is the owner of Sarasota-based Morgan Johnson Realty and a licensed broker, who also works as a legal assistant in Sarasota for her husband, attorney David Johnson.
Morgan-Johnson also serves as the president of the Anna Maria Island Garden Club and as secretary of the Center of Anna Maria Island’s board of directors.
Before moving to Florida, she operated a tire and auto business in New York for 23 years.
Morgan-Johnson told The Islander on Nov. 24 that she wants to preserve the city’s Old Florida feel.
“I just love the small-town feel and love living here,” she said. “We need to commit to keeping our little island here. I’m for change, as long as it benefits the people, but I feel that every little bit makes an impact, so we should carefully judge what we do and work towards the betterment of the island for everyone.”
Morgan-Johnson added that she would prefer the two-year term on the commission if she receives the most votes among applicants.
Olesen
- Pat Olesen, who came to AMI from Chicago, has an engineering background and most recently worked as the senior program director for Maryland-based Hughes Network Systems, a broadband satellite service provider.
She retired in 2020.
Olesen told The Islander Nov. 21 that she started visiting the island in the 1980s, when she met her husband, Terry, a third-generation Anna Maria resident. They live in a house passed down through those generations.
Olesen has lived in the city for more than 20 years and is a member of the garden club and community center.
She said she’s been interested in getting involved with the city for years but held off because her job kept her too busy.
“It’s been in the back of my mind for many years,” Olesen said. “I have not been a commissioner before … but I have a lot of experience in managing programs and working with all levels of people.”
“Hopefully I can make a difference. I care about the community and have time now where I can participate more,” she added.
Olesen said that, if she receives the most votes in the appointment process, she prefers the two-year term vacated by Kingan since it would give her more time to settle in.
Nevertheless, she added that she was “really flexible” and would accept the one-year term.
Stephen
Stephen wrote in her application that she has lived in the city for at least two years, meeting the required residency threshold for applicants, but did not provide a timeline.
She wants to represent residents who have an “understanding (of) the need for business.”
“I literally walk the streets of Anna Maria daily covering most of the community weekly,” Stephen wrote. “I hear and see things to bring to the board consistently.”
“I would enjoy representing the community,” she added. “I hope to bring some new ideas to keep us a community of residents.”
Wisniewski
- California-native Sharon Wisniewski started visiting AMI in the 1980s when she met her husband Luis, whose family has lived on the island since 1959.
The pair served in the U.S. military and traveled for 31 years before retiring in 2014 and moving to Florida to take care of Luis’ mother, who was ill.
She said they found the island to be a stable home for their children during their travels with the military.
Wisniewski has twice applied to fill a vacant seat on the city commission, including in 2020, when Sebring was appointed, and 2021, when Kingan was appointed.
She joined the city’s historic preservation board in 2020 and serves as the board’s chairperson.
Wisniewski told The Islander Nov. 21 that the position has done well to prepare her for a commission seat, since she has gotten to know city officials and staff, as well as learn more about the municipality.
She said that, despite her previous applications’ lack of success, she would volunteer again for a commission seat.
“If there’s a need, then I’ll step up and see what happens. If they reject me, they reject me. If not, then I guess it’s meant to be,” Wisniewski said.
She added that she would also prefer the two-year term on the commission due to the continuity, but either way was OK.