Guest opinion: 'I have the experience to be the tough leader Fort Myers needs'
President Lyndon B. Johnson said, “When the burdens of the presidency seem unusually heavy, I always remind myself that it could be worse. I could be a mayor.”
Being a mayor can be a tough job. The City of Fort Myers is facing tough times — tough times due to the economic impact of COVID-19, tough times due to civil unrest, tough times with homelessness and affordable housing, tough times with balancing new growth with maintaining existing neighborhoods, and tough times with a changing economy. Tough times require experienced leadership. Tough times require leadership that will engage in tough conversations, no matter how uncomfortable they may be. Tough times require leadership that puts the public interest over party agendas. In tough times, experience matters.
I have the experience to be the tough leader Fort Myers needs. As a United States Army Military Policeman, I learned about discipline, structure, teamwork, service, making tough decisions, and most of all, respect for others regardless of race or gender. These are qualities I have carried with me throughout my adult life.
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Upon receiving an Honorable Discharge, I returned to Southwest Florida and joined the Fort Myers Police Department. I was quickly recognized as an officer who was committed to serving our community. This led me to being appointed as one of the first school resource officers in a newly formed countywide program. I designed, implemented, and administrated a program geared at reducing juvenile crime which resulted in a 24 percent decrease over a 3 year period.
I subsequently received two gubernatorial appointments. The first was to the Children’s Service Council of Lee County, and the second was to the newly created State of Florida Juvenile Justice Standards and Training Commission, on which I served as the inaugural chairperson. I spent time as an instructor at the Southwest Florida Criminal Justice Academy, Edison Community College, and the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
I introduced the Citizen Police Academy and the Citizens on Patrol Program. Both programs were geared towards increasing community-police relations and still exist in some form today. When the Dr. Piper Center was at risk of losing federal funding due to mismanagement on the part of the board of directors, Mayor Grady asked me to serve as the interim director and build a new board. This was a critical assignment because the center oversaw several programs that served elderly residents, most of whom lived in the Dunbar community. Twenty-five years later, the center is still serving our residents.
In 2004 I accepted a management position with Chico’s FAS, Inc. and retired from the Police Department having earned the rank of Major. I started my private sector career as the security manager and retired as the senior manager of headquarters operations and increased my budgetary, operational, and administrative skills. I managed my teams through several reductions in forces and severe budget cuts. I made the tough decisions to help keep the company fiscally sound.
I have not only served in paid positions but have volunteered and supported numerous non-profit and social service organizations on the local, county, and state level. I have decades of commitment, service and extensive experience which surpasses my opponent’s unproven concepts.
I have the experience and leadership skills to lead Fort Myers through these tough times. I am prepared to manage a complicated budget, tackle the issues surrounding police community relations, and to work with all groups to address homelessness and affordable housing. I have the experience to manage new growth and improve existing neighborhoods. I have the proven experience and leadership that matters during these tough times.
Kevin Anderson is a mayoral candidate for the City of Fort Myers.