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Mayor and City Council
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Venice has a council-manager system of local government. This system combines the political leadership of elected officials in the form of a city council with the managerial experience of a city manager.
The council is the legislative body empowered to make policy decisions by the citizens who elect its members. The city manager administers the policy of the council. The city council hires and supervises the charter officers, which include city manager, city clerk and city attorney.
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John Holic, Mayor
jholic@venicegov.com |
Mayor John Holic was elected in November, 2010.
He and his wife, Pam, moved to Venice in 1990, where he continued his 28-year career with A.G. Edwards financial services. The couple's three sons graduated from Venice High School and Pine View School. Before moving to Venice, Holic was an air traffic controller in Chicago.
He served on the Venice Police Pension Board, South County Family YMCA Foundation Board, and is a member of Sierra Club and Save Our Seabirds.
He represents the city on the Council of Governments and is liaison to the Venice Housing Authority.
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Bob Daniels, Vice Mayor
rdaniels@venicegov.com |
Vice Mayor Bob Daniels was elected in 2010.
He holds a bachelor's degree from Bowling Green University, a master's degree from Ball State University and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. He taught industrial technology and special needs vocational education; operated a restoration and remodeling company specializing in historic homes; served as a community college administrator; was manager of organizational development for GE appliances; and was vice-president of human resources for an international company.
Mr. Daniels is ex-officio on the Municipal Code Enforcement Board and Environmental Advisory Board, and serves on the Tourist Development Council. He is a member of Venice Theatre Guild, Venice Area Chamber of Commerce, Epiphany Cathedral and Venice-Nokomis Rotary Club.
He and his wife, Nancy, moved to Venice in 2006 from Columbus, Ohio. They have two married daughters, two grandsons and two granddaughters.
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Jim Bennett, Council Member
jbennett@venicegov.com |
Council Member Jim Bennett was elected in 2012 to serve a second term.
Before being elected to City Council, Mr. Bennett served on the Venice Planning Commission.
He also served as chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission in New Canaan, Conn. and on the Stamford, Conn. based Southwestern Regional Planning Agency. The Montclair, N.J., native was in-house counsel for several well known firms, such as Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical, Allied Chemical Company and General Electric Co., Latin American Business Division.
An attorney by profession, Mr. Bennett is a graduate of Princeton and Stanford universities. He represents the Palladium Group, a European-based family real estate conglomerate as its U.S. counsel.
He currently represents the city on the Manasota Metropolitan Plannning Organization (MPO) and Community Alliance of Sarasota County.
He and his wife, Lynnette, moved to Venice in 2006.
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Emilio Carlesimo, Council Member
ecarlesimo@venicegov.com |
Council Member Emilio Carlesimo was elected in 2012 to serve a second term.
Mr. Carlesimo is a retired firefighter who worked for the city of Detroit and Sarasota County fire departments.
Before his election, he served as a member of the city’s Fire Pension Board and Sarasota County’s Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board. He also served as the vice president of the MacArthur Beach and Racquet Club condominium association.
He serves as ex-officio on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and represents the city on the Coastal Advisory Committee as well as the Complete Count Committee for the 2010 Census.
He and his wife, Brenda, have lived in Venice since 1990.
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Jeanette Gates, Council Member
jgates@venicegov.com |
Council Member Jeanette Gates was elected in 2010.
Ms. Gates graduated from Cardinal Mooney High School in Sarasota before attending Lynchburg College where she earned a bachelor's degree in business. She and her husband, Jeff, moved to Venice after college. She works part-time in the family's business, Beechwood Builders, a general contracting company.
She is the ex-officio on the Economic Development Advisory Board and the Public Art Advisory Board, and represents the city at the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County.
Gates is a member of Sertoma Club of Venice.
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Kit McKeon, Council Member
kmckeon@venicegov.com
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Council Member Kit McKeon was elected in 2011 to serve a second term.
Before being elected to City Council, he served on the Venice Planning Commission.
Mr. McKeon graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and has an MBA from Golden Gate University. He served as an infantry officer and a helicopter pilot in the United States Army. During his 30-year career in the defense aerospace business, he worked for General Electric and later retired as an executive from Sikorsky Aircraft’s Washington D.C. office.
He serves as the ex-officio on the Planning Commission and represents the city on the Community Action Agency, ManaSota League of Cities, and Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council. He is a member of the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce.
He, and his wife, Wanda, moved to Venice full time in 2004 from Alexandria, Va. After his parents retired in Venice in 1970, he visited the area frequently until moving here permanently.
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David Sherman, Council Member
dsherman@venicegov.com |
Council Member Dave Sherman was elected in 2011.
Mr. Sherman is a contractor and realtor who moved to Venice from Miami in 2007.
Since coming to Venice he has served as chairman of the city's Architectural Review Board, a board member of Venice MainStreet, a member of the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce and was a facilitator for the city's Partnering 4 Success program.
Mr. Sherman serves as ex-officio on the Architectural Review Board, Historic Preservation Board, and is the city representative to the Criminal Justice Commission City-County Corrections Work Group and Venice MainStreet.
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