Ten years ago, Michelle Coldiron said she never dreamed she would have been elected to one political office, not to mention two. In 2015, she ran for the Marathon City Council and became the mayor in 2017, the same year she decided to make a successful bid for the Monroe County Commission.
“Right now, women outnumber the men on the Monroe Board of County Commissioners,” Coldiron said. “This is not an ‘us against them,’ but women look at things differently.”
Coldiron attends events and workshops almost daily. But she is known for the amount of study she puts into researching the issues. Recently she graduated from a special program for elected officials put on by the Florida Association of Counties. She learned about subjects such as growth management and budgets from a statewide perspective. The men in the program outnumbered the women. “I wish more women would step up to the plate, and run for office,” Coldiron said.
Would she ever run for higher office? “Well … that’s never out of the question.”
Tuesday, April 2
7 a.m. Pilates with Brandi Card at Island Pilates and Massage.
9 a.m. Check email and make sure agenda items are finalized and submitted for agenda deadline day.
11 a.m. Attend Florida Keys EMS Awards at Florida Keys Country Club to celebrate and honor first responders.
(Most days involve either an event like this, a meeting with a county official, or a briefing.)
1 p.m. Drive to office on Big Pine Key / drop off show dog at groomer next door.
1:30 p.m. Conference call with County Administrator Roman Gastesi.
(I try to touch base with Roman several times a month, especially since I’m a newbie. We talk about the issues coming before the next county commission meeting. For example, there’s a playground on Sugarloaf Key that’s primarily used by students, but it’s county-owned and needs upgrading.)
2:00 p.m. Phone call with constituent involving a canal that is still impacted by hurricane debris.
3:00 p.m. Finalize letters of recommendation for Marathon High School seniors seeking scholarships. Pick up show dog from groomer.
(I’ve been a Take Stock in Children mentor, on and off, for 12 years. It’s a natural outgrowth of my work with Guardian Ad Litem. It’s a way to stay involved with children, without as much paperwork or responsibilities. It’s refreshing to work with these students — they are excited about the possibilities and opportunities before them. So I wrote a letter for my Take Stock mentee, who hopes to get some scholarships to help cover the costs of living away from home, and another one for a young woman in the community who also approached me for a recommendation.)
4:00 p.m. Send letter to House Speaker Jose Oliva regarding wind insurance rates; Read up on tentative comp plan text amendments and land use district amendments.
5:00 p.m. Leave office.
5:30 p.m. Go to Global Health Connection to catch up on paperwork.
(My daughter, Mallory Morton, and I co-own this business that wholesales compression hosiery to suppliers in the medical field, like pharmacies. To be honest, I also spent some time admiring my daughter’s brand new engagement ring!)
