No matter how many individuals appear in the pages of each edition of Keys Weekly, there are always so many more of our community members who deserve to be recognized. In an effort to shine a spotlight on more of the incredible individuals who live and work in these islands, Keys Weekly is proud to spotlight our Neighbor of the Week feature, dedicated to celebrating a community member with each issue. This week’s neighbor, Stacey Nichter, wears multiple hats in our community. As the owner of Stars of the Florida Keys, Stacey channels her lifelong passion for cheerleading into coaching the next generation of athletes. “I had been cheering from when I was 10 or 11, basically all the way until I was 18, and now it is my career,” she said. Simultaneously, she brings a taste of the tropics to Marathon residents at Irie Island Eats, where she has worked for almost four years. If you haven’t spotted Stacey at Irie, chances are she’s been busy teaching your little one how to tumble!
STACEY NICHTER
Owner, Stars of the Florida Keys
How did you end up in the Keys? I have been here for about 10 years. One of my best friends from college had moved down here, and she told me I should move, so I did! I intended to just work during the weekends, and then I never moved back home.
What can people find you doing when you aren’t working? Taking my dogs to the dog park, hanging out with friends, or sleeping.
If you could shop for free at any store, which would you pick? I would say Home Depot. My husband spends a lot of money there.
What is something most people don’t know about you? I don’t know how to ride a bike. I can still tumble and do back handsprings and tucks, but if you put me on a bike, I would tip right over.
What is the best and worst part of the Keys? The worst thing about the Keys is the traffic. You never know how long it is going to take you to get from point A to point B. I love the fact that I am only a five-minute drive to the beach.
What is the best piece of advice someone has given you? In one of my first years taking over Stars of the Florida Keys, my dad told me, “There’s more than one way of doing something.”
What is your dream vacation? I love being at Universal Studios. But I think another ideal vacation would be going to an all-inclusive resort, adult-only (no offense to children, I love them so much) and just sitting by the pool or beach.
If your life had a theme song, what would it be? I’m going to go with Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” because I feel like that’s all I got to do. Shake it off.
