Eva Rey announces resignation

+ Public to private

After spending the last 15 years in the public sector, Rey’s new post will be on the private side. 

For the Viera group, she will work as the public “face” of Viera Co. when interfacing with residents. There, she will preside of homeowners association boards and oversee the community’s information center (called the Discovery Center), among other tasks.

Rey’s emails and other records no longer will be public under Florida Sunshine laws, but Rey, an advocate for transparency, says that won’t change how she operates inherently. 

“It won’t change the way I feel about service to the community,” Rey said. “Always do the best you can and do the right thing. Everything else is just noise.”

Rey previously served as director of purchasing and support services for the Village Center Community Development District beginning in 2007 before coming to Lakewood Ranch in August 2011.

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Lakewood Ranch Town Hall’s Executive Director Eva Rey will leave one legacy to create a new one.

After four years transforming Lakewood Ranch Town Hall by creating a website and fostering transparency, among other accomplishments, Rey will leave the organization to fill the newly created position in Viera, located in Brevard County. She will serve as the director of community management for developer The Viera Co., a subsidiary of A. Duda & Sons.

“It was probably the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make,” Rey said. “I love the entire Lakewood Ranch community. I love my job. I have the best employees in the world. I’m involved in the community through Rotary and Community Activities Corp., the MPO Citizens Advisory Committee, and I made a commitment four years ago. It was difficult for me not to be able to follow through (on some of my objectives).”

Rey gave her official resignation to the Lakewood Ranch Inter-District Authority Board Tuesday, after informing them and other community development district supervisors of her intentions beforehand. She plans to work at Town Hall through the end of September. 

IDA Chairman Tom Green said Rey played a key role in improving customer service at Town Hall, addressing water pressure and other irrigation-related concerns, expanding community relations and upgrading the skill set of Town Hall employees, among other accomplishments.

"She just grabbed ahold of all the issues we outlined for her and did a great job following through," Green said. "We're really going to miss her. If there were some way I could convince her to stay, I would."

IDA Supervisor Nancy Johnson agreed, adding the board will lean on Rey's knowledge and government contacts to help identify a suitable replacement.

"Her shoes will be difficult to fill," Johnson said. "It's a huge loss for Lakewood Ranch. I feel as though I'm losing a friend, as well. Eva brought her CDD and government knowledge and experience from The Villages and wonderful people skills to Lakewood Ranch at a time when we badly needed to upgrade our operational processes for both the CDDs and (homeowners associations) and to improve our working relationships between the staff adn the residents. Eva accomplished it all in a very short time period. She will be sorely missed."

Rey will leave her $136,500 a year post for a higher-paying position, declining to give more specifics.

“It was a better opportunity, but it’s not about the money,” Rey said. “It truly is an exciting and new opportunity, and while it does change the trajectory of where my career was going, I think it’s a good direction. 

“It’s a new position,” she said. “I get to create what this position is to the entire community. I set the tone for the future, really, for the future of community management in that area. It’s creating a legacy.”

Rey said discussions with Viera Co. began, in earnest, in May when she went to visit the development, which has about 20,000 residents and 30 years until build-out. 

“Viera as a community is very dynamic and growing and I’m so pleased to be part of its future,” Rey said. “The Viera Co. has an excellent reputation for responsible community building. I was honored and flattered they would even consider me.”

Rey started in her post as Town Hall’s executive director Aug. 1, 2011.

“The expectation of all the boards in Lakewood Ranch was pretty high when I arrived,” Rey said. “They were looking for a change agent and I feel like I delivered what they needed.”

Upon her arrival at Town Hall, Rey created a website, lakewoodranchgov.org, for the organization to improve communication and bolster transparency, posting calendars, public documents, agendas and other information online. 

She also led efforts to construct a modern and efficient operations and maintenance facility, which contractors completed on time and under budget. And, she has improved the reputation of Town Hall and it’s level of customer service and responsiveness to resident concerns.

“It’s a matter of letting employees know what you expect of them and they rise to the occasion,” Rey said. “People inherently want to do a good job. All it takes is encouragement.”

Rey said whomever the IDA hires as her replacement will need to be someone with the same level of commitment to customer and community service, someone with experience carrying out the policies of a public board and the ability to plan and execute a vision. 

The new executive director will immediately be tasked with leading Town Hall through upgrades to a new software system that create efficiencies within the agency and help it centralize its purchasing functions, among other changes she’d hoped to see accomplished, such as the hiring of a purchasing manager.

“Lakewood Ranch has a lot of growing to do, and there are a lot of changes in store for the future,” she said.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].