Town Hall welcomes new employees

LAKEWOOD RANCH — As Lakewood Ranch Town Hall continues efforts to improve the organization’s customer service and perception in the community, it welcomes two new employees.

Jessica Mears will serve as Town Hall’s clerk, a newly created position meant to streamline and improve the organization’s public records-keeping process.

Gary Glass will serve as the new director of community associations and services for Lakewood Ranch Town Hall. He replaces former Director Cynthia Wills, who recently resigned.

“One of the primary reasons that Gary and Jessica were selected for their positions is that they both understand and exhibit my commitment to customer service and service to the community,” Town Hall Executive Director Eva Rey said. “ I am extremely proud of Town Hall and the entire IDA staff for moving beyond any past adversities and becoming a more responsive and professional organization. The addition of Gary and Jessica to our team simply enhances our ability to continue to strive for the best possible service to the community.”

Introducing Jessica Mears
As the new clerk, Mears will be responsible for preparing the agendas for each of Lakewood Ranch’s community development districts managed by Town Hall, which will allow for document changes to be made more efficiently. Additionally, a post-meeting agenda, with meeting results, will be posted online at the community’s website, lakewoodranchgov.org, by the following day.

Mears also will handle public records requests, help maintain Town Hall’s new website, lakewoodranchgov.org, and assist CDD boards with any questions they may have.

“We have a lot of records that (haven’t been uploaded to a digital format),” Mears said. “I’m going to be archiving those records. That will take a lot of time.”

Mears, who hails from Ohio, graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2010, with a major in communications and public relations. She most recently worked for a community development district in central Florida, assisting in its customer service and purchasing department.

As part of her duties, she also worked alongside the clerk, handling contracts, contract renewal, inter-local agreements and other details.

“That was one of my largest responsibilities, and that’s one of the things I’ll be doing here — keeping and maintaining the records,” Mears said.

Mears will be involved with the Florida Association of City Clerks organization, from which she will have a mentor to offer guidance in her new role. She also will complete training to become a certified municipal clerk, she said.

At Town Hall, Mears’ role eventually will expand to include more public relations-type work, as well as orienting new CDD board members and other responsibilities.

Mears, who moved a few months ago to Sarasota, said she already is enjoying the area’s amenities. She loves going to the beach and also is eager to sample the arts offered in the area, from museums to the ballet and orchestra.

“There’s so much to see,” she said.

Mears even has gotten involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and is eager to start mentoring a child, she said.

Meet Gary Glass
Lakewood Ranch resident Glass said he hopes to bring a fresh approach to serving Lakewood Ranch’s community associations as the new director of community associations and services for Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.

“I’m anxious to get started and learn about the community,” Glass said. “The team is great here.”
“I like working with people; I like meeting people and I like solving issues,” he said. “That’s what I strive to do.”

Most recently working as a portfolio manager for Lighthouse Property Management on Longboat Key, Glass has a wealth of experience in the property-management industry.

Glass prides himself on customer service and is eager to listen to residents and work with them to address their concerns.

“I have a saying: You have two ears and one mouth, and if you use them in that proportion, you’ll learn a lot more,” he said.

Glass moved to the area with his family — wife, Sue, and daughter, Jamie — approximately five years ago to take a job with Beth Callans Management, a property-management company on Longboat Key. He began working at Lighthouse Property Management when Beth Callans closed in 2011.

Glass said he is excited to work in Lakewood Ranch, so he can spend more time with his family and better experience what the Lakewood Ranch community has to offer.

“It was a chance to work where I live and get to know the community,” said Glass, who previously spent about two hours daily commuting to and from work. “It’s family oriented. I’m excited to work where I live. I feel that’s a vested interest.”

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].