Politics has always been part of my life

     Three years after the photo on the left was taken, I had my first serious political discussion with my parents at the dinner table. My father was a political scientist; my mother a war bride. I was seven years old, and we were talking about the presidential election: General Dwight D. Eisenhower and his running mate, Senator Richard Nixon.

     Such conversations continued over the years, and by the time I was a teenager I knew much more about politics than most. My father was so much more than a father to me. He was a real mentor when it came to the subject of government.

     After studying at Florida State University, the Watergate era was in full swing. It was the talk of the day. After graduating with a Master’s degree in Communications, I had the fortune to work for two of Florida’s most prominent United States Senators.

Senator Lawton Chiles, who made a significant mark upon the state with his people-to-people campaign, gained the nickname “Walking Lawton.” A nonassuming man, he walked the width and length of the state. He met with people one-on-one. He understood the value of being accessible and available. I served as a Staff Assistant to Senator Chiles, and learned from him that people matter.

     After leaving the U.S. Senate, he was eventually elected Governor of the State of Florida.

     After Florida’s senior U.S. Senator, Ed Gurney, was sentenced to prison as a Watergate conspirator, Florida Secretary of State Richard (Dick) Stone resigned his office to run for U.S. Senator. Following his election, I was interviewed while I was still working for Senator Chiles and offered the position of Chief Special Assistant. I was in charge of a large casework operation, assisting constituents with their problems with the federal, state, and local governments. I served as liaison with print and electronic media in the state as well as with state organizations.

     Senator Stone also believed in the principles of personal involvement and accessibility. He was a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee; and he never forgot the needs of the Sunshine State’s agriculture community through his participation in the Senate Agriculture Committee.

     Eventually, he became a Special Ambassador to Nicaragua for former President Ronald Reagan.

     Both men were influential in my perspective about government. From Senator Chiles, I learned the immense value of working with people, and learned that officials who put people first will inevitably succeed. From Senator Stone, I learned about the importance of the principle, "resign to run." One must avoid even the appearance of conflicts of interest. An office holder cannot faithfully execute the duties of office while engaging in the activities and responsibilities of another office or department.

     Both men returned home often from Washington, D.C. to meet with constituents in town hall meetings and find out what was on their minds. Both supported the concept of government in the sunshine.

     Prior to moving to Colorado in 1984, I was a key staff member of the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee of the Florida Legislature. I spearheaded a special project eliminating redundant language in the Florida Administrative Code, making the document easier to read and use by Floridians and rule makers.

     Although I did not know it at the time, my work at The Flume – especially after I was promoted to the position of Editor – was a logical extension of my previous work in the public arena. Newspapers provide community leadership, and I worked long hours to ensure objective, complete news was provided to Park County residents. I also felt it important for residents to understand the position taken by The Flume on important matters and never shied away from editorial writing.

     In March, 2006, when I left the paper, I was gratified to have received a first-place award from the Colorado Press Association for editorial writing, and a third-place award in the Public Service category.