By Ray Sandelli
To my neighbors in Lehigh Acres, I wanted to take a few minutes to properly provide an initial introduction.
My name is Ray Sandelli and as some of you may know, in August I was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to fill the Lee County Commission District 3 seat left by the unfortunate passing of Larry Kiker. I was honored to be asked and grateful for the opportunity to serve.
By way of background, I was born, raised and educated in New Jersey. I come from a close, conservative family, most of whom were in the trades. Following college I enlisted in the United States Navy and spent eight years as an officer and an aviator. I completed two operational deployments to the Mediterranean Sea, a tour as a flight instructor, and my final assignment was as a member of the Flight Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Blue Angels.
Following my military service, I began a forty year career in commercial real estate brokerage with the international firm now known as CBRE. Initially in Seattle in sales, then in Cincinnati and Tampa on the management side. My final role was as the Sr. Managing Director for all Florida operations which encompassed nine offices statewide. My career path gave me a broad perspective of how markets coast to coast have dealt with both the opportunities and challenges associated with growth. I was also able to interact daily with both the private and public sectors to achieve common end goals within the communities we lived and served. In 2012, I relocated to Southwest Florida to become the Managing Partner for CRE Consultants.
The past few months as a Lee County Commissioner have been truly enlightening and rewarding in many ways. As such I have again answered the call, this time to seek election in 2020. My hope is that a spirit of co-operative interaction will help us to secure a bright future for all as we address such key issues as infrastructure, the quality of our waterways, housing that is affordable, job creation and green space that is an integral part of our communities.
My wife, Jan and I have been married for thirty-six years and we have three grown children. Rachael and her husband live in Atlanta, our son Chris in Denver, and our youngest Jessica in Tampa. My very best wishes for the forthcoming holidays and for a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year!
If I can ever be of service, do not hesitate to contact my office via email at dist3@leegov.com or 239-533-2223.
Ray Sandelli, Lee Board of County Commissioners, District 3
