Candidate: Betsy Benac

3917 Oak Grove Dr Sarasota FL 34243 (941) 359-0941 bbenac@hotmail.com www.betsybenac.com Betsy Benac is a long time resident of Manatee County, and the former Assistant Planning Director, having served the County from 1983-1994. She brings a proven track record of leadership, and has been recognized by her peers with the prestigious Leadership Manatee Alumni Distinguished Leadership Award, as well as the President’s Merit Award by the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast, Florida. She was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush and served three terms on the Manasota Basin Board, where she was appointed to serve on the Sarasota Bay National Estuary Policy Board. She also served on the Manatee Board of Zoning Appeals, having been appointed by the Board of County Commissioners. Her Community Involvement includes two terms on the Bradenton Kiwanis Board of Directors, serving as the President Elect; the Executive Committee of the Manatee County Economic Development Council; the Board of Directors of the Manatee Chamber; the Board of the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast, FL and the Board of Tiger Bay Club of Manatee County. She is involved with many other professional and civic organizations, and holds the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accreditation. Ms. Benac provides a clear choice in the race for District 7, as the Candidate with extensive business experience, having served as an owner, Vice President and Principle of a successful engineering and planning consulting firm. Through a series of tough business decisions, the company survived the recession, and was bought out by a multi-national corporation in 2010. She has a proven track record of success in complex negotiations, and has worked with hundreds of residents, homeowner associations, property owners and government staff and leaders at all levels. The result has been the creation of thousands of jobs, as well as significant growth in county tax revenues. Ms. Benac will be a full time Commissioner, and will bring the consensus leadership that this community deserves and demands in these tough economic times to move forward. She and her husband Bob, a public school teacher, have raised their family in Manatee County, and they are committed to insuring that the quality of life that Manatee County residents enjoy is protected and enhanced. Please vote for Positive Change by electing Betsy Benac as the Commissioner in District 7.