Candidate: Mark "Gunny" Stevens

Mark "Gunny" Stevens is a conservative Republican.  The nickname "Gunny" refers to his rank in the Marine Corps as Gunnery Sergeant.  Numerous people only know him as "Gunny" and therefore has been adopted in his campaign.

He was born in New Jersey and after high school attended Bergen Community College.  He then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on active duty.  As a Marine, in addition to his infantry training, he was assigned to work with the Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG) and worked as a paralegal and court reporter.  As his career progressed, he attended Eastern Carolina University majoring in Business Administration.  He was assigned to recruiting duty in Waldorf, Md and was recognized as the top recruiter of the year for a District encompassing seven states. He was transferred to Long Beach, CA and then Norfolk VA.  There he continued with his success and was recognized as NCOIC and Station of the Year.  Having a credible record of success, he was then assigned to Philadelphia to serve as Operations Chief for the seven state District working with planning and a multimillion dollar government budget. Other awards received included a Navy Commendation Medal for his work during Desert Storm and 2 Navy Achievement Medals. He retired after 22 years of active service.

He moved to Florida and resided in Sarasota while searching for a permanent home.  He came upon Port Charlotte and has lived here for over 20 years.  While in Port Charlotte he took the helm of a family business and moved it to Port Charlotte. After the passing of his parents he sold the business.  He is a licensed real estate agent.  He worked at Eastern Avionics at the Punta Gorda Airport and did take a year out of his residency to move to Texas to be the General Manager of an avionics firm in Arlington. He is a licensed pilot.  He is currently a supervisor at Ace Hardware in Port Charlotte helping people in the community with a myriad of projects.

He has been active in the community with fraternal organizations such as the Elks and the American Legion.  He was Exalted Ruler of his Elks Lodge in Port Charlotte.  He ran numerous charity events at the Elks to benefit the Wounded Warrior Program and other veteran programs.

He is married with three daughters, two granddaughters, and three grandsons.

As your Commissioner, he will listen to his constituents and truly be the representative they are looking for and bring their concerns as well as their ideas to his fellow commissioners to create solutions.  He is NOT a career politician, but will be an honest representative who understands the concerns of our citizens.

Having lived in the county for over two decades, his concerns about our rapid development and growth are paramount.  Having been a business owner in the county, worked in the real estate market, worked at our airport, been instrumental in the raising of grandchildren in the county, or working on charitable projects to help our veterans or senior citizens, his finger is definitely on the pulse of Charlotte County.  As your commissioner, Mark "Gunny" Stevens will provide integrity, leadership, and the representation you expect and deserve. A glance at his financial reports will clearly show that his decisions will be based on the wishes of his constituents and not influenced by campaign contributors perhaps seeking political favors.  He will protect your tax dollars.  As a Marine, he still lives by their motto of Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful) and he will be faithful to you his fellow citizens.  This is his job application -- you are his boss -- hire him by early voting August 8 - 21 or on Primary Day, August 23.  Thank you for your support!