Candidate: Jason Lynn Stoltzfus

Jason Stoltzfus, Champion of Change for Charlotte County Born in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, Jason was the first in his lineage to be raised outside of the Amish faith. His grandmother and close relatives still drive horse drawn carriages and have no electricity. He attributes his work ethic, values, and faith to culture in which he was raised. After college, Jason was blessed with the opportunity to travel around the country helping communities recover from disasters with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In 2006 he was working as a consultant and found himself in Charlotte County assisting the local school district, the City of Punta Gorda, and the County in recovering financially from Hurricane Charley. He quickly realized that he had found his home here, then shortly afterwards met his future wife Kristina and they began to grow their family. Two years later, days after the birth of their third daughter, Jason told his wife that he felt he could really help Charlotte County if he gave himself fully to it. Shortly afterwards he made the decision to resign from his comfy position in the private sector to \"figure out a way\" to work with the county full-time. While Jason may have traded his fancy travelling gig for weekends jammed full of dance recitals, softball games, chasing lost dogs, trying to keep his yard green, and walking up the stairs five times a night because each of his children decided to need \"one more\" kiss before going to sleep; he never traded his desire to help people, to help communities, in the process. Thankfully, his risk paid off. In the six years that Jason has been employed by Charlotte County he worked his way up from the Budget department to Administration. His successes include: Being recognized at the White House as a “Champion of Change” for his efforts in helping the area recover financially from Hurricane Charley and diversifying Charlotte County’s economy; The connections and relationships resulting from that recognition resulted in an invitation to meet with congressional and FEMA staff at the White House for a second time to address and eliminate drastic flood insurance increases experienced by many homeowners in our County due to misguided federal legislation; Saving local taxpayer dollars by increasing FEMA reimbursement for expenses resulting from Hurricane Charley by an excess of $7 million; and Obtaining State funding for the Spring Lake sewer expansion project. When asked about his decision to run for commissioner, Jason explained; “Entering the race late, I understand that I have a lot of catching up to do, both financially, in regards to my opponents, and relationally with the voters of our community; however, I will work hard to deliver my message. As District 4 commissioner, I strongly believe that I can further leverage the experiences, relationships, and successes realized over the past six years to benefit the current and future residents and businesses of Charlotte County”