County commissioners choose 2015 chair

The Sarasota County Commission’s 2015 leadership will be a mix of old and new: the commissioners elected Carolyn Mason, District 1, and Alan Maio, District 4, as chair and vice-chair of the board.

Mason and Maio will take the place of Commissioners Charles Hines and Christine Robinson. The two were unanimously elected during the board’s retreat Tuesday, Dec. 2. Commissioner Paul Caragiulo, district 2, was selected as pro tempore.

Carolyn Mason has served on the commission since 2008. She also served as chair in 2012. Besides her governmental positions, which include city of Sarasota commissioner for four years and city mayor for two years, Mason has worked for Habitat for Humanity Sarasota and was the director of family support and the intake manager at the Salvation Army.

Mason, a Sarasota native, said she was looking forward to serving as chair again, and had one goal in particular: to foster a more positive relationship with the municipalities in Sarasota County.

She said she didn’t have specific strategies for facilitating that positivity, yet.

“It starts with talking and communicating,” Mason said.

A 30-year resident of the county, Maio was elected to the board in November. Although he’s a new face behind the dais, Maio said in a previous interview with the Sarasota Observer that there wouldn’t be too many surprises for him on the commission. He’s a former director of planning for Kimly Horn, county planning commissioner, county code enforcement board member and county board of zoning appeals member. In his various roles, he’s had a hand in several ongoing county projects, such as the Siesta Key beach improvement project.

Mason and Maio will begin their leadership roles on the board Jan. 1.