- November 6, 2024
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More than 50 years after first serving as a city councilor, Greenbrook’s Peter DeAngelis is back in public office.
DeAngelis was appointed to the vacant seat on the Board of Supervisors for Lakewood Ranch Community Development District 4, which owns and maintains the common areas in Greenbrook, on May 19. He was also named the CDD’s new treasurer.
DeAngelis moved to Greenbrook 10 years ago from Tallmadge, Ohio. DeAngelis wanted to be active in his community like he was in Ohio, where he served as city councilman in Akron from 1966 to 1972 and in Tallmadge from 2001 to 2007.
He started by joining the Greenbrook Village Homeowner Association’s Modification Committee in 2015, becoming its chairman in 2017. He joined the HOA’s Board of Directors in 2016 and has served as its treasurer since.
“I'm retired, of course, but I can't sit around the house,” DeAngelis said. “I need to do something, and I enjoy this. I enjoy meeting people, talking at work about problems, maybe (sharing) some ideas, things that I would like to see done.”
DeAngelis said his experience on the HOA will benefit him on the CDD because he has been in touch with the wants and needs of people in his community for years already. He said he has attended nearly every CDD meeting for the past three years. CDD 4 Vice Chair Keith Davey agreed.
“It's like getting a job,” Davey said. “You need to know something about the job beforehand. You don't interview for a job and not realize what you're interviewing for. He's been active. We look for people who are active, who are committed, who will be attending meetings.”
DeAngelis considered running for CDD in the past, but he liked the job the board was doing and didn’t want to disrupt it by running against one of its members.
“It's a great board,” DeAngelis said. “They get along well. They look out for us. They seem to know what's going on.”
A seat opened on the board two months ago when John Freeman moved to another community in Lakewood Ranch. DeAngelis said it was the perfect opportunity to try to join the board. He said one of his strengths will be his knowledge of the CDD and community, which could allow him to assimilate with the board quickly.
“I love the way they’ve handled our money,” DeAngelis said. “They look out for it. They work well with the (Lakewood Ranch) administration.”
DeAngelis said he has a lot of experience managing money to improve a community and his insurance background means he’s looking out for potential liabilities. Davey said DeAngelis’ experience as the HOA treasurer will serve him well as the CDD treasurer, because he has been reviewing the community’s budgets for years.
DeAngelis also gained experience in finance as part of the Akron City Council’s Finance Committee and as the vice president of Arcade Insurance Agency.
DeAngelis said one of the first things he wants to do is help the community cut down on watering lawns, which would save the CDD money because it buys non-potable water from Schroeder-Manatee Ranch through Braden River Utilities. He plans to wait and get his bearings on the board before pushing for any other ideas.
“When you’re new to a board, you’ve got to go slow,” DeAngelis said.
DeAngelis said the most important things for constituents to know about him are that he's always available and dedicated to transparency.
“I want everybody to know what’s going on all the time,” DeAngelis said. “They’re grading us, telling us what we’re doing right and what we’re doing wrong.”
