New planning manager appreciates Longboat's passion for preservation

Elma Felix’s office matches her personality perfectly. 

Almost every part of her office has a different plant, colorful painting or piece of art. Vinyl records of Bob Marley and Third World sit atop her bookshelf, filled with books about design and writing. 

But of all the things in her office, the thing she feels is the most important is a small, framed picture of her with her dad on a beach when she was a toddler. 

When the days are hectic, Felix finds this picture grounds her and helps slow things down. It helps her remember where she came from. 

Felix is Longboat Key’s new planning manager, tasked with overseeing a little bit of everything. 

She was born in Brooklyn, New York, but grew up on St. Lucia. Design and art have always been a big part of her life, and she currently sits on the board at The Ringling Museum. 

Beginning at a very young age, Felix said she’s had a fascination with the built environment. 

“It made me feel like I belonged,” Felix said. 

Living within an environment that has been built with dedication allows her to feel connected and at home. Seeing people be passionate about their own community is something that makes Felix even more excited. 

This is something she’s already noticed and appreciated about Longboat Key — the passion that residents have for preserving the character of the island. 

Felix recalls her first day fondly. The first face she saw was Support Services Director Carolyn Brown, with whom Felix worked with for years at Sarasota County. 

“It felt immediately like home,” Felix said. Aside from Brown, she was able to see other faces she recognized from Sarasota County. 

Prior to starting in Longboat Key in August, Felix worked with Sarasota County for a decade.

At the county, she held a variety of planning roles, but the biggest project she spearheaded during her time was updating the comprehensive plan. The plan went on to win numerous awards, and allowed Felix to further explore the links between policies within government. 

She’s now at the point in her career when she wanted to maintain the direction of making a positive impact, now on a smaller scale. 

Longboat Key was a perfect fit. 

In her position on Longboat Key, Felix’s job is broad but important. In a typical day, she does simple things, such as residential rental renewal, to more complex things like long-range policy initiatives. 

Working on a smaller scale is great also because one can see firsthand how multiple sectors of government work together to identify problems and conceptualize solutions. 

Felix said she loves how passionate residents are about maintaining Longboat Key’s character, and is eager to interact with community members.