Commissioners Add Four New Hires to Aide Positions

BRADENTON — Manatee County Commissioners have hired four new commissioner aides to assist them in their service to the community. It is the first time that the local government will have seven total commissioner aides on staff—one for each commissioner—with one aide working remotely.

During a BOCC special meeting in early Jan., Commission Chair George Kruse delivered a “State of the Chair” presentation. Included in the presentation was the board’s priority to expand commissioners’ accessibility to the public they serve.

As Kruse explained, one measure commissioners would implement to accomplish this goal was for each commissioner to hire a personal aide. Kruse referenced that a previous board years prior had taken an action to establish the ability for the board to hire up to seven total aides, should the board desire. 

Prior to 2020, the county had three commissioner aides on staff who were shared between seven commissioners.

Following the 2020 election, a new board majority was seated. Throughout the three years that followed, the county organization experienced significant change, including multiple county administrators, departmental reorganizations, and employee turnover.

These changes were also seen among the commissioner aide positions, with vacancies arising and then being filled before vacancies arose again.

In 2021, another aide position was added, bringing the total count to four, with six commissioners sharing three aides and the board chair having an aide to themselves.

In 2022, three new commissioners were elected to the board, and again, the commissioner aide positions saw vacancies, with just two aide positions filled for the seven commissioners to share.

In Jan. 2023, then-commission chair Vanessa Baugh proposed that the board consider passing a measure that would allow commissioners to be more directly involved in the aide hiring process and access to the resumes and interviews of applicants.

In the past, commissioner aides were county employees under the supervision of the county administrator.

Commissioner Amanda Ballard agreed with Baugh’s proposal, adding that commissioners should be able to hire aides they "can know and trust" and that aides' functions should be broadened to include acting as communication liaisons between commissioners and the administration and department directors.

The proposal was received positively, and all commissioners agreed, but one detail was unable to be agreed upon—how many aide positions should be created or filled.

Commissioners debated the pros and cons of continuing with four aide positions or increasing to a total of seven. Some commissioners questioned whether seven aides were necessary or fiscally prudent.

The commissioners agreed to direct the county attorney to draft a resolution placing oversight for the hiring of future aides into the hands of commissioners. In addition, the resolution would switch supervisor authority over the aides to commissioners and leave open the ability to hire a total of seven aides if the board decided to do so in the future.

With the adoption of Resolution 23-023 in January 2023, commissioner aides would become county employees under the supervision of the commissioners. Their duties and responsibilities would be decided/dictated by the commissioner(s) they'd serve, and the commissioners would take over responsibility for the interview and hiring process, among other provisions.  

The then-board decided to stay with only four aide positions and by March 2023, all four positions were successfully filled.

Addressing his colleagues during the special meeting last month, Kruse explained that the current board’s decision to move forward with increasing the aide positions to seven would provide commissioners with an increased ability “to speak to and hear from more people” in the community.

“The advantage of having individual aides is that now these aides are going to be able to be out in the public,” Kruse said, addressing his fellow commissioners. “They are going to be able to show up at your HOAs, they are going to be able to speak for you much like if you go talk to aides at Representatives or Senator's offices. It’s going to give you another voice and a second set of eyes on things… and to be much more informed about what’s going on in the county.”

Commissioners Mike Rahn, Jason Bearden, and Kruse will continue utilizing the aides that they previously shared with former commissioners whose terms ended in 2024.

Four new aides were hired by Commissioners Amanda Ballard, Bob McCann, Tal Siddique, and Carol Felts. Each of the commissioners selected aides with varying qualifications, skills, and work experience.

District 1

Vinola Rodrigues will serve as aide to District 1 Commissioner Carol Felts. A resident of Lakewood Ranch, Rodriques' prior work experience includes more than four years as an office and project manager for the Living Sanctuary Church and Kingdom Academy Early Learning Center.

She has also been a Weight Watchers International Trainer since 2009, and for roughly six months in 2024, she served as the Public Information Officer (PIO) at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office under former SOE James Satcher.

During her time at the SOE Office, Rodrigues’ responsibilities included the management of press releases and media relations, and ensuring the timely and accurate dissemination of critical information to registered voters county-wide.

On her application for the commissioner aide position, Rodrigues cites her reason for leaving the SOE was due to the election of a new Supervisor of Elections.

Reached by email, Commissioner Felts shared that she was very impressed by Rodrigues during the interview process.

“Vinola and I had no prior acquaintance, though I was aware through her resume and references that she had worked for the SOE previously,” Felts wrote. “Vinola presented herself professionally, and with the skill sets I felt would excel in the position.”

District 2

District 2 Commissioner Amanda Ballard selected Cindy Nelson to serve as her aide.

Nelson is a resident of Oneco, in Manatee County’s District 2. She joins the Manatee County Government after a nearly 29-year career with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office.

Nelson was first hired to the SOE in 1996 under former Supervisor Bob Sweat and continued her work at the office under Supervisors Mike Bennett and James Satcher.

Her experience within the SOE includes former positions as Senior Poll Worker Coordinator and conducting data entry and customer service for the Voter Services Department. Her work at the SOE included operating various office equipment and software.

In her application, Nelson wrote that her decision to apply for the commissioner aide position despite her long career at the SOE, was because she was “looking to continue her dedicated service with the county in a different capacity.”

Before she started her career at the SOE, Nelson had prior secretarial and office experience.

District 3

District 3 Commissioner Tal Siddique chose to approach the aide selection a little bit differently than his colleagues. Siddique selected a candidate who will assist him remotely.

Maria Zuleta is a resident of Miramar, Florida, in Broward County. Zuleta’s prior experience includes serving as a district aide under Rep. Tom Fabricio’s legislative aide from 2021-2022.

According to her resume, while serving as a district aide, Zuleta was Head of Constituent Services and managed day-to-day operations, including payment of bills, maintenance of office files and supplies, and office communications. Her work also required her to collaborate with municipal and county officials on community outreach initiatives. 

Before joining Manatee County Government, Zuleta was a Senior Account Executive from 2022-2023 at Harris Media LLC. According to its website, Harris Media is a “digital advertising and creative strategy firm in Center-Right politics.”

During her time with Harris Media, Zuleta’s resume includes that she was responsible for conducting “high-stakes” meetings with “top-tier” clients and government officials. She also “led the successful execution of project management initiatives for internationally renowned organizations and public figures, including heads of State.” 

Her work experience includes the development and implementation of lead-generation strategies, as well as market research, email and SMS campaigns, graphic design, and budget management, among other skills.

Zuleta is a graduate of Nova Southeastern University, where she earned two Bachelor’s Degrees—one in political science and the other in legal studies. She is currently working on completing a Master’s in Public Administration.

TBT reached out to Siddique by phone to inquire about his decision to hire an aide who would serve him remotely. He shared with us that his approach to the interview and hiring of an aide was based firmly on what he hopes he can accomplish in his role as a commissioner.

“In considering how I could best utilize the assistance of an aide, I felt the role and expense were best filled by responsibilities above that of office staff or a secretary,” Siddique explained. “My main focus in interviewing and reviewing Maria’s application for the position was on her legislative experience.”

Siddique told us that while Zuleta’s responsibilities will include scheduling and constituent communications, she also has knowledge and experience that is valuable when it comes to policy proposals.

“I receive a lot of policy-driven requests from the community,” Siddique described, “One example would be my recent proposal for local regulations on short-term rentals. Having an aide who can help me be prepared is critical, and it leads to more transparency when setting agenda items… placing two or three sentences on an agenda item I’ve proposed is not transparent in my estimation, I think the public should have access to as much information as possible about actions I may be bringing forward. Maria has been very effective in this sense, and that can be seen in my recent policy proposal for short-term rentals.”

Siddique added that his aide’s prior experience at the legislative level helps him be more informed and prepared in his role, especially when it comes to drafting ordinance proposals or researching legislative actions or state laws that may relate to or pre-empt a proposed policy initiative or action.

Resolution 23-023 grants commissioners discretion and oversight of the aide hiring process, and there are no restrictions within the resolution or county policy that would bar a commissioner from opting for a “remote” aide.

District 5

Edward Bailey will serve as the aide to District 5 Commissioner Bob McCann.

A resident of Bradenton, Bailey brings prior professional experience, having served as a paraprofessional and assistant to the CEO at Team Success School.

He is a current student at the University of South Florida, working on completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences.

The youngest of the commissioner aides, Bailey’s prior work experience also includes two years in retail customer service.

About Commissioner Aides

According to records provided by Manatee County, the position of commissioner aide has a set salary range of $48,615 to $72,880.

Commissioner aides are expected to perform “advanced and highly responsible administrative, research and technical work” for their assigned commissioners. The position requires “initiative, independent judgment, and extensive knowledge of district-specific issues, policies, and constituent concerns.”

An aide will also “act as the primary point of contact for constituent services, providing professional representation for the commissioner in meetings, events, and communications.”

The commissioner aide’s position will conclude when the term of the commissioner in which the aide serves ends unless the aide is transferred or assigned to a different commissioner.

Minimum qualifications for the position include a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Communications, or a related field and a minimum of three years of experience providing high-level administrative and research support in government, nonprofit, or related fields.

A comparable combination of education, training, and/or work experience that provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for the position may be substituted for the minimum qualifications. According to Resolution 23-023, this would be at the discretion of the interviewing commissioner.

Each of the new commissioner aides began in their roles on Jan. 21, with a starting salary of $58,240.

The three existing and currently serving commissioner aides are as follows:

• Dana Summers, hired in 2023, aide to Commissioner George Kruse (at large)
• Kelli O’Malley, hired in 2023, aide to Commissioner Jason Bearden (at large)
• Marianne Bejster, hired in 2024, aide to Commissioner Mike Rahn (D4)

The commissioners’ aides' contact emails and phone numbers are publicly available on the Manatee County Government website under the county commissioners tab.

Information for contacting your county commissioner and/or their aide can be found by visiting:
www.mymanatee.org/government/board_of_county_commissioners/contact_your_commissioner