Cindy was elected to the Okaloosa County School Board in 1998, was re-elected in 2002 and again in 2006, without opposition. She has served two terms as chairman and five terms as vice-chairman. She is the School Board representative to the Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation and has also been active in lobbying for educational issues in Tallahassee (she organized the local chapter of Fund Education Now, a parent advocacy group).
Her signature project, and one she campaigned for, is the CHOICE program for career/technical education. Under her leadership, CHOICE Institutes have been named the model for technical education for the State of Florida and have received numerous state and national awards.
Launched in August, 2004, CHOICE allows students to earn a high school diploma, university credits at no cost to their families, and nationally recognized industry certifications leading to high-paying careers. In its first year, CHOICE was honored with Florida’s highest award for workforce innovation, the Sen. George Kirkpatrick Award. The award cites the CHOICE Institutes as the state’s best and most innovative program in career-technical education. It was also chosen by the Workforce Innovation Board to serve as the model for a replication project for other school districts in Florida.
Cindy served on the selection committee to identify counties to receive the replication grant money. She was a workshop presenter at the Workforce Summit in Orlando in October, 2005, showcasing the CHOICE program for other Workforce boards throughout the state. She also presented at the At Risk Youth National Forum in Myrtle Beach in February, 2006. CHOICE was honored with one of six Theodore Small Awards from the National Association of Workforce Boards in Washington, D. C. Legislation passed in 2008 mandated this educational delivery model for all districts in Florida.
Cindy has been an active member of the community for more than 34 years, with most of her emphasis on issues dealing with children and families. She served as president of the Junior League the year the Emerald Coast Science Center opened and served on the Center’s Community Advisory Board or Board of Directors for past 17 years. She has served on the Board of Trustees of Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, is past president and current member of the Ft. Walton Beach Area Panhellenic, past Chairman for the Okaloosa County Economic Development Council, and serves on the Workforce Board of Okaloosa and Walton Counties. In addition, she is a member of the Emerald Coast Military Affairs Council, Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce and Republican Women. She is also a Governor’s appointee to the West Florida Regional Planning Council, currently serving as chairman. She is also president of the state organization, Florida Regional Councils Association. She was chosen as Emerald Coast BusinessWoman of the Year in 1991 and elected to Who’s Who on the Emerald Coast in 1993.
Active in residential and commercial real estate sales for 24 years, Cindy is currently a broker and First Vice President of American Realty in Shalimar. She holds membership in the Florida and National Association of REALTORS, as well as the local association, where she has served two terms as secretary on the Board of Directors and on the Legislative Committee.
She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma in Communication Disorders and her graduate degree from University of West Florida in Habilitative Science. She is a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Delta Kappa, international education honorary.
Married for 42 years to Bernie, a retired US Air Force pilot and current instructor pilot at Hurlburt, they have two sons and five grandchildren.