By PALMER WILSON NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Volusia County Councilwoman Joie Alexander is a class act.
Not only did she, unlike her opponent, run an ethical and clean campaign, but she also took the effort to stand on various streets here in New Smyrna Beach with a big “Thank You” sign after she won in an effort to truly thank those voters that elected her to the District 3 seat after she was term-limited as an at-large member.
But that is not the first example of real class in a politician, she is also known for calling people she has never met, who donated to her campaign, and personally thanking them for their contribution.
Now when was the last time a politician, who has never met you, called you on the phone and personally thanked you for a donation? Well, Joie Alexander had never met me or my wife, yet called our house and personally thanked us for the donation. That folks is a grass-roots level “class act” that some of our other elected officials could learn from. But she did not stop there. She followed up with thank you ads in the local papers and made visits to various city commission meetings to again thank those in attendance that supported her.
Now when was the last time a politician, who has never met you, called you on the phone and personally thanked you for a donation? Well, Joie Alexander had never met me or my wife, yet called our house and personally thanked us for the donation. That folks is a grass-roots level “class act” that some of our other elected officials could learn from. But she did not stop there. She followed up with thank you ads in the local papers and made visits to various city commission meetings to again thank those in attendance that supported her.
At the same time, she was becoming more familiar with issues that face us at the city level. Finally, I can assure you that if you write or e-mail Joie Alexander, she will respond and do so personally. That is a trait our own city commissioners, with one or two exceptions, could learn from.
So take the time to communicate with her and tell her your feelings about the county government. Get involved, and you will find out why this politician is both a very “classy” lady and someone who understands and respects who she represents.
Blog Posted: Sun, 11/21/2010 - 00:17
Palmer Wilson, a New Smyrna Beach resident and a law enforcement consultant, who ran for a seat on the New Smyrna Beach City Commission in 2009, and briefly served as chair of the Southwest Volusia Advertising Authority in 2018, writes an occasional blog (Unfinished Business) for Headline Surfer.