Patricia ‘Shannen’ Davis Again Merits Support

In contrast to East Kendall’s Community Council 12 where voters have a single primary race, Community Council 11 has four contested seats in the Aug. 26 primary. But what is most striking is that among the 10 candidates in West Kendall, no less seven of eight individuals seek office for the first time. Because they are divided by district boundaries, Sub Areas 112, 113, and 114 voters will be choosing among seven new candidates to represent them on the Council. (At least two seats will bring newcomers to the board since incumbents chose not to run again).

However, all West Kendall voters will have a voice in one key post. In 2006, former Commissioner Joe Martinez created an “At Large” seat by eliminating Sub Area 111 when vacancies failed to attract willing mid-term appointees– making that position one in which all West Kendall voters now participate.

For the past eight years, Patricia “Shannen” Davis has held that position, having been elected unopposed in a September 2006 primary after prior service on the Council. Her colleagues subsequently elected Ms. Davis as Chairperson two times for her careful judgment of issues at hand.

That alone is almost reason enough to favor her reelection, but in the face of so many newcomers on the ballot, it becomes more than prudent to ensure that a voice of experience will be present to guide future Council decisions. Beyond her longevity in office are Ms. Davis’s educational and professional credentials. With a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Barry University, she is a certified professional in case management of child neglect and abuse problems, an area sorely in need of dedication and expertise, as revealed by the Miami Herald exposes of the past year.

In addition, Ms. Davis has volunteered her service as an Anger Management facilitator for Lifeline of Miami while raising two sons and residing with her mother in the Forrest Lakes area of Kendall, additional time constraints. When Ms. Davis failed to appear at the Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations Council 11 candidate forum on July 28, a friend said “she couldn’t leave a matter involving her work — in the Keys.”

Ms. Davis said four years ago she thought about relinquishing her seat but key agenda items involving land use at that time needed “an experienced hand” and that running again was “the right thing to do.” Her platform then as now: careful consideration of Kendall zoning decisions to protect values of neighborhood property in the face of often overriding developmental pressure. Her dedication to public service combined with a special need this year to retain such able experience leads Community Newspapers once again to endorse Patricia Davis for the At-Large position on Community Council 11.


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