AskFlagler Mosquito Control Candidate Interview: Ralph Lightfoot

Ralph Lightfoot is one of two candidates running for Seat 3 on the East Flagler Mosquito Control Board of Commissioners. He is the incumbent candidate, facing challenger Lance Alred in his bid for another term.

All three Mosquito Control seats were up for election this year, but incumbent Commissioner Mike Martin did not draw a challenger, leaving only two races to appear on the ballot in November. Along with Lightfoot and Alred, incumbent Julius ‘Jules’ Kwiatkowski will face challenger Perry Mitrano for Seat 1.

Other Candidate Interviews

Flagler County Commission:

• Andy Dance – Flagler County Commission, District 1
• Fernando Melendez – Flagler County Commission, District 1
• Kim Carney – Flagler County Commission, District 3
• Bill Clark – Flagler County Commission, District 3 (Did Not Complete)
• Nick Klufas – Flagler County Commission, District 3
• Ed Danko – Flagler County Commission, District 5
• Michael McElroy – Flagler County Commission, District 5
• Pam Richardson – Flagler County Commission, District 5

Flagler School Board:

• Derek Barrs – Flagler School Board, District 3
• Janie Ruddy – Flagler School Board, District 3
• Lauren Ramirez – Flagler School Board, District 5
• Vincent Sullivan – Flagler School Board, District 5

East Flagler Mosquito Control Board:

• Julius ‘Jules’ Kwiatkowski – East Flagler Mosquito Control Board, Seat 1
• Perry Mitrano – East Flagler Mosquito Control Board, Seat 1
• Lance Alred – East Flagler Mosquito Control Board, Seat 3
• Ralph Lighfoot – East Flagler Mosquito Control Board, Seat 3

Palm Coast City Council:

• David Alfin – Palm Coast Mayor
• Peter Johnson – Palm Coast Mayor
• Alan Lowe – Palm Coast Mayor
• Cornelia Downing Manfre – Palm Coast Mayor
• Mike Norris – Palm Coast Mayor (Did Not Complete)
• Kathy Austrino – Palm Coast City Council, District 1
• Shara Brodsky – Palm Coast City Council, District 1
• Ty Miller – Palm Coast City Council, District 1
• Jeffery Seib – Palm Coast City Council, District 1
• Dana ‘Mark’ Stancel – Palm Coast City Council, District 3
• Ray Stevens – Palm Coast City Council, District 3
• Andrew Werner – Palm Coat City Council, District 3

Interview Criteria

• The object of the interview is not to grill the candidate, nor to give them softballs. Ideally, in their answers the candidates provide to voters a useful insight into their ideology, their priorities, and their knowledgeability and preparedness for office.
• These questions are sent to each declared candidate in Flagler County’s local elections. All candidates running for the same office received the same exact questions.
• The only edits made are for spelling, formatting and basic grammar (i.e., ‘their’ when it should be ‘there’). Censorship of profanity may also be applied if it were applicable. Otherwise, answers are presented in their full form as the candidate provides them.
• Answers are subject to fact-checking if they contain information that’s blatantly misleading or untrue (misrepresenting factually verifiable information, misquoting a statistic, etc). Clarifications will be added underneath the candidate’s answer if applicable. The answers will still be presented as given even if a fact-check or clarification is needed.

Candidate Interview

Date of Birth:

Hometown:

Career/Educational Resume: “I have been retired for 20 years. Last worked at IBM/Lucent/ATT for 27 years.”

1. The East Flagler Mosquito Control District is one of the county’s least understood government agencies, certainly among those with elected representatives. In your words, what should residents look for in a Mosquito Control Commissioner? What makes you someone who embodies those characteristics?

“One of the primary characteristics of a good commissioner is punctuality. A commissioner must also be adept at reading and analyzing monthly financial reports, asking tough questions, and being a dedicated steward of taxpayer funds. Regular attendance at monthly meetings is essential. I have not missed a meeting in four years, demonstrating my commitment and reliability. My suitability for this role is further evidenced by my habit of asking tough questions and consistently striving to drive consensus on various issues.”

2. Building further upon public awareness, how good a job is the Mosquito Control District presently doing at educating the county on the nature and importance of its functions?

“Our outreach program is twofold. Chairman Mike Martin actively engages with politicians at both the local and state levels. He has invited our state senator and state representative to tour our facilities. Nicole Graves, who leads our outreach program, is second to none. She actively engages with the school system, running contests such as mosquito logo design and sweater design competitions each year.

“Additionally, we have a comprehensive bromeliad program that explains how this beautiful plant is a harbor for mosquitos. We use social media to raise awareness about container mosquitoes and related issues. Nicole also mentors two interns from the school system, enhancing our outreach efforts. Furthermore, we have been on the radio several times, explaining the dangers of container mosquitoes to the local population.

“We work closely with homeowners’ associations to educate them on the dangers of planting bromeliads and collaborate with the Emergency Operations Center to ensure smooth district expansion. Chairman Martin did an excellent job of informing the commissioners about our district’s operations during the expansion process. Our outreach efforts are extensive and highly effective.

“We are present at most public events in Flagler County, and our helicopter is very popular with the kids. Our social media engagement number increases each month.”

3. Describe your experience forming and managing budgets, aside from personal/home finance.

“At IBM, I managed the budget for a department of 35 technicians. I ensured efficient use of resources and kept costs under control. By regularly reviewing financial reports and making strategic decisions, I optimized our operations while staying within budget. This balance of financial oversight and resource management helped our team succeed.”

4. How would you evaluate the East Flagler Mosquito Control District’s current preparedness to coordinate with other relevant government agencies, such as the Department of Health, in the event of a mosquito-borne illness outbreak in Flagler County?

“We are extremely fortunate in Flagler County to have Mark Positano as our Director of Operations. Mark is highly trained, educated, and dedicated to his job. He keeps all the commissioners informed of new developments, including advances in genetically modified (GMO) mosquitoes. Mark maintains constant contact with the local health department and is extremely knowledgeable about disease-carrying mosquito species. He is also in contact with the Emergency Operations Center and procedures are in place to deal with any outbreak.

“Our primary job here is to control the mosquito population, and Mark provides weekly operational updates on the contents of all traps. This allows us to monitor any spikes in the number of mosquitoes. He is also aware of the recent malaria and dengue cases detected in Florida. These cases were all travel-related.

“We are extremely lucky to have Mark overseeing mosquito control in Flagler County.”