Dick Schweers

Commissioners

		Dick Schweers Commissioner Dick Schweers has been on the Board of Estero Fire Rescue since August of 1997 and currently serves as the Board’s Chairman. Commissioner Schweers worked for Northern Illinois Gas for 37 years before retiring as a District Superintendent in 1992. During his last 5 years with NiGas, he served as Chairman on the Board of Commissioners of the Lisle-Woodridge Fire Protection District in Northern Illinois. Commissioner Schweers currently resides in Fountain Lakes, is a member of the Estero Historical Society and is past-President and current Secretary of the Notre Dame Club of Southwest Florida.

		James Mendolera Commissioner Mendolera retired in 2009 at the rank of Captain serving more than 35 years with the E. Cleveland and Mayfield Hts. Fire Departments in Ohio. He held certifications as a Paramedic, Fire Safety Inspector, and Fire Instructor thru 2013 and taught Fire Science at Lakeland College, Mentor, Ohio 1982-84. Commissioner Mendolera holds an AAS Degree in Fire Science from Lakeland College. Commissioner Mendolera has received two letters of commendation for fire rescues, was the 1999 Lions Club International Firefighter of the Year, and was the 2008 recipient of the Cleveland Clinic EMS Council for Award of Excellence and Distinguished Service Medal for helping in saving the life of a police officer. He has been a committee member of the E. Cleveland Safety Forces Olde Tymers Nite for the past 20 years raising thousands of dollars through donations for retired police and firefighters and sponsoring events to honor those who have retired. Commissioner Mendolera currently resides in Bella Terra.

		Bruce Philp Commissioner Bruce Philp retired in 1999 as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Holophane Corporation, a publicly held NYSE listed international manufacturer of highly engineered lighting systems. His 25 year career with the company encompassed all aspects of finance including budgeting, strategic planning, banking, mergers and acquisitions, risk management, information systems and investor relations. He holds an undergraduate degree in economics and mathematics and an MBA in corporate finance. Since 2005 Commissioner Philp has been active in the Shadow Wood Community Association in a finance capacity beginning with the transition of community control from the Bonita Bay Group. Following the transition in 2006, he was the Treasurer for the Association for three years as well as the Finance Chair for the Brooks Council of Presidents. Over the years he has worked with the Supervisors of Community Development Districts I and II and is currently on the Finance Committee for the Shadow Wood Community Association Board of Directors. He and his wife Kay live in Shadow Wood at the Brooks where they have been full time residents since 2002. He was appointed to the EFR Board of Commissioners in November 2009 following the unfortunate passing of Commissioner Sam Levy.

		Sean James Born in Ireland, Sean James emigrated to the USA at age 20. Graduating from Manhattan College with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration he worked with Price Waterhouse in public accounting for 3 years before joining Black & Decker. Initially working in progressive areas of financial control for 7 years; he progressed into General Management where for the next 8 years he was responsible for the strategic direction and operational control of three different business divisions. In addition, he had financial control for the restructuring and re-alignment of all operations in Australasia, and in South America. Following his seventeen years with Black & Decker, he was recruited as President & CEO of Wagner Spray Tech in Minneapolis where, over the next 15 years, he grew and broadened the business base in the consumer, contractor, and industrial markets. Since retiring in February 2003 Sean has been active in general business consulting, as a Commissioner on the Estero Fire Rescue Board, on the Board of Acme Manufacturing in Denver, CO, as well as being active in activities at his church and an active member of the Knights of Columbus. He is happily married to his wife Catherine of 44 years and they have two sons.

		Bill Williams Commissioner Bill Williams spent 32 years as a City/Town Manager in both New York and Massachusetts. During his tenure, he became certified by FEMA as an Incident Commander and performed the duties of Emergency Management Director for the city. He retired in 2009. Since that time, Commissioner Williams has served as a member of the Cascades at Estero Homeowners Association Finance committee, was elected Director in 2011, and President in 2012. He has also served as the Cascades representative to the ECCL since 2010 and is currently Co-Chair of the ECCL transportation Committee. This Committee represent all Estero transportation issues for Federal, State, and local system roads and projects. In 2010, then Lee County Manager Karen Hawes selected Commissioner Williams as one of three civilian members to serve on the County Budget and Taxation Committee. This Committee meets monthly and makes recommendation on fiscal policy to the Board of County Commissioners. In 2012 , Commissioner Williams was appointed as a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Metropolitan Transportation Organization. He earned a BS and MPA from New York University with a concentration in Management and Finance. He served as an Adjunct Professor of Management at Fordham University, Bronx, NY. Commissioner Williams has been married to his wife Deborah A. Williams for 27 years, has two sons, and lives in The Cascades.