On November 28, 2023, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met for their weekly forum to hear citizen input and vote on a variety of issues. This meeting included the dedication of the airport tower to the memory of Gary Schraut and the election of the chairman, vice chair, and second vice chairman of the board, among many other topics.
The first vote was to elevate Commissioner Elizabeth Narverud from vice chair to chair. As she had expressed interest in the position in the past, Commissioner Jerry Campbell voiced his support. Commissioner Brian Hawkins officially motioned for a vote regarding her election and Campbell seconded the decision. With the vote passing unanimously, Commissioner Narverud took over the role previously occupied by Chairman John Allocco.
“I’d like to say thank you, John,” Chairwoman Narverud said. “I have got some big shoes to fill, and I will do my best to make you proud.”
The newly minted chairwoman then entertained motions for the vice chair and second vice chair positions. Commissioner Steve Champion noted that he would not make a motion for either him or the former chairman as neither were interested in the roles “because of election year.” Instead, he forwarded the elevation of Commissioner Hawkins to vice chair and Commissioner Campbell to second vice chair. After Commissioner Allocco seconded the motion, both votes passed unanimously by a margin of 5-0.
Afterward, the commissioners acknowledged the efforts of the former chairman and voiced their appreciation for Allocco’s leadership.
“I just want to say again thank you, sir, for your leadership and for your service,” Commissioner Campbell said. “I don’t think people realize the extra duties that it takes to be a chairman and I definitely realize that you are the one that gets the most calls, the most emails. We all share in that, but [the chairman] gets more than we do. So, I appreciate your leadership… I was thinking of a word to describe your leadership style and I would say servant leadership is right there at top, but steadfast is what kept coming back to me… I think that fits you perfectly. So, thank you.”
“I couldn’t say it any better,” Commissioner Hawkins said. “I really appreciate your leadership. The word that I was thinking about was apostolic. I think that it is one of those things where you have the epitome of the person at interest at heart in everything you do. I think that is what a leader is defined as, and somebody that really helped me along in my first year as well. So, I just wanted to thank you, sir.”
Commissioner Champion recognized Allocco’s work and sympathized with the former chairman, as Champion had previously served in the role himself. County Administrator Jeff Rogers appreciated Allocco’s handling of major storms during his tenure. With natural disasters like Hurricane Idalia always looming over the state, it will now be Chairwoman Narverud’s responsibility to lead the county’s board during times of hardship and times of prosperity.
