Jeff Hendry, the Executive Director of the John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of Government, has filed to run for the Leon County Commission in 2020. Hendry is running for the County’s At Large Group 1 seat which is currently held by Mary Ann Lindley, who announced she will not seek another term.
The Leon County Supervisor of Elections website shows that David Hawkins, Erik Michael David and Melissa Villar have previously filed to run for the seat.
In a press release, Hendry said, “Leon County has always been home for me. I’ve been blessed to have found great professional and personal opportunities in our community, and now I want to work relentlessly to make sure every neighbor in every zip code can do the same.”
Hendry is a graduate of Godby High School and received a Bachelors and Master’s degree in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University.
Hendry believes his work with local governments over the last thirty years provides a unique perspective about governance. “My experience has told me that good governance happens when communities marry a strong ethical foundation with strategic decision making and that is what I aim to bring to the Leon County Commission,” said Hendry.
In the campaign press release, Hendry praised the efforts of Commissioner Lindley with regards to job training.
“Our community has been blessed to have a great public steward in Mary Ann Lindley these past eight years. Her work on job training and launching Leon Works has been impactful and my aim will be to continue that tradition while pursuing an agenda focused on creating expanded and practical career opportunities for Leon County residents,” said Hendry.
Hendry is married and a father of two and has managed for the past 20 years the Capital Tiger Bay Club.
Jeff Hendry Files for Leon County Commission added by Steve Stewart on
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Jeff, Yes Tallahassee could use better jobs. It seems to me the economic engines here are primarily State Government or University. Every election, I am amazed by the support local businesses give candidates who want to reduce taxes for Federal, State and local government. Tallahassee is a Government town and it seems to me supporting reduced government is self-defeating. If there are fewer state or local government jobs then there are fewer people buying homes, renting property and shopping locally. Tallahassee is a white collar town. White collar jobs are for the college educated applicant. If we want more jobs for blue collar folks it is important that out City/county officials embrace things like Unions, increased industrial waste and air/water pollution and their remedy costs. We are surrounded by counties where manufacturing and mining are nonexistent. Agriculture and viticulture doesn’t pay well. We have no oil or mineral wealth to exploit. WE are not logistically / geographically positioned via, ship, rail or river to benefit economically. Yes, there is land to be developed but as for economic drivers we are limited. Can we create tourist attractions? Maybe if the entire town gets behind it, we could make enough improvements to become a quaint down town such as Thomasville. Or we could make our lakes Public and add water parks and boardwalks, etc. But continuously reducing local, and state government jobs does Tallahassee a great disservice. The local newspaper is called the Democrat for a reason. Anyone paying attention has to notice the GOP isn’t going help Tallahassee out. State Government and university employees do not give fat checks to politicians but their contractors do in hope they will get a fat return later on or that the recipient will support what they want. There is a conflict in that State/local governments hire the best qualified folks they can which means they are becoming increasingly professional but the tax paying public isn’t fascinated by boring business professionalism and seeks flashy news, scandal or anything with passion. Face it Government isn’t very flashy or sexy so people lose interest and then Politicians drum up interest claiming government employees are the problem and how can we tear down those professional institutions and start over ridding the body politic of so many undeserving who are of course replaced by patronage folks or campaign sycophants. The beat goes on! Of course the city/county could support neighborhood groups with community organizers and planners to get to grass roots level for buy in but that is messy. I have worked in the Balkans with international government, Germany with local governments, Military and civilian side and like so many other retiree from both call Tallahassee home. Tallahassee is a unique Town with a large body of folks with unique experience and talents but there is also much cynicism. If only it could all be harnessed for a common purpose!EH!
Good Luck
Bill
From: Bill McCusker
Sent: Wednesday, August 5, 2020 12:04 PM
To: letters@tallahassee.com
Subject: RE: South and west sides of county need good jobs, affordable homes | Opinion
RE: South and west sides of county need good jobs, affordable homes | Opinion
I moved from Ohio to Tallahassee in 1982 to start up a manufacturing plant in the commonwealth park for Robbins and Myers which assembled Hunter Ceiling Fans and the sub fractional motors for the IBM electric typewriters. As the Plant/Manufacturing Engineer my job initially was to set up the assembly lines, get machines installed, supervise the maintenance crew, set up outside contracts for waste removal, security, grounds care..etc. Once we began operating I was responsible for HVAC, in house electric, compressed air, general cleaning, operator safety and fire. The plant was new and about 64,000 SF of air conditioned space which included three assembly lines, a paint room, a maintenance shop, parts cage, molten infusing room and warehousing plus, flammable paint room, loading dock and another 4,000 SF of office space.
Within a few months of opening the plant employed about 120 salaried and hourly wage workers. Many of the workers newly hired relocated from factory work in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. This is where the heavy machine operators came from. Our HR folks worked with Lively to get assembly line work applicants into classes in basic math so they could understand measurement and quality controls. Within a few months the plant was up and operating. The folks from the city of Tallahassee were very accommodating. As I recall there were a few issues personnel wise; there were a few people who could not adjust to factory work which entailed punching a clock at a set time, being on their feet constantly and getting breaks only when the assembly line shut down for specified times. Those who failed to show up for work or left without permission were let go. One small group left to go hunting for a week or more and were fired. Locally difficulties were encountered finding quality industrial electrical, plumbing and duct work construction contractors.
Local mill supply houses had few lines of industrial equipment necessary to sustain a manufacturing facility and little or no interest in accommodating our needs. On one occasion I remember ordering a box of Hex Head Cap screws for an assembly line which had stopped because of the shortage from ?Lonnie or Zonys on Gaines street. . I asked the supplier to send it over asap but was told the delivery person had gone fishing and was not expected to return for days. Reminding the supplier that our plant was spending thousands with them monthly I was told “we were here before you came and we will be here after you leave”.
Such a response was never heard back in Ohio where the Robbins and Myers Company was located. Surely things are much better today than they were in the 1980’s but the fear of Unions prevalent then may exist today as well and must be overcome.
Bringing Manufacturing jobs to the Southside of Tallahassee is a complex proposition. Experience indicates manufacturing companies Human Resource people will hire those most qualified which means trained/educated and without any indicators of potential problems. As I recall most of the assembly line workers hired by Robbins and Myers were white women local and from out of State. Despite the hourly wage which was good for the time and place they were encouraged by the benefit/health care package.
R&M is a very old manufacturing company from Springfield Ohio which is a heavy industrial town and was on the Erie Canal. It is from the town where international harvester was founded in 1902 and very much unionized.
I would recommend gathering up the managers and H/R folks from the list of existing manufacturing companies in Tallahassee and perhaps surrounding towns and beginning a discussion about the potential for such a project. Remember if your target is southside there may be a heavy need to engage churches, community groups and local educators to get their commitment and buy in. Perhaps a ½ day or full day session using the Nominal Group Technique to gain consensus and buy in would be a start. At some point funding sources from city/county will be required. If there is a group willing to go this route I would be pleased to assist in any way I can.
You might think of it this way- Tallahassee is a Government paper mill surrounded by Agriculture, viticulture with few requirements for industrial or manufacturing skill sets such a lathe operator, master machinist, tool and die expert…etc. All of which take years of training and experience and require high salaries currently common at only the management levels of State Divisions. My younger brother as a mechanic earned over $140,000 with overtime during his last year with industry up north.
Bill McCusker
Retired
https://www.suwanneedemocrat.com/news/local_news/broadband-authority-gives-presentation-on-monday-to-select-few/article_0042a519-e5f0-57fc-854d-5baf420afa3d.html
Is this the “governance” that can be expected? $30 Million Obama dollars with no results.
I have known Jeff Hendry since 1977. Great candidate.I support bim.
He seems like a nice man and well-educated, but is he the Corruption-Dysfunction Junction’s succession plan?
Mr. Jeff Hendry in 2014 recognized Gil ziffer as Municipal Official of the Year.
Ziffer facilitated corruption that resulted into a large FBI investigation. Ziffer did nothing about the Dispatch Center, did nothing about the crime rate, could be under FBI investigation himself… are you kidding me!?
What did I say that wasn’t the truth? Don’t bully, attack, or berate the messenger.
If you think what they are doing is NEGATIVE, again don’t attack the messenger.
I only report what I observe… the truth.
But, you have given the perfect example of what is wrong and the ongoing dysfunction that the truthsayers are victimized by the perpetrators.
Where were you when Scott Maddox was pillaging and robbing this community and innocent citizens? I’ve been speaking for years and people like you just sit there and do nothing and let other people get victimized.
Where were you when our community was at risk because of a faulty joint Dispatch Center because of poor management? The rank-and-file were even victimized at the Dispatch Center and it cost several citizens their lives? I didn’t hear you say anyting?
Where were you when elected officials didn’t live in their districts and those districts have the highest crime rate. I didn’t hear you speak out?
Where were you when Mayor Dailey was making car commercials and misusing his position as mayor? I didn’t hear you speak out?
Go ahead victimize the truthsayers and sit there and do nothing, but I will speak out because I believe in humanity.
Why should party matter? It’s a nonpartisan position.
We have a right to know if he is a Republican or a Democrat or an Independent and in this County it matters.
Agree with Hope…
Because the ideology matters jerky boy.
The real question is – is he a Democrat?
Use duck duck go [its hard to find on google]. http://flvoters.com/index
There you will see Jeff, yourself, and everyone else you want to know about.
Jeff’s registered as no party affiliation.
He’s listed here as a Democrat: http://www.leondems.com/2020-candidates/
He just took the high road instead of being negative, something your not used to.
Mr Hendry is ignoring the crime rate, he is an Insider as isn’t Lindley involved with the Tiger Bay?
Praising Lindley is an absolute concern. This county is so much more worse off than we were before. To tout Lindley is again ridiculous!
She bungled The Joint Dispatch, Waste Pro, and the CRA to name a few of her failures. She paved the way for Scott Maddox’s, among others, corruption to do great harm to this community.
Is this candidate a Republican, Democrat, or Independent?
This candidate seems to be a nice person and very well educated, but so is Mayor Dailey and he is out on junkets to Costa Rica, oblivious to the high rate of crime, and making TV commercials misusing his position as mayor.
Did Mr Hendry attend the recent farcical event at Amelia Island?
I believe David Hawkins is the better bet in this race.
I read on Scott Flowers campaign website that all BOCC running in Leon County are Democrat.
I would like to have a one on one with him… We must hold our elected officials accountable!