A native of San Diego, Fred graduated from San Diego State University. He served four years in the 
United States Air Force (USAF), including one year in Vietnam teaching English as a second language 
to pilot candidates, receiving the Air Force Commendation Medal. For almost three years, he served 
in Japan and the Island of Okinawa working in the outpatient psychiatric clinics of USAF hospitals. 

In his 27 year tenure with the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper, Fred improved collection 
productivity more than 50% through employee training  and new data systems. He is an active member 
of the National Association of Credit Manager and the Credit & Financial Development Division (CFDD).
Fred served as chairman of the board of San Diego Credit Association and was an active board member 
for over a decade. 

Fred serves on the Hillsborough County Historic Resources review Board, South Shore Regional Library 
"Friends of the Library", South Shore Arts Council, Ruskin History Project (RuskinHistory.org) and 
is president of the Ruskin Community Development Foundation. 

In his free time Fred enjoys spending time on the water or teaching pre-Columbian crafts at 
Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center.

A fifth-generation native to the Tampa Bay area, Mariella grew up on the bay near Westshore, and now 
lives with her husband on Tampa Bay’s South Shore, in Ruskin. She has a Master’s degree in Philosophy, 
and has owned and operated InSight Graphic Design since 1988. She is a regular contributor to Sticks 
of Fire, a popular local blog. In 2005 Mariella received the Citizen Planning Advocate Award from the 
Sun Coast Section of the American Planning Association for her work in several planning efforts in which 
diverse stakeholders came to consensus on plans that have been adopted into the Hillsborough County 
Comprehensive Plan. She has also earned awards for environmental activism from both the Florida Chapter 
and the Tampa Bay Group of the Sierra Club.

Other Affiliations:
• Coalition for Responsible Growth (C4RG) (board member)
• United Citizens’ Action Network (U-CAN) (board member)
• Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) Environmental Advisory Committee
• Hillsborough County Citizens Environmental Advisory Committee (CEAC) (County Commission appointee)
• Hillsborough County Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP) General Committee

A resident of Hillsborough County since 1980 and a resident of Ruskin since 1996, Ron was the founder of 
a successful manufacturing business in Chicago, Illinois. He sold his business to a NYSE listed 
corporation to enable his relocation to Florida. Ron is a student of business and has a Master’s degree 
in Business Administration, with a minor in Marketing. He provides a variety of business services to 
Tampa Bay area businesses as a business consultant, with emphasis placed on business planning.
He specializes in helping persons who need to start, buy, sell, grow, organize, finance, value or 
liquidate a business.

A community activist, Ron has participated and served as an officer or board member of a number of 
volunteer organizations in SouthShore, which are too numerous to list. He wrote 135 weekly community 
service columns in the Observer News titled The Voice of Ruskin from May 20, 1998 until December 28, 2000 
and then 107 weekly columns titled The Voice of SouthShore from August 8, 2002 until September 23, 2004.