Commissioner Cutsinger sworn in for second term
The Nov. 19 regular meeting of the Sarasota County Commission began as usual with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Then interim Chair Joe Neunder announced that the board members were going to “move onto the most exciting part of our agenda today”: The newly elected commissioners would be sworn as the crowd in the Commission Chambers of the R.L. Anderson Administration Center in Venice watched.
First — accompanied by his wife, Tracy, and his daughter, Emily — former three-term Sheriff Tom Knight, who lives in Venice, stood before County Judge Erika Quartermaine to take the oath of office as the new commissioner for District 3.
Whoops, cheers and applause erupted in the room after he repeated the last phrase that Quatermaine recited.
Next up, Commissioner Ron Cutsinger of Englewood, with wife, Alison, at his side, swore his oath of office for a second term as the District 5 representative. Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Kennedy Legler handled that part of the ceremony.
A round of applause ensued as soon as Cutsinger lowered his right hand and broke into a big grin before kissing his wife.
The largest group of the morning accompanied new District 1 Commissioner Teresa Mast of Sarasota as she stood before Judge Legler. With Mast’s husband, Jon, and other family members surrounding her, Legler asked whether she was ready to begin. “I don’t know if they are,” Mast replied with a smile, “but I am.”
As soon as she completed her oath, a third round of applause broke out in Chambers.
Neunder then announced that a 10-minute board recess would commence, so the new commissioners — and Cutsinger, Neunder hastened to add — could complete the necessary paperwork to make their terms official.
“I don’t want to forget Ron,” Neunder said, though at one point during the regular meeting, Cutsinger did indeed rib Neunder over a reference just to the two new members of the board.
Cutsinger faced no competition to retain his seat this year. Knight and Mast prevailed in their respective Republican primaries on Aug. 20, but Knight also faced a General Election challenge. He ended up with 69.75% of the 58,475 votes cast in the 27 District 3 precincts, the official results show.
Following the recess after the ceremony, with all five commissioners seated at the dais, the regular meeting began. During their first official day on the job, Mast and Knight ended up spending slightly more than six hours in their chairs, tackling a wide array of issues. (See the related stories in this issue.)
A county news release issued on Nov. 19 provided biographical material about Mast and Knight.
Born in Hastings, Mich., Mast moved with her family to Sarasota in 1979, the release said. After graduating from Sarasota Christian School, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in business management from Eckerd College.
Mast and her husband, a Sarasota native, “have been married for 40 years and are proud parents of two accomplished daughters,” the release continued. Mast “loves her role as Nana to her grandsons,” it added.
For seven years, Mast served on the Sarasota County Planning Commission, the release noted; she also was a member of the county’s Citizen Tax Oversight Committee.
“Mast’s professional background includes more than a decade of service with Sarasota County,” the release continued. She served in the Planning and Development Services Department and the Neighborhood Services Division, handling community outreach, and business relations, the release pointed out. “She is also the proud majority owner of a successful design company, which she has led for nearly four decades,” it said.
Knight moved to Venice with his family in 1973, the release continued. He graduated from local schools, including Venice High School and Manatee Junior College, now known as the State College of Florida, the release noted. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and a graduate certificate in public administration from the University of South Florida. He and his wife have two adult daughters, the release said.
“Knight served in law enforcement for 34 years, including two years with the City of Sarasota and 20 with the Florida Highway Patrol,” the release added. He reached the position of major with the Highway Patrol, having responsibility for a seven-county region.
Knight first was elected sheriff in 2008, the release continued. In that capacity, as one of the county’s constitutional officers, “Knight led the organization with 1,000 employees, a budget of $121 million, and large-scale operations,” the release added.
Knight has been involved in numerous local, statewide, and national organizations as a member, adviser, fundraiser, and policymaker, the release pointed out. He served for 10 years on the board of the YMCA of Southwest Florida, it said, and he is a lifetime member of Leadership Florida. “He advocates for the welfare and well-being of children and working families,” the release noted.