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Introducing the first three of the dozen Leadership Marco program participants, who will spend full days on alternate weeks from August to November learning about all aspects of Marco Island and its environs.

The program, under the auspices of the Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce, is aimed at unearthing possible future community leaders.

Alan Brown

Alan Brown

Born in Spain of British parents, Brown went to San Francisco De Asis Spanish Catholic School in Malaga, South of Spain. He completed his schooling in Bournemouth, England, and later studied electrical engineering at Bournemouth University.

After a brief stint with the British Army, serving in Northern Ireland, Germany and Belize, he worked as a ship’s purser.

In 1995, he moved to Wakefield, MA, graduating magna cum laude from Cambridge College with a master’s degree in management.

A United States citizen since 2005, Brown moved to Marco Island in May of 2006 with his family, wife Robin and children Colin and Megan.

The owner of Island Garden Center on San Marco Road, Brown is Florida certified horticulturist. He is also a world-class and Olympic champion yachtsman (racing), and enjoys SCUBA diving.

Brown grew interested in Leadership Marco after reading about it last year, and says he’s committing himself to the program in search of understanding the workings of the community, network with his peers and hopefully present some valuable ideas and thoughts, because he comes from such a diverse background.

He said he’s interested in all aspects of the program, but specifically the Media/Parks & Recreation and Government/Growth Management sections.

How does he picture Marco in the next 10-20 years?

“I picture the island completely sold out (no real estate available) only resales. Playground for the rich and famous (a much more exclusive resort destination). Ask me more after Leadership Marco.”

Anne McDonald

Anne McDonald

A Floridian by birth and upbringing, McDonald attended Coral Gables High School, and thereafter made a lifelong career out of real estate. She attended the Bert Rogers School of Real Estate and the Gold Coast School of Real Estate, and followed up with a host of classes to acquire designations such as GRI, SRES (Senior Residential Specialist) , E-Pro and RECS (Real Estate Cyber Specialist).

She has held real estate-related executive positions in Key Biscayne and Marco Island, is a multiple award winner, including local Realtor of the Year in 2005, and was Marco Island Area Association of Realtors’ President in 2006.

An 11-year full-time resident who prior to that visited the area for more than three decades, McDonald is a real estate broker sales associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate.

She enjoys fishing, cooking, sewing, pottery, ceramics, geo-caching, traveling and education classes about her profession or community.

She is married to Don, and the couple has a grown and married son, Jeremy.

McDonald grew interested in Leadership Marco after many of her participant friends spoke highly of the program.

She said she is happy to give up time for the program because she believes it’s important to educate oneself about the city and community.

She says all program sections look stimulating, but that she’s particularly looking forward to the law enforcement section as well as the Hospitality/Tourism/Culture section.

As for Marco in the next 10-20 years, McDonald says: “When we came to live on Marco in 1996 we were told by our Realtor as well as our neighbors that big changes were coming for our community that we now called home.

“We were told of the Master Plan that would complete the community with sewers being installed in the areas that had not originally had them, and that the streets would have more of a tropical appearance thanks to the development by the Beautification Committee of Marco Island, MICA and MITA (the island’s civic and taxpayer’s associations respectively).

“Having come from Key Biscayne and having gone through a similar change we were pleased that these ideas were coming in the future.

“Now that some of them are moving along to completion as we were told they would over 11 years ago, I see a community hopefully that will work together to make and keep our community an Island Paradise.”

Debbie McCabe

Debbie McCabe

McCabe grew up in Rochester, New York and went to Katharine Gibbs School in New York City where she graduated with an associate degree in executive secretarial arts.

Later, she moved to North Carolina and began her goal of obtaining a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Mount Olive College in Wilmington, NC.

Before moving to Marco Island, she spent the previous 11 years in North Carolina, where she worked for the town of Carolina Beach for 10 years, serving as deputy town clerk for six years and four years as an administrative assistant to the police chief.

Prior to her career in local government she had “sporadic” experience as a legal secretary/receptionist. She plans to continue her education at International College this coming fall.

A one-year resident of the island, McCabe is an administrative assistant with the city of Marco Island.

She enjoys music, boating, movies and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Married to Jeff for the past 11 years, McCabe learned about the program through reading reports.

She doesn’t mind the time sacrifice because she says it will help her to advance in the public sector, and to enhance her written and oral presentation skills.

In addition, she said, it will help her make sound business decisions and apply the principles of ethics, as well as acquiring knowledge in the fields of management, marketing, law, finance and economics.

Looking forward meeting other potential leaders on the program, McCabe sees the Marco of the future thus: “My vision for Marco Island in the next 10-20 years is to maintain the Island as a strong, sustainable and diverse resort community.

“Through the continuation of good leadership and involved citizens, Marco Island will continue to attract visitors and continue to be one of the most sought after places to live and vacation.”

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In the next issue: Jim Curran, Sandy Elliott and Theresa Gantner.