Friday, November 6, 2026
Many leaders can look back at mentors when reflecting on the successes in their careers and personal lives. When I look back, it is perhaps at a younger age than many others do. At 14 years old, I made a decision that would change my life forever. I skipped school. Something not uncommon, though, my dad did drive to that County Commission meeting, so I'm not sure if your parents knowing you're skipping still means it counts. That day, Donna Fiala saw something in me. A high school kid speaking from a podium to defend museum funding by tourism tax dollars. At first glance, definitely not the norm of lobbyists, neighborhood leaders, or County staff that she had seen on a regular basis.
I stayed in regular contact and that summer and those that followed I spent Tuesday afternoons at more and more of those meetings, as well as advisory boards, tourism development committees, and others. Donna started to invite me to lunch, where I spent time between those with her and another County Commissioner, Jim Coletta (who preferred a more brown bag option than Donna's tastes at Alice Sweetwater’s). There, usually among community leaders who made up her “kitchen cabinet,” I listened and learned about issues that stretched from Marco Island to Immokalee and from Everglades City to Naples Park. I learned about the importance of civic involvement, that people put trust in government, and especially with local government, that trust has to mean something.
Many have forgotten Stadium Naples and its aftermath. County Commissioners were led in handcuffs from a meeting due to ethics violations. What followed was a very dark time of mistrust in local governments throughout Florida and the many reforms that followed from Tallahassee. Here, however, people across the edges of Collier County took the issue and betrayal harder than in many other communities and responded loudly. Three community leaders, with no prior government experience, no fancy degrees or certifications, nor accolades beyond their neighborhoods, were elected as County Commissioners. Donna Fiala and Jim Colletta were two of them. They were Civic Association presidents, and as Small Business leaders in their own rights, they had spent time supporting community organizations like Kiwanis and speaking up at County meetings when the communities they lived in were being ignored.
Donna used to tell me about how much she studied County issues. She would read, page-by-page, agendas (which usually numbered in the thousands with addendums and backup materials) and then would spend the week between meetings with community groups and local organizations listening. She was never the loudest voice on the many variety of boards she served with. Other commissioners controlled the dais and discussions more often than most and even in twenty years, she only served as Chairman twice.
As the years went by, and high school graduation, college graduation, and the beginnings of my career, I continued my involvement in our community, with Donna's hand guiding my service in involvement in over two dozen nonprofits, chambers, and County Advisory Boards. Among them included following in her footsteps as president of the East Naples Civic Association (now East Naples Civic & Commerce), where she served as president the year I was born. This involvement would pave the way for me to eventually run for County Commissioner at the age of 26 and receive her endorsement shortly after. Covid-19 and the chaos that followed dogged my grassroots campaign and together, Donna and I fought for another candidate in the election. In the years that continued Donna wrote about my engagement in her column, attended my wedding, and later met my daughter Wren.
Donna Fiala made an impact in a place where many doubted her. She wasn't like the decades of County Commissioners who came before her. She was what we needed in the time she served. Compassion, courage, and heart. These things are often not found in the chambers down at the Government Complex. They are found in everyday people doing everyday things. Regular acts of kindness, a strong work ethic, and just showing up when you're needed. Donna taught me that leaders are called upon. They don't just show up to brag, boast titles or accolades, or talk, merit and status.
I will never forget those lunches at Alice Sweetswater’s, after meeting dinners at Perkins, or early morning Kiwanis meetings. I will never forget the lessons she taught me about community, how to sniff out something that is wrong, even when it's dressed in a fancy suit and PowerPoint. I will never forget the words and responsibility she entrusted in me, from a young age, to do what is right and work to continue her legacy. Thank you, Donna, for seeing something in a kid skipping school.
