In St. Augustine, three of five seats are up for election. Next year, it's the Mayor Tracy Upchurch and Commissioners ROXANNE HORVATH and LEANNA SOPHIA AMARU FREEMAN:
Meet the St. Augustine City Commission
Mayor Tracy Upchurch
Seat Three2-year term expires December 2020
Contact:
Mail: City of St. Augustine, P. O. Box 210, St. Augustine, FL 32085
Phn: 904.825.1006
Email: TUpchurch@citystaug.com
Contact:
Mail: City of St. Augustine, P. O. Box 210, St. Augustine, FL 32085
Phn: 904.825.1006
Email: TUpchurch@citystaug.com
Mayor Upchurch, a native of St. Augustine, is Associate Professor of Law and History at Flagler College where he also serves as Director of the Frank D. Upchurch, Sr. Endowed Law Program.
Upchurch’s previous experience as an elected official includes serving as a member of the St. Augustine City Commission from 1988 to 1992, as St. Augustine Mayor from 1990 to 1992, and a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1992 to 1996.
He received his undergraduate degree from Davidson College, a Masters of Arts in American History from the University of North Florida, and his law degree from the University of Florida.
Upchurch applies his practical knowledge and experience in the law in his classes, which include constitutional law, legal history, and the law program’s capstone Senior Seminar in the Law. He was honored with the Flagler College Dean’s Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2009 and in 2015 was voted the Faculty Member of the Year by the student body.
Before joining the faculty at Flagler College he was engaged in the private practice of law for 25 years. In 2004 and 2005 he was named as one of Florida Trend Magazine’s “Legal Elite” and remains a member of The Florida Bar.
Active in the St. Augustine community, he was appointed by the president of the University of Florida to the Historic St. Augustine Research Institute and to UF Historic St. Augustine. He is a trustee of Lightner Museum and an active member of the St. Augustine Rotary Club.
Upchurch served for 13 years on the board of directors of Prosperity Bank. He also chaired the board of directors for Flagler Hospital and the St. Augustine Historical Society.
Mayor Upchurch was appointed by unanimous vote of the City Commission on March 4, 2019 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Nancy Shaver.
Vice Mayor Leanna Freeman
Seat Two
4-year term expires December 2020
4-year term expires December 2020
Contact:
Mail: 255 West King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Phn: 904.829.1960
Email: LFreeman@citystaug.com
Mail: 255 West King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Phn: 904.829.1960
Email: LFreeman@citystaug.com
A resident of St. Augustine since childhood, Ms. Freeman is married with two children. Commissioner Freeman holds a law degree and is an attorney in the firm of Freeman Law, LLC, St. Augustine. Her areas of interest are family law, business law and estate planning/probate. She is a former downtown business owner (St.George Street) and current owner of a laboratory supply company, Genesis Enterprises of Florida.
Commissioner Freeman was a member of the City of St. Augustine's Planning and Zoning Board for five years serving one year as chair and a term as the board’s representative on the Entry Corridor Architectural Review Board before that body’s duties were absorbed into the Historic Architectural Review Board.
Ms. Freeman's community service includes volunteer work for the St. Johns County Legal Aid and fundraising for Epic Behavioral Health Care. She previously served on the Florida Bar Adoption Committee and served as a Board Member of Good Samaritan Health Centers, Inc., Wildflower Clinic, Kids Bridge Family Visitation Center and Home Again St. Johns, where she served as President for 2013.
She currently serves as the City Commission’s representative with the St. Augustine Sister Cities Association.
Commissioner Freeman was a member of the City of St. Augustine's Planning and Zoning Board for five years serving one year as chair and a term as the board’s representative on the Entry Corridor Architectural Review Board before that body’s duties were absorbed into the Historic Architectural Review Board.
Ms. Freeman's community service includes volunteer work for the St. Johns County Legal Aid and fundraising for Epic Behavioral Health Care. She previously served on the Florida Bar Adoption Committee and served as a Board Member of Good Samaritan Health Centers, Inc., Wildflower Clinic, Kids Bridge Family Visitation Center and Home Again St. Johns, where she served as President for 2013.
She currently serves as the City Commission’s representative with the St. Augustine Sister Cities Association.
Commissioner Roxanne Horvath
Commissioner
Seat One
4-year term expires December 2020
Seat One
4-year term expires December 2020
Commissioner Horvath is president and principal of Roxanne Horvath, AIA, Architect. She obtained both her Bachelor of Architecture and Masters of Architecture from the University of Florida and has gained wide experience in her field including new design and construction of commercial and residential projects and historic renovations. Her historic renovation experience includes a number of projects in St. Augustine including the Alcazar Hotel/City Hall, the Ponce de Leon Hotel/Flagler College’s art department, and Ancient City Baptist Church. Her commercial design experience includes the St. Johns County Growth Management Center, the St. Johns County Service Center, the Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront Hotel and St. Johns County S.E. Library and adjacent Service Center Annex.
Prior to her election to the City Commission, Commissioner Horvath’s public service included terms as both member and chair of the city’s Planning and Zoning Board, Historical Architecture Review Board, Code Enforcement, and the Entry Corridor Board. Since being elected to the Commission, she served as chair of the city's visioning initiative, Visioning 2014 & Beyond, served as president of the NE Florida Regional Council (2016-2017), and currently is serving as president of the statewide organization, Florida Regional Council Association.
Her community involvement includes serving as board member of the St. Augustine Women’s Shelter, the St. Johns County Housing and Revitalization Agency, the St. Augustine Art Association, and as president of the St. Augustine Rotary Club. Vice Mayor Horvath is also an artist member of Butterfield Garage Art Gallery. Horvath previously served as Vice Mayor.
Prior to her election to the City Commission, Commissioner Horvath’s public service included terms as both member and chair of the city’s Planning and Zoning Board, Historical Architecture Review Board, Code Enforcement, and the Entry Corridor Board. Since being elected to the Commission, she served as chair of the city's visioning initiative, Visioning 2014 & Beyond, served as president of the NE Florida Regional Council (2016-2017), and currently is serving as president of the statewide organization, Florida Regional Council Association.
Her community involvement includes serving as board member of the St. Augustine Women’s Shelter, the St. Johns County Housing and Revitalization Agency, the St. Augustine Art Association, and as president of the St. Augustine Rotary Club. Vice Mayor Horvath is also an artist member of Butterfield Garage Art Gallery. Horvath previously served as Vice Mayor.
Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline
Seat Five
4-year term expires December 2022
4-year term expires December 2022
Contact:
Mail: 15 Mireula Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32080
Phn: 904.806.6203
Email: NSikesKline@citystaug.com
Mail: 15 Mireula Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32080
Phn: 904.806.6203
Email: NSikesKline@citystaug.com
Commissioner Sikes-Kline has served on the City's Historic Preservation Advisory Committee; Vice Chair of the Parking and Traffic Committee; and the Historic Architectural Review Board. She currently serves on the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization, the University of Florida, College of Design, Construction and Planning, Department of Historic Preservation, Board of Advocates and the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council.
She is a native Floridian and has lived in St. Augustine since 1984. She received her bachelor's degree in geography from the University of Florida.
Her community involvement includes past President of Junior Service League; founding board member and past Chairperson of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum; the founding Chairperson of the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program; past Chair of the St. Johns County Historic Resource Review Board (now the Cultural Resources Review Board); past member of the FDOT Bridge of Lions Community Awareness Team; and founding board member of the St. Augustine North Davis Shores Neighborhood Association.
She has received her Certificate of Completion from the Florida League of Cities and Scott Daily Advanced Institute for Elected Municipal Officials, Level III training program and completed training from the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council Training Institute. She is an urban land use planning consultant.
Commissioner Sikes-Kline received the Leadership Award for Public Service from the Enterprising Women’s Leadership Institute, Inc. in 2011, the Adalaide Sanchez Award for Historic Preservation in 2017 and the Florida League of Cities Hometown Hero award in 2018.
Commissioner John Valdes
Seat Four4-year term expires December 2022
Contact: Mail: 1395 US-1 South Suite A, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Phn: 904-824-6150
Email: JValdes@CityStAug.com
Phn: 904-824-6150
Email: JValdes@CityStAug.com
Commissioner Valdes has served St. Augustine for more than 22 years, beginning in 1989, as past board member of the Historical Architectural Review Board, past member and chair of Code Enforcement Adjustment and Appeals Board, and past chair of the Planning & Zoning Board.
He and his company were instrumental in restoring four Flagler-era fountains in the city, relocating the War Memorial, placing the marble lion statues in Davis Shores, volunteering in the 2016 Compassion Project, and, recently, assisting in relocating the “Spring Break Wreck” from South Ponte Vedra Beach to the Guana Tolomato Matanzas Research Reserve.
Mr.Valdes began serving St. Augustine as a private sector building inspector in 1989, and introduced the detailed pre-purchase home inspection product to St. Johns County’s real estate industry.
He incorporated John Valdes & Associates Inc. in 1990 with a portfolio of commercial downtown work, including The Casablanca and Casa de Suenos B&B’s, St. Francis Inn, Rembrandts, Casa Maya, and Acapulco Restaurants, to name a few.
Born in Tampa, Commissioner Valdes is a fifth-generation Floridian and third-generation builder, arriving in St. Augustine in 1986 after selling his Saudi Arabian–based construction company. He attended St. Petersburg Junior College and the University of South Florida, before leaving to work overseas in construction.
He currently holds several active State of Florida licenses, including Building Contractor, Roofing Contractor, Master Plumbing Contractor, Building Inspector and also an inactive license as a Real Estate Sales Associate.
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