Candidate Profile 2024: Melissa Furman For Sarasota City Commission

SARASOTA, FL — Melissa Furman, who works for Delta Airlines, is running for the Sarasota City Commission District 1 seat.

She faces two opponents, incumbent Kyle Battie and Sequoia Denise Felton, in the race.

Patch sent a questionnaire to all candidates in the District 1 race. Battie and Felton didn’t respond.

Find Furman’s responses below:

Name:

Melissa Furman

Occupation:

I started my career at Delta Airlines 47 years ago as a flight attendant working my way up to the position of International Purser. My duties include managing the safety, comfort, and compliance of government and company policies in the air and on the ground for passengers and crew members. My career literally takes me around the world, connecting families, friends and business associates. An amazing experience and opportunity to learn about people, cities , architecture, arts, cuisines and cultures always awaits me with each work adventure! To quote Mark Twain, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow mindedness,” words that resonate well with me! I love to fly; and it shows. I’ve had an amazing career. I will find it difficult to retire from Delta Airlines, however the time is coming for me to give back, serve, and share my knowledge with a community that I love, respect, and cherish.

Why are you running for office?

I decided to run for the Sarasota City Commission seat in District 1 because our city is on a spiraling downward trajectory due to the present leadership’s ineptness. Their policies have fostered unbridled, tasteless, high-density development affecting all neighborhoods … and the city’s infrastructure. Our city is literally “cooking “ from the lack of sea breeze and air that’s been created by huge concrete towers now populating our bayfront. The present commission is giving away valuable city assets to developers while asking for nothing in return. The present city commission has championed the sale and development of our parkland to private entities. The present city commission does not honor our history, often providing demolition permits to developers for the purpose of tearing down the few remaining historical structures remaining in Sarasota. Those are just a few reasons why I have chosen to run for the office of the Sarasota city commissioner in District 1! Our incumbent commissioners … have miserably failed their constituents.

Learn more about Furman at her campaign website.