New ‘mayor’ of North Fort Myers elected
From the moment he came to town, Reid McDaniel has been a leader for the North Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, participating in all its events and taking a hand in its direction.
On Thursday, McDaniel added one more title; honorary mayor of North Fort Myers.
McDaniel was given the sash at the Sea-Craft Waterfront Tiki to become the first new honorary mayor since Doug Dailey was so named in 2015 and then held in abeyance due to staffing changes and then the COVID pandemic.
To win, McDaniel raised the most money, more than $8,500, most of it through a fundraising golf tournament, defeating challenger Melissa Martin. Each dollar raised equaled one vote.
“I’m fortunate to partake in the event. It means somebody is going to champion the community, the Chamber, and bring some exposure as a leader in the community,” McDaniel said. “The idea is to being focus to the Chamber and highlight the things they’re doing.”
Honorary mayor is a ceremonial position. The “mayor” attends the major events and takes part in other things such as grand openings and ribbon cuttings and will get to throw out the first pitch at a Mighty Mussels baseball game on May 11.
McDaniel plans to do much more than just be a figurehead, though – he wants to continue to move the chamber in the right direction.
For next year’s election, McDaniel said he wants to make the golf tournament an annual event, allowing all candidates to find ways to make money fundraising.
McDaniel plans to run his office as he does his business, McDaniel Insurance Solutions, which he established in North Fort Myers more a year ago at age 29: All in.
He got his start in the industry following a great job right out of high school. He wanted to get insurance on some things.
He wasn’t happy with the service he received and it was that experience that led him to become an agent.
Just 19 when he started in the insurance industry, he worked for a number of brand-name companies in training and development, teaching agents how to do their job better and more efficiently.
Eventually, he started his own agency in Indiana, later selling it and moving to Southwest Florida and starting McDaniel Insurance Solutions in late 2021 at 3443 Hancock Bridge Parkway.
McDaniel did his homework before relocating and found there was an opportunity to thrive and teach people about how the industry works, particularly homeowners insurance, which is complicated and set to become even more so following Hurricane Ian, which seriously damaged his business for a time as the building, like so many others, flooded in the storm.
“I’m a Hoosier by heart, but I fell in love with the area. I did a lot of research and found a lot of agents are older and retiring and there is a lot of misinformation in Florida, especially as it relates to homeowners insurance,” McDaniel said shortly after opening his business in 2022. “I enjoy the education aspect the most.”
Not only to they sell insurance for life, health, home and business, the company also serves some human resource roles with payroll and benefits packages.
McDaniel found another niche by being an independent seller of AAA in Southwest Florida. Further, while many agencies are either commercial or personal, McDaniel offers both.
“We’re at a point in time where it’s very difficult to hire people. So, we will build them a business package, often at no cost to the owner, give them payroll and 401K options and make them a rock star and get good candidates to stay with you,” McDaniel said. “We reinvest commissions into our clients. We pay for a lot of services others don’t.”
McDaniel still sells in Indiana and Ohio as well as Florida, and plans to expand into Kentucky and Illinois in the future. He said he is interested in long-term relationships with clients, which means being honest and fighting for them.
When Reid isn’t working you will find him on the bourbon trail in Kentucky, at a car race or show, or spending time with his family.
As for Dailey, the previous — and long-tenured — honorary mayor, it was nothing but great memories.
“Bringing this event back is a great thing. We had two great candidates and Reid will represent the community rather awesomely,” Dailey said. “It was great to represent the Chamber. Everything we did was special. I’d say be yourself, have a lot of fun and enjoy the experience.”
Another former “mayor” John Gardner relayed a story during his time in charge. His first duty was to be master of ceremonies at the Weiner Dog Derby, which was a passion of Dailey’s for many years.
Gardner also got phone calls from residents complaining about goings on in the neighborhood, with residents thinking he was an actual mayor, which he wasn’t because North Fort Myers is unincorporated.
Also, the chamber named its small business of the month, which was Eagle Roofing.
For more information on the Chamber, go to www.nfmchamber.com.
To reach CHUCK BALLARO, please email news@breezenewspapers.com