Mayor adds another title to her resume
Cape Coral Mayor Marni Sawicki has just found herself a new part time job, and she said it won’t interfere with her mayoral duties.
It was announced Wednesday that Sawicki was named new executive director of The Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association, and will bring her 20 years of marketing and management experience to the job.
Sawicki said she will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of SRMA and will be working with the board to re-brand and grow the association’s membership along with planning the Made in Southwest Florida tradeshow next March.
She said it was her notoriety as mayor that led her to this position.
“I know so many people from being the mayor. I know several of the board members,” Sawicki said. “I saw they had a job opening and put my name in.”
Sawicki said she would try to figure out what the SRMA wants to accomplish and who they wish to reach.
“We’re trying to get in the bigger companies and more companies so we can get a better dynamic and get a feel for best practices,” Sawicki said. “It’s also for economic development, to give companies a resource for what Lee County has to offer. I see it as a win-win.”
Sawicki said she would put in about 80 hours per month on her new job, but that won’t preclude her from doing her job as mayor.
“I put in about 45 hours per week on this job for $21,000 per year part time,” Sawicki said. “If I scale back five to 10 hours a week, I’m still putting in 150 percent more than a part-time job,” Sawicki said.
In addition to her role as executive director of SMRA, she owns Indigo Pros, a strategic marketing consulting company. Previously, she was president of marketing with an insurance wholesaler.
“I’m excited. It’s a great group. Their wanting to do this is exciting, their wanting to work with Lee County,” Sawicki said.
“The SRMA is a strong organization and with manufacturing on the rise in Southwest Florida, and the experience Marni has, bringing her on board to oversee the operations was a natural fit. Marni will be a valuable asset for the organization and her contributions will enable us to build a premier association,” said Gary McKinley, SRMA’s president and chairman in the prepared statement issued by the organization.