On the Ballot: Bonnie Cameron, Candidate for Indian Harbour Beach City Council, Seat 1

Bonnie Cameron was born and raised in Detroit and moved to Indian Harbour Beach nearly five years ago. Her career has included public relations, ballet production, and real estate, including founding her own brokerage. For 15 years, she worked for an international relocation management company, overseeing its real estate broker network throughout the United States, Canada, and U.S. territories. Her responsibilities included contract negotiation, risk management, budget oversight, regulatory compliance, and professional training. Bonnie also served on the Relocation Directors Council Advisory Board. She attends Church for the Beach, which meets at Gleason Park.

Why are you running for Indian Harbour Beach City Council?

My first and foremost intention is to be the most accessible City Council member—the most accessible local government representative—that you have ever had.

Government on any level should be about you. Your needs and those of your family should be foremost in every policy and decision that your local government makes.

When you reach out to your representative, you deserve to be listened to, heard, and to see appropriate action taken. Government transparency is key.

What does it mean to you to be a Brevard resident?

I have been here for nearly five years and have found it to be the best place I’ve ever lived! What I bring is a set of fresh eyes, someone for whom our natural wonders, great businesses, waterways, wildlife, and parks have not become common. I would love to serve the wonderful people I have met here, so many of whom have become my dear friends. I was so excited to find and join the whale watch group!

Our area should have the protections it so richly deserves to maintain its status as a safe, secure, family-friendly community.

I have an extensive background in real estate, having built and owned a brokerage in Michigan. I served as an expert witness in court for property evaluation, specializing in lakefront and lake-access properties. Because of this, I have a great deal of experience in land development, sight lines, environmental testing, zoning, and the devastating effects of runoff into lakes and streams.

During the real estate crash of 2006, I worked at Yamasaki Associates, the architects of the World Trade Center. I served as document control manager for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company headquarters, where I learned much about the effects of salt, wind, and intense heat on building structures.

While I never claim to have all of the answers, I do know how to ask the right questions.

What is the top issue driving your campaign, and what can voters expect you to do about it?

The most concerning issue to me is land and water conservation. Protecting our lagoon and canals from runoff is vitally important. Our manatees, dolphins, turtles, and whales need the clean water that will produce their best food and living conditions. Additionally, improper land use can cause changes to floodplains, and this needs to be carefully managed. Indian Harbour Beach is doing a wonderful job with our parks and beaches.

I am dedicated to making Indian Harbour Beach the best it can possibly be—and keeping it that way. All decisions must be made with full public disclosure and fiscal responsibility.

What is one misconception people may have about you or your platform?

I have thought long and hard about this question. I think perhaps it might be that I am a five-year resident, a transplant from out of state. As a lifelong adventurer, I plunged right into Brevard County life. I have heard the great stories of what it was like 20 years ago and the dreams of what it may yet become. I would love to be part of Brevard County’s controlled, sustainable, environmentally sensitive future development.

How has your Christian faith shaped your life, and how can voters expect it to influence your approach to public office?

I was raised in a strong community in Detroit. It was a conglomeration of ethnicities, but our combined faith kept us strong together. My senior year of high school, I began to question my denomination, which I felt had failed me.

After graduation, I attended Michigan State University’s James Madison College, where I studied Justice, Morality and Constitutional Democracy. I reached out to friends who were in a Bible study and attended with them one frigid, stormy Michigan evening.

Approximately two weeks later, alone in my room, I asked Jesus to take over my life and make it what He wanted it to be! Things began to change immediately. There were many small, some large, miracles that happened over the next summer, and His intervention has continued. I’ve been studying the Word of God consistently ever since. I sense His presence and ask His guidance in my decisions.

Voters can expect me to honor my word. I believe that all human beings are created of equal value in the sight of God. They deserve to build their lives to the best of their abilities; to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. My faith calls me to speak the truth in love. It calls me to be available to area residents, hear their concerns, and be authentic even when being transparent may be uncomfortable.

It calls me to lead with openness and humility as a servant to our community.

Readers can learn more, contact the campaign, or support Bonnie Cameron at bonnie4ihb.com, by emailing bonnie@bonniecameron.com, or by calling 321-252-5922.

— Christians of Brevard is a multi-church initiative that seeks to amplify the voices of local churches and ministries for the purpose of encouraging the local body of Christ and advancing the Kingdom of God. Join our Facebook community @ChristiansOfBrevard