Monica Haskell is a longtime resident of the Florida Keys with a master’s degree in business management and an extensive record of service in local government, public education, and the nonprofit sector. Haskell seeks to succeed incumbent District 1 Commissioner Jimmy Weekley, who is now serving his final term allowed under the City’s term-limit provisions.

 “I believe I can be an effective voice for the residents of District 1,” says Haskell. “With my experience in planning, sustainability, and the arts-and-culture sector, I will remain committed to the protection and improvement of the district’s many valuable public resources — from our parks, tennis courts, and playgrounds, to our historic waterfront and world-class wood-frame architecture, to the creative communities and artistic traditions that are the lifeblood of Old Town. I will also advocate for residents and business owners on issues regarding the US Navy, the Coast Guard, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the many other government entities that are our neighbors in the district.”

Haskell’s career in local government dates to the 1990s, when she chaired the Monroe County Planning Commission during a particularly tumultuous time for growth management, receiving accolades from both environmentalists and developers. She is also a former chairperson of the Key West Sustainability Advisory Board, and a past member of the Florida Keys Contractors Examining Board, the Truman Waterfront Park Arts Vision Board, and the Key West Art in Public Places Board. A former executive director of the Florida Keys Council of the Arts and Key West Literary Seminar, Haskell was also co-founder of Key West Montessori Charter School, the first charter school in Monroe County. Today, she owns the small business Yoga Key West and is involved in her family’s business running historic wooden schooners and other vessels in the Key West Bight and elsewhere.

“Key West has given so much to me and my family,” said Haskell, who is married to architect Bill Rowan, with seven children and fourteen grandchildren between them. “I’ve raised my children here, and now many of my grandchildren are growing up here. It’s time for me once again to serve, and do everything I can to ensure that District 1 and the City of Key West remain a wonderful place to live, work, and play.”