Welcome to New Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blazier

It’s a little windy out there, but at this point, it looks like it is safe here in Collier County. Let’s pray it stays that way. 

Last week I attended a celebration for Melissa Blazier, whom the Governor appointed to take the job of the Elections Supervisor because of Jennifer Edwards resignation. Melissa has worked with Jennifer in the Elections office since 2006, most recently serving as the Chief Deputy Supervisor of the Elections under Jennifer Edwards. She received her designation as a Certified Elections/Registration Administrator (CERA) from the National Association of Election Officials (Election Center) and is a Master Florida Certified Elections Professional (MFCEP) through the Florida Supervisors of Elections (FSE). WOW! You couldn’t ask for better than that! I was really impressed!

Melissa is a graduate of the Associate Leadership Collier program Spring Class of 2010, then Leadership Collier Class of 2014, and Leadership Marco, Class of 2019. Melissa was named one of Gulf Shore Business’s Top Forty under 40 in 2014, Distinguished Fundraising Volunteer via the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2018, the Leadership Collier Foundation’s Volunteer of the Year in 2020, and recently named Kiwanian of the Year by the Kiwanis Club of Naples in 2022. 

Melissa Blazier is a member of The American Legion Auxiliary Post 135, Election Center, iGO, Kiwanis Club of Naples, Leadership Collier Alumni Association, League of Women Voters, Men’s Republican Club of Collier County, Naples Republican, Republican Women of Southwest Florida Federated, and Women’s Republican Club. She currently serves on the Leadership Collier Foundation Advisory Council and is President of the Kiwanis Club of Naples.

Melissa grew up in Naples and graduated from Naples High School. She has been married to her husband, Devon, for 24 years. They have a son together, along with two rescue Boxers.

• I usually stick close to home with my travels when we go to dinner or club events, but I have to tell you, I heard about a place called Mission BBQ from my friends Sandra Simmons and Brian Dawson, who said people were intrigued with the place. If you are anything like us, you are proud to be an American and want people to know it! And I had to try it for sure! They have great pulled pork, BBQ pork and ribs, and really good food in general. And it’s reasonably priced. 

• Many of you know I have grandchildren, and now coming along are great-grandchildren. The other day, one of my great-grandsons turned six years old, and as any parent, they wanted to hold a birthday party. But what can you do to make a group of six-year-olds and their brothers and sisters busy and happy? Their parents reserved a place at Head Pins Bowling Alley. I wish you could have seen the delighted kids! The older kids knew a little about it, but the 6-year-olds thought you threw that big heavy ball down any alley, so they followed people to their alley. People were so kind and picked up the spare balls as the dads got a big kick out of explaining that each family had their own alley. It was the cutest thing! The kids were noisy, but who cares in a bowling alley? The children were in their glory. They had so much fun, and there was no cleanup afterward! The parents ordered pizza and drinks, and the kids had the time of their lives. You know, I would never have thought to do that, but there you have young parents with ideas poppin' out of their heads! They even had other games, but we just stayed with the one alley. What a great idea and I thought just maybe others would want to hear about it!