The Town Council recently approved an extension to Town Manager Cherry Stowe's employment agreement, adding 2 additional years to its term. She thanked the Town Council for their continued enthusiasm for the work she does on behalf of the Town and the community.
Mayor Gibbons commented that it is easy to overlook the very challenging nature of the position, noting that many people might assume that, with a small staff of just 3 persons at Town Hall, the work must be simple. He emphasized that the contrary is true in his view, as the Town Manager must be well versed in a very wide variety of complex subjects ranging from coastal management, to finance and budgeting, to local, county and state laws, to building permitting, to website content creation, and much more.
Councilmember Heanue agreed and remarked that 2024 had been a particularly challenging year with the designing of and moving to a new Town Hall, the hiring and training of a new Town Clerk, the unexpected procurement of streetlight painting services, and the facilitation of several land development projects. Vice-Mayor Knapp also evaluated that Manager Stowe continued to excel in the position.
Town Hall is not a place of rest and relaxation, but Mayor Gibbons happily pointed out what a great team the Town Manager leads there. He said that Manager Stowe's relationship with her coworkers was very positive, which he put great weight on as a benefit to the community.
Cherry Stowe started with the Town of Orchid in December 2015 as Town Clerk and has since earned a designation of Master Municipal Clerk. She was promoted to Town Manager in 2021. Manager Stowe is originally from the Netherlands, where her parents and brother still reside. She came to the United States as a foreign exchange student for Senior Year at a Pennsylvanian high school, which was a wonderful experience that she likened to living in a Hollywood movie.
Then she earned her Master's degree in Scotland, where her mother is originally from and her extended family lives. Manager Stowe came to Florida in 2007 with her husband, a former U.S. Navy Parachute Rigger. She became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America in early 2013 and is the proud bearer of 3 valid passports, 1 for each of her nationalities.
She enjoys working for the Town of Orchid exactly because the position is so very varied, as described by the Councilmembers.
She particularly appreciates how the position has provided her with a great understanding of civics. Orchid is a special Town, and being a part of its history is a real honor to her. She looks forward to continuing to work hard for the Town's residents over the next 2 years.