Vice-Mayor Paul Knapp
Paul Knapp and his wife, Nancy, who lived and worked for many years in Chicago, are now Florida residents and split their time between their homes in Orchid and Bay Harbor (MI). He is an active boater and tennis player.
Paul was born and raised in California and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Administration from California State University in 1967. He next graduated Magna Cum Laude with an MBA in Finance from The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1977.
During the 47 year career that followed he worked in positions as CFO, president, and other executive positions in insurance and investment management and CEO of futures and options trading.
He founded the international financial markets research and consulting firms Catalyst Institute and Catalyst Consulting. His work saw him travel internationally extensively during the latter half of his career.
Paul retired in 2014 from the positions of Senior Managing Director of DST Systems, Inc. and President and CEO of Vermont Western Assurance. He had been with DST for 17 years by that time.
Paul has enjoyed many years of involvement with public and not-for-profit organizations, and has an extensive record of service to the communities of which he is and has been a part.
On the local level in Florida, Paul served on the Local Planning Agency for the Town of Orchid in 2017. He also serves on the Tennis Committee of Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club and is Co-Chairman of the Orchid Island Indian River Medical Center Leadership Committee. He is also a Director of Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach.
His wide-ranging interests are clear from his many extracurricular activities, but working for the benefit of youth education stands out particularly.
Role of the Vice-Mayor
The role of Vice-Mayor is important, as it is this position that fills in for the Mayor when he/she is not available. For instance, the Vice-Mayor leads the Town Council meeting per the Town's adopted parliamentary proceedings in the absence of the Mayor and is responsible for signing agreements, ordinances and resolutions if the Mayor is unavailable to do so. Just like the Mayor and the other Councilmembers, the Vice-Mayor must vote on agenda items before the Town Council and is instrumental in passing local laws and making local decisions.
Councilmember Term
In December 2017, Paul Knapp was appointed to serve in a vacated seat on the Town Council until the next election. He was subsequently sworn in at the following meeting in the New Year. In the summer of 2018, he put forth his candidacy for the remainder of the vacated term. He was unopposed in that election and was sworn in for the remaining two years in the term on November 9, 2018. In the local election of 2020, he put forth his candidacy again. That election saw two other candidates vie alongside the incumbent for two open seats. Councilmember Knapp was re-elected to serve a term which will run to November 2024. At the Town Council meeting in November 2020, after he was sworn into the new term, he was selected by the Town Council to serve as Vice-Mayor.
County & Regional Committee Appointments
Councilmember Knapp is appointed as the alternate to represent the Town of Orchid on the Indian River County Economic Development Council.
