President’s Message – Annual Meeting of Republican Men’s Club Dear members

Jim Carter
President, Men’s Republican Club

Our club was officially chartered in April of 2003. Two years prior I stated this club with Lou Vlasho, a Naples Restauranteur, who had founded a similar club in Ohio, prior to moving to Naples.

Early in our discussion we we were joined by several others, including Wayne Smith who played a major role in developing our club. I had the honor of serving as our first President.

Through the years we’ve had our ups and downs. A core of dedicated members kept us active in Republican politics. In 2012 Charlie Sues asked me to rejoin the Board to fulfill an unexpired term of a member who left the area. We had about 35 members. I was asked to take over programming. Soon after our president resigned over a job conflict. I was elected President. The rest is history.

Over the last Eight years we’ve rebuilt the Board, expanded our scholarship program, developed the Annual Salute to Veterans into a major Naples event and brought national and international speakers to our membership. This Board is getting us through COVID-19 and will continue to provide the leadership that takes us forward into 2021.

Today we have over 120 members. Our membership includes many of our elected officials both local, state and newly elected congressman Byron Donald’s. We have provided a great deal of leadership to the CCREC and always have been a major forum for Republican candidates.

This meeting has particular significance as three (3) new members will be elected to your Board of Directors. We have five (5) candidates for Three (3) positions. All are very qualified to join the other six (6) in moving us forward.

You need to read the bios and be present to vote. These candidates are our future.

I know all of us stepping down have found this a very rewarding experience. Chad, John and I will continue to be involved and do everything we can to support our club. It will be my pleasure to introduce your new President and officers at the January meeting.