Pasco Native Takes On Kathryn Starkey In Commission Race

PASCO COUNTY, FL — Patch sent out questionnaires to all candidates for local and state races.

The following is the response from Jessica Sempien, 40. Sempien, a Democrat is running against incumbent Kathryn Starkey for the District 3 Pasco County Commission seat.

Background, Education

I’m a Pasco native and graduate of Land O’ Lakes High School. Go Gators! I hold a bachelor of science degree in environmental science from the Florida Institute of Technology. My continuing education includes leadership courses from the University of Florida in Legacy Leadership and the Natural Resources Leadership Institute.

I am a Burl Long award recipient of the NRLI program, which is an eight-month program that takes natural resources leaders around the state of Florida and teaches them the skills, tools and practices for managing stakeholders and analyzing complex community issues.

The program inspired me to build a new career as a meeting facilitator and to create the Sierra Pines Coalition, an organization that works to mitigate stormwater and flooding issues within Pasco neighborhoods. The coalition has been able to implement maintenance and permitting projects that have benefited over 450 homes in the county. We continue to advocate for the residents and work with stakeholders through this coalition and are seeking to expand to other areas of the county.

Experience, Occupation

Currently, I serve as the water policy coordinator of the Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services’ Office of Agricultural Water Policy. In that role I work with the agriculture industry on implementing water resource protection and management policies. I also facilitate strategic planning sessions with the Florida State Agricultural Response Team.

My work experience includes four years as an environmental specialist for the Hillsborough County Health Department in its Onsite Sewage and Septic Disposal Systems and 13 years with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in the Office of Agricultural Water Policy.

I am very active in professional and community organizations and am a member of the Institute of Cultural Affairs Technology of Participation Network, the Southeast Association of Facilitators, the NRLI Alumni Association, and Toastmasters International, and am a certified Everything DiSC in the Workplace facilitator.

Prior elected office

No prior elected office experience.

Personal

I was born in Dade City and am raising my son with my husband in the same neighborhood where I was raised, Sierra Pines and Meadowbrook Estates.

I’ve been a volleyball coach at Land O’ Lakes High School, taught high school science, and created a 4H club called the Lutz Leaders.

My husband, Dwight, is a small business owner and together we built a contracting business from the ground up during the 2008 recession.

I also manage a second business, which I own, that provides meeting facilitation services and workshop design to the community.

I have a passion for the outdoors and learning new things. My current hobby is working on my 1971 VW Bug.

Priorities

1. Stormwater and flooding issues:

(a) Involve impacted residents ahead of the development review process for new developments.

(b) Increase the stormwater management plan requirements for new developments to meet the same environmental resource permitting standards as the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

(c) Identify impacted communities and prioritize projects that address stormwater and flooding mitigation.

2. Preserving Greenspaces:

(a) Prioritize Penny for Pasco funding for wildlife corridors.

(b) Bolster the current preservation program by coordinating with other agencies and programs, such as the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural Family Lands Protection Program. Coordinating with this program would enhance the opportunity to preserve rural lands in Pasco.

3. Smart Growth and Livable Communities:

(c) Create a Pasco 2070 long-range vision plan, in partnership with organizations like 1000 Friends of Florida. The plan would require resident input and set Pasco on a path to smart and sustainable growth.

(d) Implement a transportation plan to improve bus routes, sidewalks connectivity and community hiking/biking trails. Improvements in transportation will make our communities safer and better connect our residents to their places of work, grocery stores and doctors' offices.

(e) Create an affordable housing task force to identify the action steps to increase housing options for low to moderate income residents.

Why Are You Running?

I am an environmental scientist, Pasco County native, meeting facilitator and local leader who is passionate about her community.

I have worked tirelessly to mitigate storm water and flooding issues in Pasco neighborhoods, one of the county’s top challenges.

I want to serve as Pasco County commissioner to give a greater voice to the residents and taxpayers of the county. Currently, county residents are not being treated as a priority in Pasco. As your next Pasco County commissioner, I will remain focused on solving local issues that affect each one of us in this community.