KISSIMMEE, FL. — The Kissimmee Utility Authority board of directors interviewed eight applicants on Wednesday to fill an upcoming vacancy on the five-member volunteer utility board.
The new board member will replace outgoing director Ethel Urbina, who has served on the board since 2013.
The KUA board interviewed eligible applicants and recommended three applicants whose names have been sent to the City of Kissimmee commission for a second round of interviews and final appointment on June 3.
The recommended applicants are:
- MARY ROSE COX, a 10-year resident of Osceola County with over a decade of experience in communications, public relations, and public utilities. Cox graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Interpersonal Communications and is currently the Director of Marketing and Storytelling at Hope Partnership, Inc.
- MICHELE LEBRON, the owner and managing attorney at Lebron Law, PLLC in Kissimmee. A resident of Kissimmee for the past 13 years, Lebron graduated from Barry University School of Law with a Juris Doctor Degree.
- OLGA GONZALEZ, the former Mayor of the City of Kissimmee. Gonzalez is a 28-year resident of Kissimmee and has previously served as a Kissimmee City Commissioner and an Ex officio member of KUA’s board of directors. Gonzalez is the president and founder of Church & Community Assistance Program, Inc., which provides resources and support to individuals and agencies in need.
The candidate appointed by the city commission will be sworn in at the board’s October meeting.
Founded in 1901, KUA is Florida’s sixth largest community-owned utility powering 97,000 customers in Osceola County, Florida. For more information, visit www.kua.com.