Feature Story & Photos By Larry H. Oskin
Sean M. Parks is a well-respected Lake County Commissioner from District 2. As Chairman of the South Lake area, Parks loves to work with community service organizations and is deservedly proud of his many community achievements. He actively uses his extensive background in environmental science and engineering management to handle many of the challenges faced in South Lake County.
Sean is a Central Florida native who enjoys spending time at Lake County activities and events with his wife and three children. Their children are students at East Ridge High School.
As an Eagle Scout, Parks still serves scouting as a volunteer, while helping teach young children how to achieve their merit badges. Parks has a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science and a Master’s Degree in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. While in college, he was a crew member, helping his rowing team to win a national championship. He attributes his love of history to both of his grandparents who served in World War II, noting, “I was the child who always listened and learned a lot from their stories at family gatherings.” He is now a licensed pilot and states, “I have always been a dreamer wanting to fly!”
Commissioner Parks remains open to listening to residents’ concerns, suggestions and challenges. He holds regularly scheduled Coffee & Conversations as outreach meetings, to welcome the opportunity for personal face-to-face discussions. To maximize open dialogues, he leads a podcast called “Lake Rising”, to present positive stories and news from around Lake County and the Central Florida region.
Parks is certified as an urban and regional planner by the American Institute of Certified Planners and is a Qualified Environmental Professional. He was elected in 2004 to the Lake County Water Authority and serves education in Lake County as an ex-officio Board member to the Educational Foundation of Lake County.
Parks worked for the St. John’s River Management District to help preserve and restore wetlands. Commissioner Parks is a member of the Board of Directors for the Buses & Backpacks Program, serving Lake County children in need and volunteers for civic organizations. He has served in Rotary and Kiwanis and is an active member of the South Lake Chamber of Commerce. He is Chairman of Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the South Lake County District, a Policy Committee Policy Leader for the Growth, Agriculture, Transportation & Environment Committee. He is Chairman of the Institute for County Government and a member of the Lake County Chamber Alliance. He is a member of the NACO Steering Committee for Environment, Energy & Land Use, a member of the South Lake Chamber Economic Development Committee and he serves on the South Lake Community Ministries Board besides taking on numerous other community leadership roles.
Commissioner Parks is Chairman of Central Florida Expressway, Chairman of TEAM Florida and a member of the Florida Association of Counties Water Policy Committee. He serves on the Lake Emergency Medical Services Board of Directors, the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization and the South Lake Water Initiative. Earlier in his career, he served on the Lake County Water Authority Board of Trustees.
Commissioner Sean Parks shares, “I am very proud of our South Lake residents and all of the many initiatives that move us forward. I must give a lot of credit to the talented county leadership team!”
Parks notes, “One of our biggest challenges here in South Lake is growth management to help us protect and preserve Lake County while we have been rapidly growing at a very fast pace. We are not just another outlying suburban Orlando community. Lake County now has over 380,000 residents and we remain one of the 5 fastest growing counties in Florida.”
Parks wants to help lead the way with the Lake County Growth Management Plan. He notes, “We must all fully support our local public safety with our Sheriff, Police and Fire Departments, with more of a presence. Our EMS Systems have been greatly improved to include more emergency preparedness with community involvement.”
Parks is very excited about the new Clermont Main Street initiatives adding, “Great things are just beginning for Clermont and the South Lake County. We must seek out more public-private partnerships like the Cherry Lake Tree Farm in Groveland, the Groveland Highway 50 Bypass Project, the Lake Orange Expressway, the much-needed widening of Hancock and Hartwood Marsh Roads, catching up on road resurfacing, our water treatment systems to protect our water reserves as well as many other forward-thinking growth development projects”.
“Wellness Way will soon start to bring us the potential for new high-tech businesses, clean energy manufacturing, hotels, restaurants, entertainment, competitive sport activities, advantageous tourism and high-paying career opportunities. We must continue to grow our Clermont Historical Society and our Historic Village. We must preserve our local history to learn from the past, while paving our way into the future! We must expand our educational and cultural opportunities with music, art, dance and theater to make us all better people. I am excited about the expansion plans for Lake Tech and Sumter State College. We will be starting a new county-wide Liberty Tree initiative before July 4th to encourage everyone to meet, share ideas and enjoy our community and to be thankful for our American freedoms. We must take full advantage of the reigning diversity as a strength for our entire community.”
Parks is focused on economic initiatives to help us ensure high-wage jobs and career opportunities with affordable and attainable housing. He says he wants to help create more environmentally safe parks, trails and bike paths, noting, “We need more parks that can be enjoyed by our families and people of any age or ability. It is important that we build communities that will best promote good health and exercise with strong outcomes.” He plans to further develop the South Lake Regional Parks and Trail System, inclusive of the ‘Meet Me in the Middle’ project. He adds, “This will be a big economic driver for Clermont and Central Florida. People from all over the country will enjoy the trail, while needing nearby resources for eating, shopping, sightseeing and sleeping.”
Parks says he remains an active leader and supporter of local economic development, environmentally safe growth, and all business-friendly initiatives.
For More Information, visit https://www.lakecountyfl.gov/Board-of-County-Commissioners/District-2. Like and follow Sean Parks on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Sean-M-Parks-Lake-County-Commission-District-2-138196716235446/.
