2014 Spring Newsletter

INMEMORYOFGEOFFGREENE

On toGREENErPastures Doweever reallyknow someone completely? Wemay think thatwedo, but the real answer isweonlyknowasmuchabout apersonas that person iswilling to share. TheCitrusCountyPropertyAppraiser’sOfficeknewofMr.GeoffreyGreene afterhe filedapetition regardinghisAgricultural classificationdenial in2008. A fewof usmetwithhimacross that table todiscuss the issueswith lawyers

MarshaColeman, CFE

present. Littledid the staff know that in less thanamonth this gentlemanwouldbeaperson thatwill havewon thePrimaryElection inAugust of 2008, defeatingour formerPA. Changewas something that theofficewas going tobe in for comeNovember. Iwas introduced toMr.Greenebya formerPropertyAppraiser andHouseRepresentativeMr.Ronald Schultz at apolitical functionprior to theNovemberElection. As Ihad sat across from thegentleman duringVAB, one can imaginewhatwas going throughmyheadduring that “formal”meeting. Luckily Mr. Schultz gavemehighpraise formyworkethicandMr.Greene softenedabit over the trivialVAB issues. Mr.Greenewent on towin theNovember electionwith64%of thevotesgoing tohim. In January2009Mr.Greenewas sworn intoofficeand the changes started. The first fewdayswerea whirlwindof revolvingdoors and somegoodpeoplewere let go. If in thosedays youwere called into hisoffice, the fearof being told that youwereno longerneededwashigh. Somenew faces also came into theoffice, andoneof thebiggest surpriseswas thatMr.Greene’s opponent fromNovemberwas hiredon. Mr.Greenewanted tobeknownasGeoff around theoffice, he createdmoreof a relaxed atmosphere thanwhatwehadbeenused to. Geoffwas always in cowboyboots and jeans andap- peared laidback. Well, letme rephrase that…hewasnot laidback; hewasabundleof uncontrolled energy. IfGeoff brought over something tobe lookedat and toldyou “no rush” itwouldbe in thebest interest of all theparties involved toget toworkon that right away. That tookmea coupleof times to learn that lesson. Geoff ledaveryproductive lifeprior tohis timeas thePA. Hewason theprobowling circuit, involved inFireDepartments inSouthFloridaanddeveloped twoof theprominent subdivisions inour county. Geoffwas abigkidat heart, always sharing stories and jokes and showingyou things thathadbeen sent tohim fromhis familyand friends (andhehadmanyof them). Henever ceased toamaze some of uswhenhe removedhis own staples after a surgeryonhis arm….hewasa character. Someof the storiesof his variousbumps andbruiseshadus shakingourheads inwonder. Kindof like, “Iwonder whathewas thinking”? Surgeriesdidn’tholdhimback; I rememberhim coming in theafternoonafter amorningprocedure to catchupon some things. Hewas alwayswilling tobe there for someone inneedandalways available to listen. A fewof uswon- deredafter the tragic event inJanuary if therewas anything thatwe couldhavedone, if onlyhehad sharedwithuswhathewas thinking. Theofficehasnot been the same sincehisdeparture: no longer arewehearing the “DROID”whenhisphonewas left on, orhim callingyouout to the “patio” - aka “smoking room” toaskabout something that caughthis attention. Geoffwas someone that had brought lifeand spunk into theofficeandhehasbeengreatlymissed.

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Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO