Transcript for Hustle & Heat Episode 13
What’s up guys and welcome back to another episode of the Hustle & Heat Podcast. My name is George, your host, where we bring the community together one entrepreneur, one local business owner, and one public official at a time.
Today I’d like to welcome a special guest. She’s a hardworking leader who has served on the Charlotte County School Board for the past 10 years and is now running for Charlotte County Commissioner. You might see her knocking on your door sometime this week or next week as she meets voters across the county.
Without further ado, I’d like to welcome Kim Amontree. Thank you for coming on the podcast today. It’s a pleasure to have you here.
Thank you for having me. It’s wonderful to be here this morning.
So tell us a little bit about yourself and how you ended up here in Charlotte County.
I moved to Charlotte County on March 1st, 1991, and I still remember the day very clearly.
My husband grew up on Siesta Key, and when we were dating he asked me, “What would you think about moving to Florida? It’s beautiful — sunshine, palm trees, beaches.” Of course, he forgot to mention the hurricanes.
When he asked me to move here, I told him, “Not without a ring. I want a ring, I want a dog, and I want a house.”
And he gave me all three.
We moved into a house in Deep Creek in 1991. If you know the area, we lived all the way at the end of Deep Creek Boulevard. At the time, none of what you see today was there — no shopping centers, no Publix, nothing like that.
It was a big adjustment moving from New Orleans to a small town, but I went back to school, earned my MBA, we got married, and started building our life here.
Over the years we built two successful businesses, raised our family, and became very involved in the community.
In 2015 I was serving as President of the local Education Foundation, and at that time our schools were in a difficult place. Some people on the board approached me and asked if I would ever consider running for the school board.
At the time I was pretty naive about politics. I believed the school board was a nonpartisan position for people who simply cared about public education. Looking back now, especially after the last decade, we all know education has become much more political.
But it turned out that serving on the school board was something I had a real passion and skill for.
Now I’m taking that experience and running for Charlotte County Commissioner.
One of the reasons I love serving on the school board is because I get to spend time in our schools with the students.
Every day I see incredible young people who inspire me. Seeing students graduate and go on to become successful adults is what motivates me to keep doing this work.
That’s why during my time on the school board I’ve focused on three main priorities:
• Student achievement
• Student safety
• Workforce training programs
Workforce training has been especially important. Through advocacy at the state level we launched an aviation training program, including an aviation academy at Charlotte High School.
Students can now graduate high school with FAA certifications and walk directly into careers making $60,000–$75,000 a year with no college debt.
Programs like that have been incredibly successful.
Because of that success, the state approved funding for an advanced manufacturing program that will begin in 2027. We’re also requesting funding for additional programs like water management certifications and welding training.
The goal is simple: no matter what path a student chooses — college, trade, or starting a business — they should be prepared for success after graduation.
One of the biggest challenges education faced recently was COVID and remote learning.
Children cannot learn how to read on Zoom. It simply does not work.
Before COVID, we had worked extremely hard to increase third-grade reading proficiency. When I first started, about 50% of students were not reading proficiently by third grade.
Through community partnerships, volunteer programs like Reading Buddies, and district initiatives, we increased that number to nearly 70% proficiency by 2019.
Then COVID hit, and the numbers dropped again.
Many children in kindergarten and first grade during that time missed those crucial early reading years. We are working hard to help them recover, but it has been a real challenge.
Another important issue in schools today is student safety.
Nothing matters more to parents than knowing their children are safe at school.
In Charlotte County we have taken safety very seriously. Every secondary school has two school resource officers and two guardians, all of whom are retired law enforcement or military.
We also installed vape detectors in bathrooms and security cameras in hallways so schools can better monitor activity and prevent incidents before they happen.
At the end of the day, parents deserve to know their children will return home safely.
After serving on the school board for nearly a decade, the question became: why run for County Commissioner?
Over the years, community leaders have watched how I approached difficult decisions — especially during COVID — and encouraged me to consider taking that leadership to the next level.
Charlotte County is at an important point in its future.
We are primarily a retirement community with an average age around 62, but we also need to make sure younger families and entrepreneurs can build their futures here.
We need a balance.
Retirees moved here for the quality of life, but the people providing that quality of life — restaurant owners, teachers, tradespeople, and entrepreneurs — are the younger generations raising families in this community.
Growth is inevitable in Florida.
People move here for the same reasons many of us did: sunshine, beaches, and opportunity.
The question is not whether Charlotte County will grow — it will. The real question is how we manage that growth.
Planning for infrastructure like roads, utilities, and water supply will be critical as the area continues to expand.
When speaking with voters while knocking on doors across the county, two concerns come up more than anything:
• Growth
• Water infrastructure
People care deeply about what their neighborhoods look like and how development is managed.
At the same time, Charlotte County has a tremendous opportunity to bring industry and higher-paying jobs to the area — particularly near the airport industrial park and the Jones Loop area.
But for that to happen, we must ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place, including water, sewer, electricity, and proper zoning.
Looking ten years into the future, Charlotte County will continue growing.
One trend we’re seeing is the rise of planned communities, where development is carefully designed with housing, amenities, and commercial areas all integrated together.
Communities like Babcock Ranch are examples of how thoughtful planning can create places where families want to live, work, and spend time together.
We will also likely see more industry near the airport area and hopefully the development of a hospital in South County, which is something our community greatly needs.
At the end of the conversation, the focus returned to what matters most — the future of the community.
Creating a place where families can move here, start businesses, raise children, and build successful lives is the ultimate goal.
Those who want to learn more about the campaign or get involved can visit kimamontree.com or reach out directly.
The primary election will take place August 18th, and between now and then the goal is to knock on thousands of doors and hear directly from residents about their concerns and hopes for Charlotte County.
Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Hustle & Heat Podcast.
Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe, and we’ll see you next time as we continue bringing the community together — one conversation at a time.
