Questionnaire: Wesner St. Vil, candidate for Coconut Creek City Commission, Seat C

Name: Wesner St. Vil

Seat are you running for: Coconut Creek Commission District C

Education and highest degree attained: MBA in Finance, Columbia Southern University, Orange, AL. B.S. Accounting, University of Bridgeport, CT.

Occupation: Hotel area director

Outline your work history for the past 15 years. (Please do not attach a resume.) VP Hospitality Management, VP of Operations, 2007-2014, Goldman Sachs Hotel Property; Crestline Hotel, General Manager, 2014-2016,; 3H Group Hotels, general manager, 2016-2020; promoted to area director, 2020-present. Pensacola Junior College, Adjunct Professor 2013-2

Have you ever been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime? Have you ever received a “withheld adjudication” or had a matter sealed or expunged? If yes, please explain. (We have had a number of candidates answer yes and still get our endorsement.) I have never been arrested nor convicted. I never received a “withheld adjudication” nor have I had a matter sealed or expunged.

Have you ever been a plaintiff or a defendant in a civil action, including bankruptcy or foreclosure, or had a restraining order issued against you? If so, please explain. (Same as above.) Yes, I was a plaintiff in a bankruptcy during my divorce from my first wife.

Are you a member of any civic groups? I recently signed to be a member of the NAACP during the fall presidential election in 2020.

Have you ever run for office before? No

Why are you running for this office? I am running because the city operations needs new leadership guidance in order to create values for all community stakeholders. Additionally, it needs someone that sustains and pivots expenditures during tough times like COVID. The mishandling of the recent adopted budgets in 2020 and 2021 has mostly incited (me) to run.

If you have chosen to run against an incumbent, why have you done so? First, I have noticed a lack of leadership in governance. Secondly, the city needs a representation of its fabric as it has become more diverse. The management of the city also needs to be more transparent. As an experienced leader who has worked with and through others to make tough decisions to create values during my development in the private sector, I am well-suited at the right time to put a term limit to the incumbent.

Please describe your city and/or your district as you would to someone who has never visited.

Coconut Creek is a quiet and safe city located within Broward County. It has a population of 62,000 inhabitants. For those who are seeking a quiet neighborhood, it is the ideal place to live. Moreover, it is near three major cities in South Florida; it is within nine miles of Lauderdale, 33 miles from Miami and 33 miles from West Palm Beach. According to Money Magazine, it is one of the best cities to live in America. It has a unique environmental consciousness. In fact, it is called the “Butterfly Capital of the world” (coconutcreek.net). Last but not least, the school district has a good rating.

In your view, what are the top three issues facing your city or district? COVID-19, leadership and budget management.

How would you assess the performance of the city commission? What grade would you give the commission for how it works? Why?

C grade, due to the fact that they mismanaged the city budget before and during COVID, and their lack of transparency. It seems that there is no accountability when it comes to responsibility on spending, etc. The budget depicts our programs and policies. thus it should be the utmost concern of all commissioners. Apparently it is not.

Is there anything you want us to know about your opponent(s)? Voting for Commissioner Rydell to come back to his seat appeared to be an unethical act lacking transparency.

Is there anything that we didn’t ask about that you would like to bring up? I am a result-oriented leader. Working my way from entry level to an executive position as an immigrant who did not grow up in the United States is the testament of my culture in working hard to create value for investors, employees and community. Thus I intend to use my tested leadership to better serve the city of Coconut Creek.

Is there anything about yourself that we didn’t ask about that would embarrass you if an opponent found out? Nothing.

Why should voters vote for you? I am coming with a fresh ideas and experiences from the private sector, where I have have been accountable in tough times like 9/11, the BP oil spill, 2008 recession and COVID-19 economic impact.

How much money have you raised so far? Please include today’s date. $4.065 from small donors and me

Have you received any other endorsements? None