New supervisor of elections in Collier named; longtime deputy stepping in
Naples native Melissa Blazier has been appointed Collier County Supervisor of Elections.
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Blazier, 45, to the position to succeed Jennifer J. Edwards, who announced her retirement effective April 28.
More: Collier Supervisor of Elections Jennifer Edwards retiring April 28 after 23 years at helm
In a letter to the governor in April, Edwards recommended Blazier for the supervisor’s position to finish out her term which expires Jan. 1, 2025.
Blazier has worked in the elections’ office for 17 years, most recently as chief deputy supervisor, a position she has held since November 2013.
During the past 17 years with the supervisor’s office, she helped run more than 40 municipal and county elections.
The supervisor’s office has 24 employees, including the supervisor’s position where the salary is set by the state and is currently $166,888.
The budget for the 2023 year is $5.1 million.
Collier is home to 261,060 registered voters as of early April. A Republican party stronghold, there are 134,176 voters registered as Republican, 56,424 registered Democrats and 70,460 voters registered as “other.”
Blazier holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Hodges University and has received her designation as a certified elections registration administrator since 2013 from the National Association of Election Officials.
The following year she received her master Florida certified elections professional designation through the Florida Supervisor of Elections.
New supervisor has local roots
She grew up in Naples and graduated from Naples High School.
Blazier is a graduate of Leadership Collier class of 2014 and Leadership Marco class of 2019. She was named one of Gulfshore Business’ Top 40 under 40 in 2014.
She was named Distinguished Fundraising Volunteer in 2018 through the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Leadership Collier Foundation’s Volunteer of the Year in 2020. She was named Kiwanian of the Year by the Kiwanis Club of Naples in 2022.
She is active with many civic organizations that include American Legion Post 135, Kiwanis Club of Naples and Leadership Collier Alumni Association.
She is a member of the League of Women Voters; Naples Republican Club, Republican Women of Southwest Florida Federated; and the Women’s Republican Club.
In addition, Blazier serves on the Leadership Collier Foundation Advisory Council and is president of the Kiwanis Club of Naples
She has been married to her husband, Devon Blazier, for 24 years and they have one son.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: DeSantis names Edwards deputy as supervisor of elections in Collier
