Please introduce yourself to your neighbors.
I’m a Technical Director by trade. I work on lighting, sound and set designs as well as fabrication and artist photography
How many years have you lived in Lealman?
59yrs, which is born and raised. I’m 3rd generation on the same land. Back when Lealman was mostly dairy farms, horse stables and produce stands. Back when you could swim at Joe’s Creek and dive off the trestles and eat crawdads and fish. When there were lightning-bugs, quail, mulberry trees, wild raspberries on the tracks. Back when they used to oil the roads to keep the dust down, and there was food on every corner of the main streets. There were restaurants, local shops and a small mom-and-pop grocery and from the tallest to the smallest, you were safe. When my brother and I were little, I called us the Lealman Knights. As we got older I changed it to Lealmanites to explain to people who never heard of Lealman what we call those born and raised here. Throughout my life I’ve shared this title with other Lealman natives and encouraged them to proclaim their identity as a Lealmanite.
What organizations are you involved in?
Pinellas cleanup and theater. Lealman doesn’t have a theater, but it should. It’s a very good way to bring people together in the community. Rather than tearing down the old fire department, repurpose it into a local theater. Or have a theater at the Leaman Exchange – make it the Lealman Community Center for the Arts? Nice ring, just saying.
What gets you out of bed every day?
Work and various hobbies like aquaponic farming. I built my own greenhouse during the pandemic. I’ve engineered a custom 600-gallon system where I’ve grown pretty much every vegetable and herb including saffron. I share the bounty with friends and neighbors.
What is one thing you’ve seen change for the better in Lealman in the last few years?
The outdoor areas and parks and recreation.
What’s next for you?
I would like to travel now that the world is opening back up. I would also like to go further with my art.