FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:    Pete Winton, Lee County Administration
                (941) 335-2777

FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 20, 2001) – The Board of Lee County Commissioners today voted unanimously to designate Commissioner Bob Janes as its chairman for the coming year. Commissioner Ray Judah was designated as vice chairman. Janes replaces Commissioner Doug St. Cerny.

On the third Tuesday of each November the Board elects a new chairman. The chairman runs the weekly commission meetings, appoints other commissioners to serve as liaisons to other boards and organizations, and signs documents on behalf of the entire Board of County Commissioners, such as resolutions and financial documents.

The vice chairman typically becomes the chairman the next year, and the chairmanship rotates among the five board members.

Janes was elected to his first term last November representing District #1, which includes much of Cape Coral, Sanibel, Captiva, Pine Island, Matlacha and Boca Grande. He was a member of the Sanibel City Council from 1992 to 1996 and then was elected Mayor from 1996 to 2000. Janes also has served chairmanships of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (1996), Region 24 Workforce Development Board (1996-1998), Lee County Private Industry Council (1994-1996), and Sanibel Planning Commission (1990-1992). He was chairman of Hennepin County Board of County Commissioners in Minneapolis, MN from 1964 to 1969.