Johnson sworn in as youngest woman to serve on commission

Chloe Johnson, 36, has made history by becoming the youngest woman to serve on the Winter Garden City Commission following her swearing-in ceremony and oath of office Thursday, April 11. 

Johnson will serve a four-year term for District 3. She replaces former City Commissioner Mark A. Maciel, who served since January 2017.

“It feels incredibly honoring to be chosen for such a pivotal role at this time,” Johnson said. “Being the youngest woman ever selected for the commission, I am thrilled at the prospect of setting a precedent for our generation. My appointment serves as a testament that women can lead with grace, love and humility and profoundly impact our community and beyond. This role empowers me to inspire others, showing that they too can achieve great things, regardless of their age or gender.”

LEADING LADIES

The first woman ever to be elected to the commission was Mildred Dixon, who was in her late 40s, who started serving for District 3 in 1985. Dixon served until 1992, when she lost in a runoff to Fred Triplett, the youngest male to ever serve on the commission.

That same year, the second woman to serve on the commission, Suzanne Schultz, was elected to serve District 4. 

Records from both the city and the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation have not been able to pinpoint Schultz’s exact age. However, she is estimated to have been in her late 30s when she served from 1992 to 1994, before she was replaced by Gerald Jowers. 

In 1994, the third woman to serve on the commission, Johnnie Mae Anderson, estimated to have been in her 40s, was elected to serve District 3 following a runoff against Dixon. 

Anderson served until she was replaced by Howard Maybury in 1999. 

In 2001, a runoff election between Dixon and Anderson was held, where Dixon won and served again until she died in 2006. Charlie Mae Wilder, the fourth woman to serve on the commission, was selected to fulfill her unexpired term until 2007.

The fifth woman to serve on the commission, Carol S. Nichols, who is estimated to have been in her early 50s, was sworn in as District 4 commissioner in March 2005. However, she resigned shortly after and was replaced by Colin Sharman, who still serves in the role today. 

Lisa Bennett was elected to serve District 1 as the sixth woman on the commission in 2017. Bennett still holds the seat. 

Although Bennett said Johnson’s election to the commission is a milestone and a great accomplishment, she said the role is not about being a woman. Instead, Johnson is the most qualified person for the position.

“She’s a woman of great character and faith,” she said. “I believe she will represent District 3 very well, and I look forward to working with her.”

Johnson already has goals for her first term.

“I aim to foster a more engaged community where every voice feels heard and valued,” she said. “By innovating and uplifting, I hope to bring about significant, positive changes that reflect our collective strength and potential. I aspire to inspire action and encourage collaboration and reinforcing the idea that we are all better together. Through these efforts, I anticipate fostering a sense of unity of progress within the community by continuing enhancing the great accomplishments the city has already made.”