Scott Brook Kicks Off Mayoral Campaign

By Nicol Jenkins
Editor

“There are still things that need to be done,” said Coral Springs Mayor Scott Brook.

Brook recently kicked off his campaign to keep his title as Mayor of Coral Springs. He already raised $5,000 at his first fundraiser at Wings Plus in Coral Springs and $10,000 overall.

The race looks promising for Brook, a favorite among residents and city officials because of his warm and welcoming demeanor and desire to change the community for the better. So far, Brook is also running unopposed but the race is still early. If Brook is re-elected in November, his term goes till November 2010.

In March 2006, Brook took the reigns as city leader with a priority of improving community involvement in government relations. He was successful in increasing voter turnout and increasing the city’s volunteer base among many other programs.

Prior, Brook, who has his own law firm in Coral Springs, was on the city commission for four years. Coming from Manhattan, he moved to the city with his wife Brenda and now has a family of five. Brook says his wife and children- Patrick, Tina, Mathew, AJ, and Samantha- have been very supportive throughout his leadership role. He also gives credit to city employees, volunteers and his fellow commissioners.

“Volunteers especially make the city as extraordinary as it is,” said Brook.

Many of those volunteers sit on various city committees including the Customer-Involved Government Committee, which consists of members that focus on key issues such as illegal fireworks and making the city more environmentally friendly through study circles.

Perhaps one of the most noted accomplishments is the city being the first local government in the nation to receive the coveted Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a Presidential honor that recognizes U.S. companies for organizational performance excellence.

“I’m the first Mayor of a Malcolm Baldrige Award city,” said Brook with an ear-to-ear grin.

The Mayor also prides himself on starting Premier Networking Alliance’s Project Leadership, an organization for teens to learn about leadership. The next segment will focus on careers and colleges for high school teens later this month.

Various business and community leaders will speak to teens weekly for a five-week complimentary program. One of the first speakers will be Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti. Brook hopes more teens will seek involvement in the group.

“This is a great opportunity for young people who are interested in government and leadership roles,” he said.

As for future goals, Brook hopes to expand teen involvement, assist small businesses, grow the economy and he has many more ideas in the works.

“There are still things that need to be done with economic development. I want to increase property values to attract more businesses of all sizes,” he said. “I also want to help small businesses by sharing how we run our business of the city of Coral Springs.”

Another major issue Brook plans to tackle head-on is “cracking down on drug dealers.”

Overall, Brook finds each day on the job a rewarding experience.

“It’s not just being a Mayor and a leader in the community, but also being a part of such a great community,” he said. “It is a dream come true to have this job.”

For more information on Project Leadership, contact Scott Brook at sbrook@pnanetwork.com.