By Steve Plunkett
Craig Ehrnst will serve a second term as a Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District commissioner, but two colleagues and their challengers will fight it out on the Aug. 18 ballot.
Ehrnst, who has dubbed himself “The Parks Guy” on Facebook, said his passion for the job helped him fend off possible rivals for Seat 1, which he retained unopposed.
“Voters deserve a choice, but it helps to have a passion for our community,” he said. “I am happy to serve my role until the next passionate parks person chooses to take over.”
In the Seat 3 race, amateur golfer and retired teacher Nancy-Jo Feinberg will face District Vice Chair Erin Wright. The Seat 5 contest features three candidates: two-term incumbent Steve Engel, lawyer Eric Pendergraft and insurance agent William “Billy” Vale.
Ehrnst, who turns 56 in July, said his priorities for the next four years are to implement a short-term plan for Ocean Strand and develop a long-term plan, to build an observation tower at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, to build the planned Boca National Golf Course, and improve communications with the city.
District commissioners meeting on June 15 approved issuing a request for bids to develop the Ocean Strand parcel after increasing the construction budget from $75,000 to $100,000.
Ehrnst, who has a master’s in business administration and is treasurer of a Boca Raton-based corporation, is married and has three children. The district, he said, has a “very unique” role in the community.
“Gumbo Limbo, SABR (the Soccer Association of Boca Raton), Boca Hoops (youth basketball) and others would not exist if not for the volunteers and district support,” he said.
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