Honoring Our Founders
Lifetime Achievement Award
In recognition of your decades of service to CCNA, residents, and the city of Sarasota. Your inspiration and dedication to enhancing, protecting and preserving city neighborhoods is the foundation upon which CCNA was built.
Mollie Cardamone (Avondale) was the catalyst, co-founder and first CCNA chair serving in 1990 and 1991. In its nascent stages, Mollie said “CCNA was able to quickly gain the attention of city officials thanks to support from City Manager David Sollenberger”. She recalled two early victories that energized CCNA. The city required developers to meet with residents before filing most project applications and the city also agreed to send notice of potential land use changes to property owners within 500 feet (an increase from 200 feet). “They’re simple by today’s standards, but they were really important to us at the time,” Cardamone said. Upon joining the City Commission in 1993 the commission shifted to more heavily emphasize neighborhoods, creating a neighborhood services department and adding a neighborhood chapter to the comprehensive plan, changes in which CCNA members played an active role.” Her drive and passion for protecting and enhancing neighborhoods continues some 30+ years later.
Linda Holland (Gillespie Park), a co-founder and original board member was the fourth chair serving three separate terms between 1996 and 2000. Linda has a long history of giving back to not only her immediate neighborhood but the city as a whole. She has continually looked for ways to improve, protect and enhance her neighborhood, serving on her neighborhood board in every position and getting her hands dirty with clean up and improvement while simultaneously serving on various city advisory boards for over 30 years. Her attendance at city commission, PREP board, and code compliance meetings ensured that the voice of the residents was and is heard. Her leadership is exemplary. Unique among the founding members, Mollie and Linda have stayed the course providing leadership to their neighborhoods and the city for decades. Times change, some issues change, while others cycle back but the foundation of CCNA was set in 1990 and continues because of the insight and aspirations of its founders and the subsequent neighborhood leaders they have inspired.
Celebrating our 30 Year Anniversary (1991 – 2021)
The CCNA 30th Anniversary Committee was comprised of three former chairs of the organization. Mollie Cardamone was the first CCNA chair. She served two terms. Linda Holland was the fourth chair and she served three separate terms. Kathy Kelley Ohlrich was the fifteenth chair and served for two terms. The cover page of this history is the original artwork used by CCNA. It was provided by David Cussen, second chair of CCNA and shared with the committee by third chair, Virginia Haley.
The committee compiled a history of CCNA from recorded minutes as well as from their own recollections. Along with Lou Costa, the seventeenth person to serve as CCNA chair, the committee provided a video interview shared with those attending the January, 2021 meeting and with other interested persons via the website.
“We hope you enjoyed the committee’s products as much as we enjoyed compiling them for you.” ~ Mollie, Linda, and Kathy – (January 2021)
