Before entering public office,Sawicki worked in the private sector,including roles in management and marketing. She spent over two decades in the insurance industry and founded a consulting firm,Indigo Pros,in 2013. [2] [6]
Mayor of Cape Coral
In November 2013,Sawicki was elected mayor of Cape Coral,narrowly defeating incumbent John Sullivan by 121 votes. [2] Her election marked the first time a woman held the position in the city. [2] During her tenure,her administration prioritized city development initiatives and community preparedness,including a $750,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to train residents in disaster preparedness. [4] [7]
She was a member of the Florida League of Cities,the Florida League of Mayors,the Florida Municipal Trust,and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. She was twice honored as a "Home Rule Hero" by the Florida League of Cities and was named one of 2015's "Elected Women of Excellence" by the National Foundation for Women Legislators,selecting her as one of just 18 female legislators from across the U.S. [4]
In 2014,Sawicki became the first mayor in Southwest Florida to sign the Freedom to Marry pledge supporting same-sex marriage. [8] [9] Later that year,she supported the establishment of a domestic partnership registry in Cape Coral,which passed with a 5–3 vote,making it the first such registry in Lee County. [10] [11]
Bimini Basin Project
As mayor,Sawicki supported the Bimini Basin Project,a redevelopment plan for a waterfront area in Cape Coral. [12] In September 2014,under her leadership,the city council approved funding for a feasibility study by the University of South Florida's School of Architecture &Community Design. [13] Though the project faced delays,it eventually broke ground in October 2023 as a $120 million development. [14] [15]
Disaster preparedness training
Following participation in a leadership program,Sawicki helped secure a $750,000 FEMA grant for disaster preparedness training. The program began in 2015 and involved training for city personnel. [16] [17] [18] [19]
Ethics inquiry
In 2016,a complaint was filed with the Florida Commission on Ethics,alleging that Sawicki had accepted gifts from a local businessman without properly disclosing them as required by state law. [20] The Florida Department of Law Enforcement also opened an investigation into Sawicki's office in the summer of 2017. [20] In March 2018,both the Ethics Commission and the FDLE cleared Sawicki of any wrongdoing. [21] [22] [23]
