I AM BOB SKINNER, 75 YEARS OLD, AND I AM THE GREAT GRANDSON OF UMATILLA’S FOUNDER, NATHAN J. TROWELL.

 MY LEADERSHIP STARTED AT AN EARLY AGE WHEN I JOINED THE CUB SCOUTS AND BECAME A LEADER ATTAINING THE RANK OF WEBELOS, AND I WAS ACTIVE IN THE 4H CLUB.

 IN THE EIGHTH GRADE I WENT TO COLUMBIA MILITARY ACADEMY AND THAT SUMMER I WORKED AS A LIFE GUARD, THE FIRST OF FOUR SUMMER LIFEGUARD JOBS. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF MY WORK ETHIC.

 IT CONTINUED IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN I PLANTED A CITRUS NURSERY AND DEVELOPED A CLIENTEL TO MARKET, PICK, PACK AND SHIP CITRUS GIFT PACKAGES.

 I WAS PRESIDENT OF MY SOPHMORE AND SENIOR CLASSES AND THE LETTER CLUB AT UMATILLA HIGH SCHOOL. POINT MAN ON FFA PARLIMENTARY PROCEDURE TEAM, 4H CLUB AND PLAYED FOOTBALL.

 AS A BOY SCOUT I WON TRIPS TO HAVANA, CUBA, NEW YORK, SEATTLE AND A LEADERSHIP TRAINING COURSE AT THE PHILMONT SCOUT RANCH IN NEW MEXICO THAT INCLUDED A COURSE IN SURVIVAL. PRIOR TO THE TRIP TO NEW MEXICO I WAS AWARDED THE RANK OF EAGLE. THE SCOUTS WERE ONE OF MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCES!

  WHEN A JR IN HIGH SCHOOL  I ATTENDING RIVERSIDE MILITARY ACADEMY, I LEARNED TO FLY AND WAS A CIVIL AIR PATROL PILOT FOR MANY YEARS. 

 I ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE AIR FORCE ROTC BILLY MITCHELL DRILL TEAM AND I AM A U.S. ARMY VETERAN OF THE KOREAN WAR.

OVER 50 YEARS AGO IN 1957 I GRADUATED FROM FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE WITH DEGREES IN CITRUS AND BUILDING CONSTRUCTION,WHILE IN COLLEGE I WAS A BOY SCOUT MASTER AND PRESIDENT OF SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS. I AM A MEMBER OF PI KAPPA ALPHA FRATERNITY.

 I WORKED ON FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S CONSTRUCTION ON BUILDINGS AT FLA SOUTHERN DIGGING DITCHS, FINISHING CONCRETE, AND VARIOUS OTHER CONSTRUCTION TASKS.

  AFTER GRADUATING I SPEND 14 YEARS SELLING ADDITIVES TO CONCRETE PRODUCERS (READY MIX AND PRE-STRESS, CALLED ON ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS).  THEN FOR 10 YEARS I WAS THE CEO, THEN OWNER OF A MODULAR HOME AND BUILDING MANUFACTURING COMPANY WITH PLANTS IN BARTOW AND LEESBURG WITH OVER 165 EMPLOYEES. I WAS ALSO A PARTNER IN A SMALL CONSTRUCTION CO.

 I WAS A CITRUS GROWER UNTIL THE FREEZES IN THE MID EIGHTIES.

 SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE BEEN FULL TIME IN REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT. I AM NOW DOWN TO AN OFFICE IN UMATILLA AND ASTOR, AND I AM A LICENESED MOBILE HOME AND MODULAR HOME DEALER. 

FORMER MEMBER: KIWANIS, BPOE ELKS,

I WAS ON THE FIRST LAKE CO. COMMISSIONERS’ TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICAN LAKE COUNTY COMMITTEE.

 CHAIRMAN, LAKE COUNTY RED CROSS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS COMMITTEE.

 CHAIRMAN OF LAKE COUNTY MARCH OF DIMES. FOR SIX YEARS.

 I WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE LAKE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WHEN THERE WERE NO REPUBLICANS IN  FLORIDA.

 WHEN I WAS 26 A GROUP OF LAKE CO. CITIZENS ASKED ME TO RUN FOR THE FLA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AFTER THE PRIMARY I WAS DEFEATED IN A RUNOFF BY 220 LAKE COUNTY VOTES.

  I WAS CO-CHAIRMAN ,” LAKE COUNTY FOR JOHN F. KENNEDY FOR PRESIDENT”.

I SERVED ON Gov. FARRIS BRYANT’S SPEAKERS BUREAU  PROMOTING THE CREATION OF FLOIDA JUNIOR COLLEGES.

 I WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER, AND PRESIDENT OF THE UMATILLA JAYCEES, ELECTED STATE DIRECTOR, THEN NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED STATES JAYCEES, BOARD OF DIRECTORS. OUR MEETINGS WERE IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

 THEN I WAS ELECTED FLORIDA’S INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR OF JR CHAMBER INTERNATIONAL. I ATTENDED  BOARD OF DIRECTORS  MEETINGS IN COSTA RICO, NICARAGUA, EL SALVADOR, AND MEXICO.

 I WAS AWARDED UMATILLA JAYCEES DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD IN 1964.

 I AM A MEMBER OF THE UMATILLA C OF C AND A Director OF Astor C OF C, AND THE AMERICAN LEGION.

 AS A REALTOR I HAVE SERVED ON OUR LEGISLATIVE, GRIEVANCE AND CANDIDATE SCREENING COMMITTESS, I TOOK THE BOARDS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM AND I WAS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF MID FLORIDA REGIONAL MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE.

 I HAVE JUST BEEN SELECTED TO BE PART OF LEADERSHIP LAKE COUNTY CLASS OF 2009.