I was born and raised in Milton.
After graduating from Delaware Tech in Georgetown, I spent most of my career as a radio and TV reporter, and owned and managed local radio stations, having recently retired from 88.7 The Bridge.
It was when I was covering Sussex County Council for WBOC-TV in the early ’80s that I met Kim Hoey. She was also a reporter, and we would often cover the same events. I remember her as a fair and honest journalist who was good at quickly understanding an issue, and cutting through the fluff and spin to get to the truth and facts.
Kim took her gift of writing, natural curiosity, amazing networking skills and an internal compass that always points true north, through an amazing career involving journalism, education, mentoring, advocacy and then into the very chambers that she and I covered early in our professional lives, as she worked with the Delaware General Assembly at Legislative Hall in Dover, and served honorably on the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission (to name just a few).
When I hired employees for the companies I owned and managed, I used the three Cs strategy: character, competency and chemistry.
As residents of Milton, Lewes, Rehoboth and Dewey consider who to vote for in the Sixth Senate District, may I respectfully ask you to consider the three Cs.
When Kim Hoey Stevenson resigned from the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission, the Cape Gazette called it “a loss for Sussex County.” Indeed it was.
We lost a person with a deep rudder and integrity. Character.
A person with years of experience, education, wisdom and knowledge. Competency.
And a woman who has successfully navigated public education, government, media, business and a life of experiences living, working and serving southern Delaware uniting both sides of the aisle and with a history of cooperation and an honest belief that we are all in this together. Chemistry.
Part of the reason she left the P&Z commission is because she realized that our issues are structural and real change must come from above. Our loss when she left was because she saw the bigger picture and an opportunity to make a real difference on a bigger stage, where the laws are written.
I hope she gets the opportunity to represent the interests of people like me, who grew up in a Sussex County that looked dramatically different than it does today. I don't think it's too late to save us from ourselves, and I know that I want someone in the Delaware Legislature who remembers our history and has fresh new ideas on how to preserve our way of life by building coalitions and making tough decisions that we will be grateful for in the years to come.
I believe Kim Hoey Stevenson is the best candidate for the Sixth Senate District, and I encourage you to vote for her Tuesday, Nov. 5.
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