Susan Askew Application PackageAskew Susan
Last Name First Name Middle Initial
9 Island Avenue, #407 Miami Beach
Home Address City
FL 33139
State Zip Code
HomeWork
susanwaskew@gmail.com
Email Address
7039666058
Cellular
Miami Beach
Business Address
9 Island Ave, #407
City
FL
State
33139
Zip Code
Reanimar LLC
Occupation:Business Name:
Digital Content Creator
Please list your preferences in order of ranking [1] first choice [2] second choice, and [3] third choice. Please note
that only three (3) choices will be observed by the City Clerk’s Office. (Regular Boards of City)
Choice 1:
Choice 2:
Choice 3:
General Obligation (G.O.) Bond Oversight Committee
Cultural Arts Council
Visitor and Convention Authority
BOARD AND COMMITTEE
APPLICATION FORM
Note:If applying for the At-Large position of the Historic Preservation Board, please answer the below
questions:
Have you ever resided in one of the City's Historic Districts for at least one year?Yes
No Address in City Historic District submitted.
Professional License
No Professional Licenses Submitted.
Note:If you are seeking appointment to a professional seat (e.g. attorney, architect, etc.), you must attach a copy of
your currently effective corresponding professional license.
Pursuant to City Code section 2-22(4) a, b and c: Members of Agencies, Boards, and Committees shall be
affiliated with the city. This requirement shall be fulfilled in the following ways:
YesResident of the City for a minimum of six (6) months:
Demonstrate an ownership interest in a business established in the City for a minimum of six (6) months:Yes
AFFILIATION WITH THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
a.
● I am resident of:South Beach
Or
b.
"Ownership Interest" shall mean the ownership of ten percent (10%) or more (including the ownership of 10%
or more of the outstanding capital stock) in a business.
"Business" shall mean any sole proprietorship, sponsorship, corporation, limited liability company, or other
entity or business association.
c.Full-time employee of such a business (for a minimum of six months); and I am based in an office or
other location of the business that is physically located in Miami Beach (for a minimum of six months):No
Notwithstanding the requirements set forth herein, the qualified full-time employee of a business must be
approved by a 4/7th vote of the Mayor and City Commission.
NOTE: Members of Agencies, Boards, and Committees shall be required to demonstrate compliance with the City
affiliation requirements of section 2-22 (4) a and b of the Miami Beach City Code by executing an affidavit,
stipulating that they have met either (or both) of said affiliation requirements. The original affidavit shall be filled
with the Office of the City Clerk prior to being sworn in as a member.
Or
No● Have you ever been convicted of a felony:If yes, please explain in detail:
● Do you currently have a violation(s) of City of Miami Beach codes:No If yes, please explain in detail:
● Do you currently owe the City of Miami Beach any money:No If yes, please explain in detail:
● Are you currently serving on any City Boards or Committees:No If yes, which board?
● Are you presently a registered lobbyist with the City of Miami Beach?Yes
● I am applying for an appointment because I have special abilities, knowledge and experience. Please list below:
--Served as Interim Director of MB Botanical Garden, guiding it through a major transition, strategic planning
process, and spearheading MBBG's GO Bond process.
--Currently MBBG Board member and Committee Chair for GO Bond process for the Garden. (My registration as
a lobbyist will need to be renewed to discuss the GOB projects for the Garden with City staff, fully understanding I
would need to recuse myself from Oversight Committee business relating to MBBG.)
--Extensive knowledge of the City as a result of five years writing the RE:MiamiBeach blog and newsletter and
attending many City government and community meetings.
--Previous business strategy and planning experience.
NOTE: IF APPOINTED, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW CERTAIN LAWS THAT APPLY TO CITY
BOARD/COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THESE LAWS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
o Prohibition from directly or indirectly lobbying city personnel (Miami Beach City Code section 2-459).
o Prohibition from contracting with the city (Miami-Dade County Code section 2-11.1).
o Prohibition from lobbying before board/committee you have served on for period of one year after leaving office
(Miami Beach Code section 2-26)
o Requirement to disclose certain financial interests and gifts (Miami-Dade County Code section 2-11.1).
o Sunshine Law - Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine Law was enacted in 1967. Today, the Sunshine Law
regarding open government can be found in Chapter 286 of the Florida Statutes. These statutes establish a basic
right of access to most meetings of Boards, Commissions, and other governing bodies of state and local
governmental agencies or authorities.
o Voting conflict - Form 8B is for use by any person serving at the county, city, or other local level of government on
an appointed or elected Board, Council, Commission, Authority, or Committee. It applies equality to members of
advisory and non-advisory bodies who are presented with a voting conflict of interest under Section 112.3143.
Florida Statutes.
● In what organization(s) in the City of Miami Beach do you currently hold membership in?
Name Position
Miami Beach Botanical Garden Member, Board of Directors
100+ Women Who Care Miami Beach Founding Member
Sabrina Cohen Foundation Leadership Circle
● List the address of all properties owned or in which you have an interest within the City of Miami Beach:
Property
9 Island Ave, #407
If so, which department and title?No● Are you now employed by the City of Miami Beach:
● Pursuant to City Code Section 2-25 (b):
Do you have a parent, spouse, child, brother, or sister who is employed by the City of Miami Beach?No
If "Yes", identify person(s) and department(s):
No relative's information submitted.
BOARD & COMMITTEE FINANCIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STATEMENT
Acknowledgement of fines/suspension for Board/Committee Members for failure to comply with
Miami-Dade County Financial Disclosure Code Section 2-11.1(i)(2)
I understand that no later than July 1, of each year all members of Boards and Committees of the City of Miami
Beach, including those of a purely advisory nature, are required to comply with Miami-Dade County Financial
Disclosure Requirements.
One of the following forms must be filled with the City Clerk of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive,
Miami Beach, Florida, no later than 12:00 noon of July 1, of each year:
1. A "Source of Income Statement;" or
2. A "Statement of Financial Interests (Form 1)¹ ;" or
3. A Copy of your latest Federal Income Tax Return.
Failure to file one of these forms, pursuant to the Miami-Dade County Code, may subject the person to a fine of no
more than $500, 60 days in jail, or both.
_____________________________
¹ Members of the Planning Board and Board of Adjustment will be notified directly by the State of Florida, pursuant
to F.S. §112.3145(1)(a), to file a Statement of Financial Interests (Form 1) with the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of
Elections by 12:00 noon, July 1. Planning Board and Board of Adjustment members who file their Form 1 with the
County Supervisor of Elections automatically satisfy the County’s financial disclosure requirement as a Miami Beach
City Board/Committee member and need not file an additional form with the Office of the City Clerk. However,
compliance with the County disclosure requirement does not satisfy the State requirement.
DIVERSITY STATISTICS REPORT
The following information is voluntary and has no bearing on your consideration for appointment. It is being asked to
comply with City diversity reporting requirements.
WhiteRace/Ethnic Categories
What is your race?
No details providedOther Description:
Gender:Female
Are you Spanish/Hispanic/ Latino? Mark the "No" box if not Spanish / Hispanic / Latino.No
Physically Challenged:No
UNDER PENALTIES OF PERJURY, I DECLARE THAT I HAVE READ THE FOREGOING APPLICATION AND
THAT THE FACTS STATED IN IT ARE TRUE. ADDITIONALLY, I AGREE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ANY
FALSE STATEMENTS OR FALSE INFORMATION SUBMITTED AS PART OF THIS APPLICATION SHALL BE A
BASIS FOR MY REMOVAL FROM A CITY BOARD OR COMMITTEE. I HAVE RECEIVED, READ, AND WILL
ABIDE BY CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE VII, OF THE MIAMI BEACH CITY CODE, ENTITLED “STANDARDS OF
CONDUCT FOR CITY OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENCY MEMBERS” AND ALL OTHER APPLICABLE
CITY, COUNTY, AND/OR STATE LAWS AND STATUTES ACCORDINGLY.
I Susan Askew agreed to the following terms on 1/23/2023 8:31:23 PM
Received in the City Clerk's Office by:
Name of Deputy Clerk Control No. Date
Board and Committee Application Checklist: Please ensure you have provided all information before applying or
reapplying to any Board and Committee.
YES
YES
YES
YES
I have answered all questions fully.
I have uploaded a current resume, photograph, and a copy of any applicable professional license.
I have completed and attached the Board & Committee Financial Acknowledgment Statement.
I have completed and attached the Diversity Statistics Report.
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the City Clerk via email: BC@miamibeachfl.gov or
telephone: 305.673.7411
Note: Florida Statutes 119.071: The role of the Office of the City Clerk is to receive and maintain forms filed as
public records. If your home address, telephone numbers, and/or photograph are exempt from disclosure and you
do not wish your home address, telephone numbers, and/or photograph to be made public, please:
1) Use your office or other address for your mailing address;
2) Use your office or other telephone number for your contact number; and
3) Do not attach a photograph.
Susan Askew
9 Island Avenue, #407
Miami Beach, FL 33139
703-966-6058
Entrepreneur. Optimist. Advocate.
Nov. 2021 – Sept. 2022 Miami Beach Botanical Garden Miami Beach, FL
Interim Executive Director
The Miami Beach Garden Conservancy dba Miami Beach Botanical Garden is a non-profit
organization that manages the City-owned garden.
▪ Responsible for all operations of the 3-acre property including stewarding the horticultural
initiatives within the public garden, managing the organization’s finances and revenue
generating activities, and developing and executing the arts, cultural, and educational
initiatives.
▪ Completed a five-year strategic plan along with the Board of Directors that prioritizes
becoming a world-class botanical garden and creating a resilient and sustainable green space,
a proposal that was the keystone of the Garden’s $6.3M General Obligation (GO) Bond
project approved by voters as part of an overall $159M referendum.
▪ Managed budget of $1.6M while implementing new financial policies, operational
procedures, and technology that position the organization for growth; increased government
grant funding to the organization; and created plans to diversify the revenue streams to rely
less on event revenue.
Sept. 2016 – Nov. 2021 RE:MiamiBeach Miami Beach, FL
Founder/Editor of Miami Beach-focused blog and weekly newsletter
RE:MiamiBeach covered real estate and development, economic, resilience and sustainability,
transportation, public safety, and cultural issues.
Jan. 2007 – Sept. 2009 Business Consultant Alexandria, VA
Clients included established and start-up businesses and non-profit organizations seeking to
launch new product, expand their customer base and/or strengthen brand loyalty.
Susan Askew
Page 2
Sept. 2004 – Jan. 2007 Backfence.com McLean, VA
Co-Founder, CEO, Chairman
Backfence was an innovator in building online hyperlocal community sites in which the users
generated the majority of the content.
▪ Created business model, plans, and pro formas.
▪ Built and managed team of 30 people in content, community, sales and marketing, and technology.
▪ Directed market and community selection process and worked closely with teams in three metro
markets to launch a total of 13 local sites.
▪ Achieved significant audience penetration: At twelve months, more than ten percent of the local
community population visited their local online Backfence community sites on a monthly basis and
more than 2 percent of the local population registered to post content.
▪ Managed Board of Directors, Investor Relations and relationships with industry analysts.
▪ Raised $3 million in angel and venture capital money.
July, 2002 – Aug. 2004 The NPD Group Reston, VA
Vice President, Software and Games
The NPD Group is a leading global market information company that manufacturers, retailers,
distributors, and financial analysts turn to for essential information about product movement and
consumer behavior.
▪ Recruited for turnaround of integration process of an acquisition that after twelve months had
stalled, resulting in legacy products that did not fit the company platform, missed revenue
targets, and low morale.
▪ Directed retail Software and Games businesses (PC and Video), overseeing 3 P&Ls totaling
$7.4 million in revenue, customer relationships, sales and marketing, and product
development. Revenue growth in F’04 ranged from 6% to 34% across the 3 P&Ls.
▪ Led launch of new product, integrating the best attributes of a legacy product acquired by
NPD with the NPD product. New features were ultimately deployed across NPD.
▪ Worked closely with clients at all levels including Product, Marketing, and Executive teams.
Customers included leading developers and publishers, major video game console
manufacturers as well as those in the emerging markets of mobile and online gaming and
subscription on-demand services. Other clients included Wall Street analysts and retailers.
▪ Managed team of 10 in sales, client development, and administration with dotted line
responsibilities for product, data management and operations.
Susan Askew
Page 3
Oct. 2000 – Nov. 2001 StreamingText, Inc. Reston, VA
CEO, Director
With its proprietary processes and technology, StreamingText created digital text from live or delayed
video and audio and streams it via the Internet. Market focus was on the Financial Services industry.
▪ Developed business plan and strategy to expand the company into vertical markets with the largest
and earliest revenue generating opportunities.
▪ Initiated/negotiated/closed sales, tripling the customer base from 13 to 37.
▪ Managed team of 36 full- and part-time employees with four offices.
▪ Negotiated and closed sale of company to MediaMap. (Renamed FDfn and later acquired by
CCBN.)
Jan. 1992 – Sept. 2000 womenCONNECT.com McLean, VA
Founder, President and CEO, Chairman
WomenCONNECT.com was one of the first web portals for professional women and women
business owners.
▪ Created business model, built and managed team of 25 people in content, community, sales and
marketing, and technology.
▪ Generated high CPMs ($40) and consistently sold out ad inventory; achieved high click-through to
sales ratio for e-commerce partners (average 8% vs. industry average of 1-2%) and diversified
revenue base through affinity revenue (average 12% growth per month).
▪ Developed and negotiated partnerships with major media companies including CNN/CNNfn,
USAToday.com, Lycos, and CompuServe.
▪ Raised three rounds of venture capital ($5.5 million).
1990 - 1992 Women Executives in State Government Washington, DC
Executive Director
WESG is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization providing leadership education
to top female state government officials.
▪ Led successful turnaround of the organization, including stabilizing financial operations and
improving relationships with corporate sponsors.
▪ Developed sponsorship programs for corporations to reach the executive women’s audience;
developed programs to attract and retain members.
Susan Askew
Page 4
1986 - 1990 Office of the Governor, Delaware Wilmington, DE
Assistant Press Secretary
1985 - 1986 Office of the Lt. Governor, Delaware Wilmington, DE
Special Projects Coordinator
1983 – 1984 WNS-TV New Castle, DE
On-Air Personality/Reporter/Producer
1980 - 1983 WILM Newsradio Wilmington, DE
On-Air Personality/Reporter/Producer
Other
100+ Women Who Care, Miami Beach, Co-founder (2020 – present)
City of Miami Beach Hall of Fame Committee (2020 – 2021)
City of Miami Beach Production Industry Council (2019 – 2021)
City of Miami Beach Commission for Women (2018 – 2019)
Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce Better Beach Award, Citizen at Large (2019)
Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, Co-chair, Real Estate Council (2016-2018)
City of Miami Beach Leadership Academy (Spring 2017)
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA (2009 – 2013)
Student of Latin American Finance
BIS Degree