The following letter was furnished to The Miami Laker by Miami Lakes Vice Mayor Tony Lama:
Dear Colleagues, Town Staff, and Residents of Miami Lakes,
I want to formally inform you that July 25 will be my last day serving the great Town of Miami Lakes as Councilman/Vice Mayor.
As most of you know by now, I have accepted a career opportunity in Seattle, Washington, and my family and I will be moving to the Pacific Northwest over the course of the summer. I want to share that this decision was not taken lightly and it was made after much thought and prayer.
As I evaluated my personal and professional goals, it dawned on me that we live most of our lives in reactionary mode. We are constantly responding to change that is thrust upon us and we adapt in order to get through life. However, I have found that growth, both personal and professional, is accelerated when we willfully venture outside of our comfort zones and serve as an agent of change.
This is one of those moments in my life where I didn’t wait for life to present its new challenge. Instead, we actively pursued it and Eileen, the children, and I are excited about what the future will bring for us all.
I want to thank each and every one of your for your support over the years. We have truly become a family and I am honored to have served the Town of Miami Lakes with you all at my side. We have the best volunteers! We have the best staff! We have the best events! The 4th of July, 2017, was epic! Miami Lakes is a gem. It is a special place and it will always be home for my family.
This Council has done great things and I am proud to have worked with you all. We have made very difficult decisions and while we haven’t always been right, I know that our hearts were in the right place. We worked hard to rebuild our image after some difficult times and we continue to foster a spirit of collaboration and mutual respect.
I urge you and our residents to continue to reject elements that do not honor the basic principles of respect and ethical and good governance. Miami Lakes deserves nothing but the best!
I hope to see many of you when the family and I visit South Florida. I know I will naturally gravitate to Publix, Starbucks, and Einstein Bagels because frankly...I already miss the tight sense of community that makes Miami Lakes so special.
God bless you all. #iHeartMiami Lakes
Tony Lama