Venice has a Council-Manager system of local government. This system combines the political leadership of elected officials in the form of a City Council with the managerial experience of a City Manager.

The Council is the legislative body empowered to make policy decisions by the citizens who elect its members. The City Manager administers the policy of the council. The seven-member City Council hires and supervises the charter officers, which include City Manager, City Clerk and City Attorney.

To express your thoughts on items City Council may address or vote on, you may reach board members individually by email, phone, or mail. Emailing Council Members individually is appropriate if you have a specific question or are looking for a response on a specific topic that is not quasi-judicial. If you call a Council Member (phone numbers are listed below with Council bios), please provide your contact number so they can call you back.

The City Council is a legislative body of seven, which the Mayor is one member of. The Mayor cannot send letters or make endorsements without the vote of the majority of his fellow Council Members. The Mayor is the presiding officer of City Council, which means he is responsible for managing the decorum and procedure of Council meetings. He also provides ceremonial leadership, such as presenting proclamations and awards, and speaking at certain City events. Find out more about requesting a proclamation here.

Nick Pachota, Mayor, Seat 7

npachota@venicefl.gov

941-303-3485

Mr. Nick Pachota was elected Mayor in 2022. He has served on City Council since 2019 and also served as Vice Mayor.

Mr. Pachota moved to Venice in 1987. As a young man, he served as the chairman of the Venice Youth Advisory Board and was a Venice Police Explorer. Mr. Pachota has an extensive background in public safety. He attended college in Orlando, and became an EMT, a paramedic, a firefighter, worked in law enforcement as a SWAT medic, and was the EMS training program director, a tenured faculty, and the union president at Eastern Florida State College. He is a Deputy Team Commander for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and a co-owner of Sharky's on the Pier, Fins and Snook Haven.

Mr. Pachota served on the City’s Fire Pension Board and Code Enforcement Board. He is a member of the Venice Theatre Guild, SunCoast Reef Rovers, Venice MainStreet, Venice Area Chamber of Commerce, Venice Aviation Society Inc., Florida Fire Chiefs Association, Florida EMS Association, and National Association of EMTs. He is a licensed Paramedic, certified Firefighter, and active EMS Instructor for Sarasota County Schools.

Board liaisons: ManaSota League of Cities, Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, Venice MainStreet, Citizen Advisory Board

To request a meeting with the Mayor or to extend an invitation to speak or attend an event: The Mayor is happy to meet with citizens to discuss City issues. Please know the Mayor is one of seven in a legislative body that makes policy decisions. The Mayor cannot handle operational issues, but is always happy to hear from the public.

If you would like to request a meeting with the Mayor or invite him to attend or speak at an event, please email cityclerk@venicefl.gov or call 941-882-7396. For meetings, please include: name; phone number; topic you would like to discuss/reason for the meeting; and times or dates you are requesting and/or times you are not available. For events, please include: name of organization; contact person email and phone number; location, date and time of the event; and whether you would like to have the Mayor speak or simply attend.

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Jim Boldt, Vice Mayor, Seat 4

jboldt@venicefl.gov

941-303-3359

Vice Mayor Jim Boldt was elected in 2021 and re-elected in 2024. Mr. Boldt was born in Milwaukee, Wis. After attending University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh he began a long career in the chemical industry. After several management positions, Mr. Boldt and a couple partners purchased Wayne Pigment Corp. in 1989. He sold his interest in 2004, went on to join his wife's family's chemical distribution firm, Deeks & Company Inc., as VP-Sales and finally as Chief Operating Officer before its sale in 2018. During this period, he and his wife Donna got involved in a small cottage business perfecting and supplying an arts and crafts kit called Diamond Dotz. As an entrepreneur, Mr. Boldt also owned and operated an industrial janitorial service for over 10 years, and Great Lakes Rebar Corp., a fabricator of concrete reinforcing rods for the construction industry.

Mr. Boldt has sat on boards of national trade organizations, corporations, nonprofits and a church. During his time owning Wayne Pigment, Mr. Boldt testified before a subcommittee of both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate on behalf of the Dry Color Manufacturers Association.

Mr. Boldt has been visiting Venice for over 25 years; his wife has had family living here since 1971. Mr. Boldt and Donna have owned property here since 2010 and moved to Venice full time in 2018.

Mr. Boldt and his wife have five children and six grandchildren.

Board liaisons: Tourist Development Council, Venice Area Beautification Inc., Historic and Architectural Preservation Board

Joan Farrell, Council Member, Seat 1 

jfarrell@venicefl.gov

941-468-4188

Council Member Joan Farrell was elected in 2023.

Ms. Farrell hails from Western Pennsylvania. Her educational background includes a BSBA in Finance from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, and an MBA from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

After college, Ms. Farrell served as a National Bank Examiner for the U.S. Treasury, monitoring compliance with banking regulations, analyzing loan risk, and evaluating cash management. Duties at Cincinnati Bell included supervision of the IBM computer mainframe, specification writing for inventory control and balance due tracking systems, and management of a cost accounting unit.

Ms. Farrell later taught high school business education in both rural and urban environments. The U.S. Census solicited her in 2018 for the Unemployment Survey in Chattanooga, Nashville and Clarksville, Tennessee.

Ms. Farrell discovered Venice in 2020 on one of her many trips to Florida, which included visits to family in Sarasota and Dunnellon.

A chance encounter with the founder of the Long Walk Home, whose organization assists veterans making the transition from military to civilian life, led to service as a mentor. She is honored to be assisting incarcerated women veterans in a pilot program in Ocala.

Board liaisons: Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Partnership Program Policy Committee, United Way of South Sarasota County-Long Term Recovery Group

Rachel Frank, Council Member, Seat 6

rfrank@venicefl.gov

941-468-3191

Council Member Rachel Frank was appointed by the City Council in January 2022 to serve out the term of Seat 2. She was elected to Seat 6 in November 2022. 

Ms. Frank was raised in Venice and attended Laurel Nokomis Middle School and Venice High School. She graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a degree in Political Science. 

Ms. Frank currently serves as President for D‑R Media and Investments LLC, a family-owned media and entertainment company based in Venice. The company owns and publishes 7 newspapers in 4 counties in Central Florida and promotes 50 to 100 live concerts annually across the state of Florida at Sun Events.  

She is also involved in her community, serving as a board member at Family Promise of South Sarasota County and Rotary Futures. 

Ms. Frank is married to her husband Atticus, a financial analyst, and has three children, Nora, Lucy and John. 

Board liaisons: Citizen Oversight Committee for School Facility Planning, Community Action Agency Board, Venice Housing Authority

Rick Howard, Council Member, Seat 5

rhoward@venicefl.gov

941-724-7829

Council Member Rick Howard was elected in 2022.

Mr. Howard was born in Fort Myers and lived most of his life in Southwest Florida. After attending USF, he began his career as a first responder paramedic for over a decade. He then moved to the business side of health care, where he managed 1,200 employees across multiple states with annual budgets of $500 million. Mr. Howard retired from a Fortune 500 health-care company as a Vice President in 2021.

As a business executive, fiscal accountability, controlling expenses, and retaining and growing market share were core to his success.

As a native Floridian, Mr. Howard is passionate about “Old Florida." It’s a term that conjures up the essence of what makes our city and our state so special – especially as it relates our history and environment. He is committed to honoring our history and protecting our environment.

Mr. Howard and his wife Laurie live on the island and have three daughters. 

Board liaisons: Coastal Advisory Committee, Economic Development Corporation

Ron Smith, Council Member, Seat 2

rsmith@venicefl.gov

941-724-7453

Council Member Ron Smith was elected in 2023. 

Mr. Smith has a bachelor of science degree in Communications from Boston University, a master of education degree from Converse College and a juris doctor degree from Florida State University.

He is a retired prosecuting attorney, a former police academy instructor, and served for two years as a general magistrate here in Southwest Florida.

Mr. Smith first moved to Venice in 1981 and became the head of all local news operations for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He has written extensively about Venice and loves to talk about local history, everything from the life of the Ringling Brothers Circus to the reason for all these shark teeth, to the origins of the John Nolen Plan. He is also author of Passing the Torch, a biography of Miami Dolphins and University of Miami football coach Howard Schnellenberger.

Ron lost his wife, Jean, in 2020. She was a big personality in the quilting community. His daughter, Alexandra, was born at Venice Hospital. She is a prosecutor like her dad.

Mr. Smith served as the chief negotiator for Venice Unites after the group collected more than 2,500 signatures to amend the City’s Land Development Regulations. The group worked collaboratively with the City for changes that limit building heights, protect neighborhoods, preserve historic buildings and defend wildlife.

Board liaisons: Criminal Justice Commission, Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council

Kevin Engelke, Council Member, Seat 3

kengelke@venicefl.gov 

941-800-8889

Council Member Kevin Engelke was elected in 2024.

Mr. Engelke grew up in New Jersey and, after purchasing property in Venice in 2019, he and his wife Janet became full-time residents in June 2021. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Grove City College and an MBA from Drexel University.

With over 43 years of experience in the insurance industry, Mr. Engelke has built a distinguished career as a broker specializing in placing hard-to-insure commercial property and casualty accounts. He is known for designing complex insurance programs and collaborating with other brokers and insurance companies. Throughout his career, he has earned several industry designations, served on numerous industry-related boards, and taught various insurance-related courses.

In addition, Mr. Engelke has been an active member of his community. In New Jersey, he served as president of his homeowners association, was a board member of the local youth athletic association, and was a board member of his church. He is a passionate advocate for organ and tissue donation and has dedicated time to promoting drug and substance abuse education.

Locally in Venice, Mr. Engelke is a member of Bayside Community Church, the Venice Newcomers Club, and the Venice Yacht Club. He and his wife Janet have four daughters and seven grandchildren.

Board liaisons: Planning Commission