It's official: New Lakewood Ranch manager signs contract

Eva Rey smiles after signing a contract making her Lakewood Ranch Inter-District Authority executive director effective Aug. 1. At right is Steve Zielinski, who held the job on an interim basis. Also signing the contract is Tom Green, chairman of the IDA. (Herald photo by Jim Jones)

LAKEWOOD RANCH -- With a few strokes of the pen, Eva Rey, 43, signed a contract today making her new community manager for Lakewood Ranch effective Aug. 1.

Also signing the contract, worth a salary of $130,000 a year, was Tom Green, chairman of Lakewood Ranch's Inter-District Authority, which oversees Town Hall operations.

"We have a new executive director," Green announced to applause after Rey's contract had been signed.

Rey replaces Bob Fernandez, who resigned from the post in February to accept employment elsewhere.

Steve Zielinski, finance director, had served as interim executive director after Fernandez' departure.

Zielinski, who had been a finalist for the executive director job, thanked the Inter-District Authority for its support and trust.

Zielinski said he was looking forward to going back to "his old digs."

"We are very thankful you provided the direction over the past few months," Green said.

For more about Thursday's district meetings at Lakewood Ranch, see Friday's Herald.

For more about Eva Rey, see a full story at:

//www.bradenton.com/2011/07/21/3362160/rey-ready-to-get-to-work-for-lakewood.html