From the Founder

Welcome to Sunshine Law Citizen.

This platform is the next chapter in a lifelong journey of civic engagement, community connection, and public service. For over 25 years, I published a local magazine and e-newsletter that kept residents informed about what was happening in our community.

After successfully raising our children—or at least getting them through college—we set out to fulfill my husband’s longtime dream of living on the water. We kept our home in Georgia but began splitting our time between there and Parker, Florida, where we started to lay the groundwork for our retirement.

We bought two commercial bayfront properties—dreaming of opening a beer garden and food truck park—and a waterfront triplex where we planned to retire. It was a dream come true: a chance to live by the water and invest in a community we hoped to call our forever home.

Wanting to understand how the city worked, I began attending local government meetings. It didn’t take long to notice troubling patterns. Public comment wasn’t part of the agenda. Staff seemed unfamiliar with basic procedures. When I submitted my first public records request, no one knew how to process it. I had to cite Florida’s Sunshine Laws just to access information — and to remind officials of their legal obligations when passing ordinances, budgets, and variances.

This was not like the local governance I was used to in Georgia.  This Florida Panhandle town was more like the Wild West.

But it didn’t stop there. For two years, I watched the city sidestep basic principles of good governance. I wrote letters, spoke up at meetings, and tried to engage constructively — but got nowhere. Instead, I was met with hostility from city staff, berated by locals on social media, and retaliation from elected officials. I’d always heard stories of people being run out of town. I never imagined I’d become one of them. In the end, we sold our properties and left.

This experience lit a fire. Sunshine Law Citizen was born from the belief that no one should have to fight alone or be kicked out of town for exercising our constitutional rights to free speech, petitioning the government or demanding transparency, accountability, or access to public records.

To make sense of what happened, I asked myself: How many other Americans are paying taxes to a city government that isn’t following the rules—and either don’t know those rules (actually, laws) exist to provide the public with access to public records, transparency, open meetings, due process, or live in a city that simply doesn’t care about following these legally-mandated policies and procedures?

This site is a nationwide hub designed to help fellow Americans fight/work with  their City Hall using their state’s Sunshine Law and other tools for transparency, accountability, and civic empowerment. I’ll share actual case studies from my experience in Parker, Florida—the wins and the losses. I’ll use social media to encourage readers to share their own Sunshine Law successes and frustrations. And I’ll tap into experts who can help us resolve roadblocks and navigate the system together.

My background includes a B.S. in Public Administration from Indiana University and a Master’s in International Relations from the University of Kent in Canterbury. I’ve been honored to receive Citizen of the Year awards from both my local Chamber of Commerce and police precinct, and I hold an honorary lifetime membership in the PTA. These recognitions reflect not just my work, but my dedication to getting involved and serving my community.

Sunshine Law Citizen aims to equip concerned citizens with case studies, sample records requests, and actionable tools to uncover public information and strengthen collaboration within their community and across the nation with other citizen watchdogs. We spotlight courageous Sunshine Law heroes, simplify complex statutes, and help citizens of all ages raise their Civic IQ. I want this website to help fellow Americans use Sunshine Laws to access public information, spotlight wrongdoing, and build a more accountable government. If you’ve filed a request, uncovered a truth, or helped your community push for answers — share your story. Your insight can inspire the next citizen watchdog.

If you believe in the power of informed citizens, transparent, responsive  government, and communities that lift each other up—you’re in the right place. Let’s build a community where courage is contagious, records are public, and no one has to fight for answers alone.

Sunshine Law Citizen exists to Empower Every Citizen and Shine a Light on Government—by helping people become better INFORMED, INSPIRED to speak up, and equipped to make a powerful IMPACT in their communities.