Hurricanes Helene and Milton did not just rearrange the sand on Pinellas County\u2019s barrier islands. They rearranged the leadership.<\/p>\n
In the fall of 2024, the back-to-back storms drove record storm surge into beach communities stretching from St. Pete Beach to Indian Rocks Beach, flooding city halls, wrecking seawalls and swamping thousands of homes. The destruction exposed cracks in local government that had been forming long before the first winds arrived \u2014 aging infrastructure, outdated technology, permitting backlogs and toxic workplace cultures that had already chased out city managers and demoralized staff.<\/p>\n
Now, four barrier-island cities are being led by people who were not in charge when the storms hit. Each walked into a job shaped by crisis and defined by the failures, real or perceived, of whoever came before.<\/p>\n
In St. Pete Beach, Fran Robustelli took over a city government in turmoil after her predecessor was pushed out over allegations of fostering a toxic work environment. In Indian Rocks Beach, Ryan Henderson replaced a 12-year veteran city manager who resigned amid bitter fights over short-term rentals and hurricane recovery delays. In Treasure Island, Charles Van Zant arrived after commissioners fired a city manager they said lacked the leadership skills to guide the city through its rebuild. And in Madeira Beach, Fire Chief Clint Belk stepped into an acting role after residents packed a commission meeting and demanded the city manager\u2019s removal.<\/p>\n
They come from different backgrounds. One spent decades in California municipal government. One managed a rapidly growing Texas suburb. One flew Black Hawk helicopters in combat. One has spent 23 years running into burning buildings.<\/p>\n
What they share is a job that requires rebuilding not just infrastructure but trust \u2014 with exhausted residents, skeptical commissioners and staffs that have been through too much change in too little time. And the next hurricane season is never far away.<\/p>\n
Fran Robustelli, St. Pete Beach<\/p>\n
\u2018She was our third city manager in nine months.\u2019<\/p>\n
When Fran Robustelli arrived in July 2024, St. Pete Beach was still picking up the pieces from a year of internal chaos. City Manager Alex Rey had been pushed out in September 2023 after all five commissioners relayed employee complaints of a toxic work environment, low morale and directives that violated the city charter. An interim manager filled in while the commission \u2014 which itself nearly collapsed when all four district representatives resigned over a state financial disclosure law \u2014 searched for a permanent hire.<\/p>\n
Then came Helene and Milton.<\/p>\n
Robustelli, who spent more than a decade managing cities in California before returning to her home state of Florida, said the storms were not a surprise in the way the internal dysfunction was.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther than two back-to-back devastating hurricanes, I wouldn\u2019t characterize anything as a surprise,\u201d she said. \u201cI would say that the city had fallen behind the times in the use of technology, which crippled staff\u2019s ability to use reliable data to track progress, define or anticipate challenges and identify the resources needed to solve those challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n
Staff morale was \u201cat an all-time low,\u201d she said. Recruitment and retention had become critical problems, slowing response times and weakening the city\u2019s relationship with the community.<\/p>\n
Her first major organizational move was establishing team commitments, a set of shared standards for how employees work together. She created a meeting cadence that alternates between strategic planning sessions and commission agenda prep. She reorganized departments and gave directors latitude to envision their ideal teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe concept of \u2018silos\u2019 does not exist in an organization that I lead,\u201d Robustelli said.<\/p>\n
Her top priorities now: generating revenue to close the funding gap for infrastructure, upgrading technology for better transparency and completing capital projects that matter to the community. The biggest hurricane-related challenge, she said, is permitting.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are in the process of re-engineering the entire process and identifying better technology to vastly improve the customer experience,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
At her first annual review in August 2025, commissioners gave her glowing marks. \u201cThere\u2019s no doubt, even for people who aren\u2019t paying attention, that things are better in St. Pete Beach than they have been in the past,\u201d Commissioner Karen Marriott said.<\/p>\n
Asked what success looks like, Robustelli kept it simple: \u201cA thriving community that trusts their local government.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ryan Henderson, Indian Rocks Beach<\/p>\n
\u2018We had neighbors. That\u2019s how we viewed the public that we served.\u2019<\/p>\n
Ryan Henderson is the youngest and newest of the four managers, and the one who inherited the least visible dysfunction. But Indian Rocks Beach was anything but calm when he arrived in late October 2025.<\/p>\n
His predecessor, Gregg Mims, had served as city manager for 12 years. Mims resigned in May 2025 \u2014 along with City Attorney Randy Mora \u2014 amid escalating tensions over the city\u2019s handling of short-term rental enforcement and hurricane recovery frustrations. Residents had grown hostile at public meetings. Mayor Denise Houseberg said the resignations were due in part to the badgering from residents and the departures were \u201can embarrassment in Pinellas County.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henderson came from Anna, Texas, a fast-growing Dallas suburb where he had served as city manager. Before that, he worked in Fort Lauderdale\u2019s municipal government. He said Indian Rocks Beach\u2019s beauty and its tight-knit character drew him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was drawn to an environment where I could build meaningful relationships, truly get to know the community, and develop strong connections with staff,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
What he found surprised him \u2014 in a good way.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m continually amazed by the civic involvement of Indian Rocks Beach neighbors,\u201d Henderson said. \u201cThose who live here, do business here, and visit here truly love this city and are always looking for ways to get involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henderson has made \u201cneighbor-centric\u201d engagement a defining theme. At his previous job, he stopped calling the public \u201cresidents\u201d or \u201ccustomers\u201d and started calling them \u201cneighbors.\u201d He has asked Indian Rocks Beach staff to do the same.<\/p>\n
His three priorities beyond recovery: developing a reliable, equitable approach to funding infrastructure; strengthening community trust and communication; and investing in the organization through modernized operations and staff support.<\/p>\n
The biggest challenge that keeps him up: hurricane season.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou also recognize that living and working on a barrier island comes with inherent vulnerability,\u201d Henderson said. \u201cThere are limits to what can be controlled, and each hurricane season brings that reality into focus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charles Van Zant, Treasure Island<\/p>\n
\u2018I have not led a rebuild on the scale Treasure Island is facing.\u2019<\/p>\n
Charles Van Zant got the call while visiting his son near Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle. A Treasure Island commissioner was on the line. The city needed a manager. Fast.<\/p>\n
Commissioners had fired City Manager Chuck Anderson in a 3-2 vote in May 2025, just nine months after he was hired, citing a lack of leadership in the aftermath of the hurricanes. Residents had criticized Anderson\u2019s handling of FEMA regulations and the permitting process, saying he ignored options that could have gotten people back into their homes sooner. Dozens of city employees had also resigned during his brief tenure.<\/p>\n
Van Zant, who had been managing the small Clay County city of Keystone Heights, brought an unusual resume to the job. He served more than 32 years in the Florida Army National Guard, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He flew Black Hawk and Apache helicopters. He earned a Bronze Star. He later served as the elected superintendent of Clay County Schools, overseeing a $400 million budget, 5,000 employees and 37,000 students.<\/p>\n
Commissioners selected him unanimously in June 2025, drawn to his military disaster experience and executive leadership. He was appointed as a temporary manager with the understanding the job would become permanent if he met performance standards.<\/p>\n
What surprised him most was the extent of staff turnover.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis transition created significant gaps in institutional knowledge, which continue to pose a few challenges in certain areas,\u201d Van Zant said.<\/p>\n
Despite that, he said staff have been \u201cengaged and eager to move forward.\u201d He has focused on giving departments more autonomy and developing his direct reports. He meets individually with each commissioner for at least an hour each week.<\/p>\n
Treasure Island\u2019s infrastructure needs are enormous. The city has submitted an appropriations request to the state for a new public safety building that was destroyed by Hurricane Helene. Other critical projects include a new master pump station, a rebuilt public works facility, seawall repairs and the restoration of Treasure Bay.<\/p>\n
FEMA, Van Zant noted, has not yet reimbursed any hurricane-related expenses. The city hired a full-time grants manager to pursue every available funding source.<\/p>\n
\u201cRecovery requires significant time and attention,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I am fortunate to have a strong and capable staff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clint Belk, Madeira Beach<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019ll hold the wheel.\u2019<\/p>\n
Clint Belk did not apply for this job. He does not want to keep it. He wants to go back to the fire station.<\/p>\n
But when Madeira Beach commissioners accepted City Manager Robin Gomez\u2019s resignation in September 2025 \u2014 after a packed public meeting where residents accused Gomez of mismanagement, retribution and dismissive behavior \u2014 someone had to step up. The city charter required a new leader within 48 hours. Commissioner David Tagliarini nominated Belk, the city\u2019s fire chief for nearly 14 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll hold the wheel,\u201d Belk told commissioners that night. \u201cWhatever the city needs me to do, I\u2019ll be more than happy to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
By 9:30 p.m., he was already fielding calls from business owners wanting to schedule meetings.<\/p>\n
Belk is the only one of the four managers who lived through the storms in the community he now leads. He knows the staff. He knows the residents. He knows the problems \u2014 because he watched them develop over 14 years from inside city government.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have witnessed the difficulties this position faces, such as turnover rate and balancing resident expectations versus the many variables related to city government,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
What surprised him was the support. Residents called and texted to say they backed him. Some urged him to take the job permanently. Staff morale, he said, was strong. His priority was keeping it that way during the transition.<\/p>\n
Under Belk, Madeira Beach has pushed key projects forward. The Johns Pass dredging \u2014 a sore point under his predecessor, who was accused of failing to apply for the required permit \u2014 is projected to begin soon. The city purchased a 4.5-acre parcel for future development. The Military Court of Honor was completed. A recruitment firm was hired to conduct a nationwide search for a permanent city manager.<\/p>\n
Belk added a \u201cproject update\u201d item to public meeting agendas so anyone can see what\u2019s in progress and where things stand. Weekly staff meetings now include monthly departmental reports.<\/p>\n
His biggest unanticipated challenge? \u201cWorking for five different bosses,\u201d he said, referring to the five-member commission.<\/p>\n
What he wishes residents understood: \u201cThis is a thankless position at times. I can assure everyone that we are all working many hours and are very competent in our positions. There are more pressing issues than some of the complaints I have received.\u201d<\/p>\n
His definition of success: handing the next city manager \u201ca beautifully run city with staff morale as high as it is now.\u201d<\/p>\n
What comes next<\/p>\n
The four managers govern communities with different populations, budgets and politics. But they face the same math: years of deferred infrastructure spending, compounded by billions in hurricane damage, against a backdrop of limited revenue and rising resident expectations.<\/p>\n
They also face the same clock. The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1.<\/p>\n
Robustelli said the storms, as devastating as they were, forced a reckoning that was overdue. \u201cIn many ways, the disaster expedited the need to address priorities that existed before the hurricanes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Henderson framed his approach around an idea he believes applies to all four cities: \u201cWe\u2019re all in this together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Van Zant said his goal is to be a servant leader. Belk said his is to not let anyone down.<\/p>\n
All four said the same thing keeps them up at night: the possibility of another storm.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing through a disaster like Helene and Milton is a grounding experience,\u201d Robustelli said. \u201cIt has helped me grow professionally and keep most things in perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n
She paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I don\u2019t stay up all night.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hurricanes Helene and Milton did not just rearrange the sand on Pinellas County\u2019s barrier islands. They rearranged the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":170209,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[3125,1802,27392,2148,596,202,2149,204,203,199,201,200,2151],"class_list":{"0":"post-170208","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-st-petersburg","8":"tag-hurricane-helene","9":"tag-hurricane-milton","10":"tag-indian-rocks-beach","11":"tag-madeira-beach","12":"tag-pinellas-county","13":"tag-st-pete","14":"tag-st-pete-beach","15":"tag-st-pete-headlines","16":"tag-st-pete-news","17":"tag-st-petersburg","18":"tag-st-petersburg-headlines","19":"tag-st-petersburg-news","20":"tag-treasure-island"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=170208"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170208\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/170209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=170208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=170208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=170208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}