Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
Nancy Loehr works as a community relations manager for the utility and serves as chairwoman of the chamber of commerce.
By AMY WIMMER
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 5, 2001
MADEIRA BEACH -- When it comes to important projects for the beaches, few issues rank higher than the beautification of Gulf Boulevard.
And when it comes to people who can make those improvements happen, few people rank higher than Nancy Loehr.
It's Loehr's dual role -- as community relations manager for Florida Power Corp. and as chairwoman of the Gulf Beaches of Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce -- that make her a pivotable person in the future of the thoroughfare.
"I'm passionate about that. That's one of those things that I'd like to have happen," said Loehr, 43, the community liaison between Florida Power and Pinellas County's 24 municipalities. "I think it's actually going to happen."
The county, which spearheaded the Gulf Boulevard project, is still searching for $30-million worth of funding for it. For its part, Florida Power has agreed to pay for engineering costs associated with burying its power lines -- an in-kind contribution that should amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars, Loehr said.
On one hand, Loehr is the utility company representative who negotiates franchise agreements with municipalities and is the point person for every Pinellas community.
On the other, she has strong ties to the beaches. Loehr promotes them through her role in the chamber, started her Florida Power career working in a St. Pete Beach office as gulf beaches district manager, and lives in Madeira Beach.
"The beaches, to me, are like one community in a way, and we work as a team and as a group," Loehr said. "We've been together for a long time, and the relationship is there. The trust is there."