- May 6, 2024
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Milissa Holland is a vocal member of the County Commission and has taken a lead in mending the Flagler economy.
Milissa Holland is a politician for many reasons. But first, it’s personal.
Even when she was a young girl, politics were a way of life. Her father, James, was a well-known politician in the community. After he died in 2001, Holland struggled. To help her feel a connection with him, she decided to attend a Palm Coast City Council meeting in 2003.
Then-Palm Coast Mayor James Canfield approached Holland after the meeting and urged her to get involved.
As Holland’s older sister, Jennifer Mellow recalls, the timing was right.
“Miss has to take things in and let it digest and process it,” Mellow said. “That’s very similar to how my dad was, and that’s how she got into politics.”
Holland’s first appointment was to the Leisure Services Advisory Committee, where she made recommendations for grant allocations and was involved in discussions for recreation within the city.
“I just jumped into the deep end of the pool, and it was no turning back,” Holland said.
Soon after, she started the Holland Foundation, in 2004.
“While serving, I saw a lot of gaps in the community serving our youth,” Holland said. “I wanted something in my father’s name to establish his legacy. He was very committed to the youth and the community.”
From 2004 to 2006, Holland built her foundation and raised her three children. In mid-2004, she decided to make a run for the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners.
She initially contemplated running for the City Council, but ultimately felt that the greatest need for representation was at the county level, she said.
Arlene Burnett ran Holland’s campaign. Burnett has 27 years of experience on Capitol Hill. She met Holland in 2005.
Burnett said Holland’s temperament and determination have helped made her successful.
“When I retired from politics in 1994, I said I would never be in politics again,” Burnett said. “That was until I met Milissa Holland. She sort of hooked me back into it. She loves her family, her community and her work, and it all shows through.
“ … I saw that Milissa has a great respect for every soul on this planet. I’ve been around politics for a long time, and I saw that she was a natural.”
In Holland’s four years, she said she’s accomplished a lot of the goals she set, including reworking the county’s comprehensive plan, which she said was seven years overdue.
Last month, she also presented a plan to address Flagler County’s economic woes.
“I have a job to do, and I try not to make this a political effort, but certainly I’m in a political arena,” she said.
“ … The political world intrigues me. I like the sense of accomplishment. I like the opportunity of forever having an impact on the community you live in.”
She said local politics fosters a direct connection with the community.
State representatives, she said, “don’t have to walk into the local supermarket where they live knowing that they just clearly made a significant impact on the residents that they are passing by in the grocery store they are living in. It’s a constant reminder of why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
MILISSA HOLLAND
Age: 39
Occupation: Flagler County Commissioner, District 2
Quirky number: 3, the number of hurricanes she’s surfed through
