Ted Yates: Islamorada’s Next Manager!

BY MAGGIE OLIVE KLEIN
KONKLIFE STAFF WRITER AND EDITOR 

Thomas “Ted” Yates was recently elected as Islamorada’s next Manager on May 6th, 2022, and his first day will be on August 1st, 2022. There were four final runners for the position, and the candidates were filtered out of a job search that yielded 60+ applicants. Prior to his upcoming position in Islamorada, Yates worked for 12 years in Ohio as the Mayor and Chief Executive Officer for the City of Twinsburg. Yates was first selected as the fourth Mayor of Twinsbug in 2015, and is currently in his second term. He expresses his passion for municipal operations, and speaks generously about the group he is soon to work with. He says, “I am most excited about the council itself in terms of the people I will be working with. I got a chance to meet a lot of the staff, and Islamorada is very blessed to have a great group running the operations there.” Coming from Ohio, Yates acknowledges how different things will be running in a coastal community, and he looks forward to these challenges. 

Yates has a personal connection to The Keys, as his father retired in Key West and it became a special place for his family. They spent vacations here and grew to love everything that The Keys had to offer. He saw the opening of Islamorada’s Manager position as a unique opportunity, and says that he felt fortunate enough not only to be selected from the candidates, but just to be running with them. When asked about the process, he says, “It was interesting. The final candidates that were narrowed down were all great and very educated and experienced, coming from standpoints all around the country. I am really honored to be a part of the group and even more honored to have won.” 

Yates and his family share a passion for staying active, and they love to participate in fitness activities. Yates also loves fishing and is a scuba diver, so he is excited to return to The Keys in order to continue these passions. 

Yates’ background in the management of cities made the application process really exciting, as it was a return to Key West, and one that would be a business opportunity as well. Yates is replacing Greg Oravec, who stepped down from the position in January, after serving seven months. Although he and his family are embarking on an exciting change, both emotionally and environmentally, they are sad to say goodbye to the life they lived in Ohio. The new position however, as well as the coastal vibe, will prove to be an exciting and challenging opportunity, in the best ways possible. We can’t wait to see everything that Yates will do once he begins working!

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]