For the first time since its inception in 2000, Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc. will have someone contracted to represent its interests in Tallahassee.  Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc. is an organization that represents Florida homeowners and condo-owners.  According to Jan Bergemann, President of CCFJ, the time is right to enlist the aid of a person with experience in Florida’s government.

Jerry Melvin, former Dean of the House, now heads his own firm, Jerry Melvin Consulting/Marketing.  He has contracted with CCFJ to be its lobbyist, beginning immediately and continuing through the 2005 Florida Legislative Session.

“We took a look and we looked even closer – and we found the former Dean of the House, our friend, Jerry Melvin,” said Bergemann.   “Jerry has always supported the cause of homeowners and the elderly, and he was actually the first legislator who believed in our cause and sponsored our first and original Task Force bill in 2002,” Bergemann continued.  “With a total of 18 years as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, Jerry knows his way around the legislative halls as well as the halls of the various governmental departments and agencies, and he knows the legislative process, having served as chairman of numerous committees and Task Forces and at one time of another, a member of just about every subject committee.”

Jerry Melvin was elected to the Florida House November 1968 and was re-elected each term for a total of 10 years.  He did not seek re-election in 1978, but chose to stay out 17 years to assist in raising his young family.  In 1994 he again ran for the House and was re-elected until he was term-limited out in 2002. Melvin’s other interests and experiences include a 3-year term as Legislative Assistant with the late Congressman Bob Sikes in Washington, D.C.; Executive Manager of the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce and Okaloosa County Economic Development Council; Owner and operator for 17 years of his personal business, Melvin Business Services, involved in printing, writing, advertising and publishing; Governmental Relations and marketing for six

JERRY MELVIN

years with Chromalloy Compressor Technologies, a company engaged in manufacturing and remanufacturing airplane engine components; Real Estate Sales; and Trustee of a large land development trust.

“I became interested in the homeowner issues in 2001 when I was contacted by some individuals having troubles with their homeowners’ associations, and the more I looked into the issues, the more I saw a need for action,” Jerry said.  “Therefore, I introduced a bill calling for a Task Force to be appointed to look into the issues.  I have been amazed at how some homeowners have been treated by their associations and heard even more disturbing things when I attended the Annual Meeting of CCFJ in Ocala November 19 and 20.”

Some of the speakers heard during the CCFJ Annual Meeting were:  Joe Gorman, President, Property Owners Association in the Villages; Humberto Sanchez, Councilman, League of United Latin American Citizens; Gordon Commeé,

President, Property Rights Florida; Dolores Kane, Executive Director, Florida Silver Haired Legislature; Robert Janauskas, Founder, Consumer Advocacy Network; Chan Gerber, Director of Former CHIP; and Tom Poss, CEO and Speaker of the House of the Florida Silver Haired Legislature. 

Representative Julio Robaina was honored guest at the meeting.  A Republican from Miami, Robaina was the champion of the CCFJ legislative package in the 2004 Florida Legislative Session.

Mark Benson and Karen Gottlieb, members of the Condo Advisory Council, and Mike Van Dyk, former council member, were guest presenters during the Ocala meeting. 

Bergemann remarked, “Our organization is continuing to grow in membership and influence, and we invite other owners, organizations and association to join our cause and help to finally create the legislative changes homeowners in Florida are waiting for -- consumer-friendly rules and regulations, protecting private property rights, and preventing abuses.  

We need clear and easy-to-understand laws that make the management of our associations easy and that will stop the many expensive lawsuits constantly being filed without merit – lawsuits that drain associations of their meager membership funds and consume the major time and efforts of members that could be utilized for needed projects and issues. We feel that with the assistance of Jerry Melvin, working with Representative Julio Robaina and other legislators, we can begin to see our goals become realities,” Bergemann stated.

“It will be the first time that homeowners and condo-owners have their own organization and their own Voice In Tallahassee.  We don’t need trade organizations claiming to represent our interest.  Owners have to realize that only other owners are on the same side of the fence. The old saying: “UNITED WE STAND!” fits here more than ever!” Bergemann concluded.