Term Expires: November 2029 - Seat 3
The " Z"…She's often asked, "What does the "Z" stand for?" She was born Nancy Zarza on June 23, 1953, on Long Island, New York. The "Z" is in remembrance of her father. When she was 10 years old, he died of lung cancer, leaving a wife and three young children. Her mom had to get a job in an era when all her friends had stay-at-home moms. She delivered newspapers and babysat through junior high, and got her first part-time job at age 16 as a sales girl in a department store.
Throughout her years in high school and college, Nancy worked two jobs at a time, selling shoes, waiting tables, or driving a delivery car for a medical lab. She graduated from SUNY at Stony Brook in 1975 with a B.A. in English. She enrolled in the Boston University School of Public Communications in a graduate program. She completed the twelve-credit course but was advised to get experience in the field before receiving a Master's Degree.
For the next two years, Nancy managed the Klondike Restaurant. She used the profits it generated to renovate the building, and it was sold for a huge profit. She used the commission she was paid to visit Cypress Gardens and fulfill a lifelong dream. She auditioned for the ski show, and after a few weeks of practice, she was offered a job as a Cypress Gardens Water Skier.
From 1978 until 2003, she skied in shows, traveled the world with the ski team, met her husband of 28 years (a boat driver), and they had a daughter. She worked her way through management levels as Supervisor of the Female Skiers, Wardrobe Supervisor, and Supervisor of Park Operations. In this capacity, she managed the employees and budget for five large departments in the park.
Saving Cypress Gardens
When Cypress Gardens closed for the first time on April 13, 2003, she and her husband both lost their jobs after 25 and 30 years with three days' notice. She helped organize the employees and joined forces with former Florida Senator Rick Dantzler and Dick Pope Jr. to lobby Governor Jeb Bush to help save the historic tourist attraction. There was a huge public outcry, and after several trips to Tallahassee, they successfully convinced legislators to create a solution to save Cypress Gardens. From 2003 until 2011, Nancy worked for Kiteman Productions as Operations Manager, where her responsibilities included administration and show producer for Kiteman Shows at Sea World Orlando, where she managed the production budget for 53 employees.
Citizen Action
In 2001, she became aware of a proposal for a large new housing development in Lake Alfred that was not designed in the best interest of the town. She organized a citizens' initiative, and after many contentious town meetings, the plan was about to pass. The final meeting was scheduled for September 11, 2001, but had to be canceled because of the events that took place in New York City that day. Before the meeting could be rescheduled, one commissioner resigned, and the subdivision plan had to be put on hold. Nancy Z. Daley ran for the Lake Alfred City Commission and won a seat. At the following commission meeting, the developer withdrew his rezoning request.
Commissioner Daley contacted the Trust for Public Land, who helped her write a grant. In 2004, the most sensitive 112-acre parcel of the land was purchased by the City of Lake Alfred for $2.6 million with Florida Forever funds. The initial grant for the Mackay Gardens and Lakeside Preserve ranked number seven in importance out of 76 state applications that year. She went on to write a $335,000 grant to renovate the historic home on the property for a community center, and a $150,000 recreation grant. She helped to organize a team of volunteers to build nature trails, a fishing pier, a playground, restrooms, a gazebo, a fitness trail, and a picnic pavilion.
Public Service
Commissioner Daley has served on the Lake Alfred City Commission for over 19 years. When she joined the commission, the city was in dismal financial shape. The citizens had voted for a state audit that revealed 64 findings in need of improvement. Over time, she helped to reorganize city management and finances and have had near-perfect audits for the past three years.
While serving as Mayor of Lake Alfred, Nancy became involved in the Ridge League of Cities, serving a term as president. She graduated from Polk County Citizen's Academy and Water School. She was also appointed to the Congress of Regional Leaders, a board created by the My Region.Org initiative. It opened her eyes to the importance of regional planning, so she briefly left the Lake Alfred Commission to run for Polk County Commission. She was less than 1,500 votes short of winning the county commission seat. She has continued to attend land use and DRI meetings throughout the county.
One of her greatest accomplishments as Mayor of Lake Alfred involved convincing the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to reinstate a road widening project through the city. When they deleted the item from the 5-year work plan, she joined the Florida League of Cities Home Rule Administrative Council and became chair of the Transportation Committee. They crafted a bill to require FDOT to get legislative approval before canceling projects and introduced the bill in the State House and Senate. The bill went through some revisions and was eventually vetoed by the governor, but the widening project was reinstated and accomplished.