Christine Cruz has spent years helping clean up Eustis, supporting local organizations and participating in discussions about the city’s future. Now, voters have chosen her to help guide it.

Christine won Seat 2 on the Eustis City Commission in the Nov. 3 election, receiving 4,372 votes, or 63.27%, to Marie Aliberti’s 2,538 votes, or 36.73%, according to unofficial results from the Lake County Supervisor of Elections.

A resident for about 22 years, Christine previously served roughly 3½ months as an appointed interim commissioner, beginning in September 2024. When she returns to the commission in January, she will bring that experience along with the conversations she had while knocking on doors and meeting residents during her campaign.

For Christine, understanding what people experience in their daily lives is central to doing the job well.

“My priority is making sure city government works for the residents of Eustis,” she says. “That means taking care of our infrastructure, being responsible with taxpayer dollars, creating better economic opportunities and protecting the things that make Eustis special.”

Christine’s involvement in city affairs began long before her appointment to the commission. In 2007, she joined a city parking study committee. A decade later, she founded CleanUp Eustis, a volunteer initiative that brings residents together to care for the city’s lakes, parks and public spaces.

She also serves as president of the Arts & Cultural Endowment of Eustis and a board member of Trout Lake Nature Center. Her volunteer work has included supporting animal welfare organizations and other local nonprofits.

Professionally, Christine owns Compass Creative Group, helping businesses, nonprofits and community organizations with communications, technology and their digital presence. Her nearly three decades of professional experience include managing projects, leading teams, overseeing budgets and guiding strategic planning.

She sees a commissioner’s role as connecting residents’ needs with city staff’s work, asking questions and recognizing when existing policies need another look.

“I love this community, and I love bringing people together,” Christine says. “A big part of being a commissioner is listening to residents, understanding their needs and working with city staff to find solutions. That’s something I’ve spent years doing.”

That responsibility, she says, requires reaching beyond familiar faces and welcoming people whose opinions differ from her own.

“I encourage everyone to reach out to me. We may not always agree, but we should all be working toward the best possible outcomes for our community,” Christine says.

When she takes office, one of her first priorities will be moving the Downtown Master Plan toward construction.

Christine points to the meetings, surveys and public input that helped shape the plan as reasons to follow through. Residents invested time in explaining what they wanted, she says, and the city owes it to them to turn those conversations into progress.

“Residents had the opportunity to make their voices heard, and that input helped shape the Downtown Master Plan,” she says. “We have a plan. Now it’s time to move forward and put it into action. We have a lot of work to do, and I’m ready to get started.”

She wants to examine how quickly development can move forward on the former Waterman hospital properties, with an emphasis on bringing more foot traffic downtown and addressing businesses’ parking needs.

Her service on the parking study committee makes the issue especially familiar. Nearly 20 years later, she says, businesses are still waiting for solutions.

Beyond downtown, Christine wants to attract jobs in manufacturing, industry and skilled trades.

She sees an opportunity to connect employers with students training at Lake Technical College, helping young people build careers close to home. Giving residents more opportunities to work in Eustis, she says, could also reduce the need to commute outside the city.

“I want people to be able to find good-paying jobs right here in Eustis instead of having to leave our city to make a living,” she says. “That’s one of my biggest priorities, and I’m looking forward to making progress on it.”

Alongside development, Christine identifies transparency and accountability as priorities.

She plans to continue posting plain-language summaries of commission agendas on her Facebook commissioner page, helping residents understand upcoming discussions and raise concerns about matters that affect them.

Her cellphone number appeared on campaign mailers, and she says her social media will remain open to the public. She welcomes opposing views and policy debates, with an expectation that people treat one another respectfully.

“We aren’t always going to agree, and that’s okay. We should still be able to speak with each other respectfully,” Christine says.

She says she will read residents’ comments, including when she cannot participate in a discussion herself.

“I’ll continue posting commission agenda previews, so residents understand what’s coming before the commission and have an opportunity to share their concerns,” Christine says. “I may not always be able to respond to every discussion, but I promise I’ll read the comments. I want residents to know I’m listening.”

That communication, Christine says, is part of what residents elect commissioners to do: pay attention to city business, explain what is happening and remain accountable to the people they represent.

As she prepares to be sworn in Jan. 7, she wants to acknowledge the family, friends, donors, volunteers and door knockers who supported her campaign, along with city staff and the residents who placed their confidence in her.

“I’m so grateful to everyone who believed in me, volunteered their time and helped make this possible. This was a tremendous community effort, and I couldn’t have done it without them,” Christine says.

She also wants residents who supported her opponent to know they will have the same opportunity to be heard. With the election behind her, she’s eager to get started serving the residents of Eustis.

“I want people to know they have someone at City Hall who will listen, ask questions and work hard to find solutions,” Christine says. “This is our community, and we all have a part in making it better.”