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MARATHON WEEKLY / JUNE 3, 2021
SARA MATTHIS
sara@keysweekly.com
W
Turner marks one month on the job
hen Dave Turner took over the management of Key Colony Beach one month ago, it marked the start of his fourth career. He has been a cop, a firefighter, a chamber of commerce executive and now a city manager. In Trenton, New Jersey, where he’s from, he spent 30 years on the job as a firefighter. He was, by turn, the youngest captain on the force and then the youngest battalion chief. He was also pulled into the executive arena as chief of operations, overseeing a $53 million budget and a staff of 253 firefighters and support staff. By comparison, Key Colony Beach’s $5 million budget and 21 employees is a walk in Sunset Park. What’s the most surprising thing about his new role as city manager of Key Colony Beach? “How fast the day goes by,” Turner said. “And I didn’t expect the amount of support I would receive from staff, residents and elected officials.” Rather than being thrown into the deep end and told to figure it out, he said everyone is willing to sit down and give him the full story. “They give me the information I need to succeed,” he said. Turner and his wife, Kimberly Matthews, moved to the Florida Keys in 2017. She is Monroe County’s strategic planner as well as director of libraries. They settled into their home five weeks before Hurricane Irma hit. She was immediately dispatched to the Emergency Operations Center to help manage the crisis during and after the storm, and Turner was recruited to help former Fire Chief Jim Callaghan with logistics. One of the first services he provided was cooking for the large group of evacuated officials at Ocean Reef. So, yes, it’s true that firemen know how to feed large crowds. Here’ a little more about Turner: How did you discover the Keys? I had been coming down for years for Fantasy Fest with buddies — fishing during the day and people watching at night. I brought Kimberly down one year and we drove around Big Pine Key. Before that, we had been a bit like “Green Acres” — I wanted to live in the country, and she wanted to live in the city. But we could agree on Big Pine Key. Will you ever move to Key Colony Beach? I’m considering it down the line. It’s a great town. It’s like Mayberry. How did you meet Kimberly? I was called to do a fire inspection at a library! We’ve been married 13 years now. Before Hurricane Irma, did you have any hurricane experience? Well, we went through Superstorm Sandy up there. After the storm, I couldn’t get to my shift at the fire station because of downed limbs, so I rode my bike 17 miles to work because I could lift it over obstacles.
