As the nation celebrates 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, local leaders and community advocates reflect not only on the nation’s past, but also on the future of policymaking and advocacy in their communities.
Marihelen Wheeler: From classrooms to the county commission
For Marihelen Wheeler, the idea of local leadership didn’t begin in a county building. It began in a classroom.
Before her time on the county commission, Wheeler spent 36 years as a public school teacher. She said she was inspired to run for public office because she felt state leaders weren’t giving enough attention to the needs of public schools.
“I was concerned about public education and the needs of some of our children,” she said. “That's one of the things that got me interested in poking at Tallahassee to make them understand that there were greater needs that were not being met.”
Her concerns inspired her to run for the Florida House of Representatives in 2012 and for Congress in 2014 — roles she ultimately did not secure. The support later motivated her to run for the commission, she added.
Wheeler was first elected to the Alachua County Commission in 2018. She was reelected to the same seat in 2022.
She said the transition from education to local government felt relatively seamless because of the collaborative nature between the commission and community members. Coming from a background as an art teacher, she said her fellow commissioners helped ease her adjustment to local office.
Wheeler’s time as county commissioner will come to an end in November. As she prepares to leave office, she said one of her goals is to help inspire the next generation of political leadership.
“250 years ago, we saw a lot of really smart people come together to come up with a plan that would solidify a bunch of ragtag folks who came here from all over the world into one unit,” she said. “I am trying to engage the younger generation to consider running for office or getting ready to do that.”
Donna Waller: Cheerleader for democracy
For nearly six decades, Donna Waller has been a member of the League of Women Voters. Her interest in civic engagement and political science has followed her throughout her life, dating back to her time as a graduate student in Gainesville.
Before retiring in 2016, Waller taught American history and political science at Santa Fe College. Although she joined the League of Women's Voters in 1968, she became active with the Alachua County chapter in 2010.
“When I taught American government out at Santa Fe College, I used to talk about the league as a public interest interest group,” Waller said. “I called the league ‘Cheerleaders for Democracy,’ and that is absolutely what we are.”
The League of Women’s Voters began in 1920 amid the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the ratification of the 19th amendment. The nonpartisan league, which came to Florida in 1939, was founded with the goal of educating women and encouraging them to vote.
Waller became president of the Alachua County chapter last year, a role she described as the most “wonderful, horrible job in the world.”
“I knew it was going to be hard when I took the job, but I actually didn't anticipate how much the chapter does and how many things I would have to learn about very rapidly,” she said. “I felt that despite the fact I had been a member for a long time, it was a very steep learning curve to be president.”
As president, Waller helps manage over 250 members, attends community events, helps register voters in Alachua County and hosts candidate forums for upcoming elections.
The league also hosts advocacy groups like its gun violence prevention and safety committee.
“We do everything from give out bookmarks with our VOTE411.org information to giving out gun safety locks, and we table at virtually every event that invites us,” she said. “We have a very strong presence in the league and in the community.”
Mayor Harvey Ward: Striving for transparency and authenticity
For Mayor Harvey Ward, this Independence Day feels different from the nation’s last major milestone celebration in 1976.
Ward, who remembers the country’s bicentennial celebration, said it left a lasting impression on him. Half a century later, he said this year’s celebration feels different amid growing political tensions and divisiveness.
“I'm disappointed that the federal government has kind of dropped the ball on bringing unity to this one-time celebration,” he said.
Ward was first elected mayor of Gainesville in 2022 after serving two terms as a city commissioner. He was inspired to pursue public office because he felt the city could do more to support its homeless population, he said.
Once in office, he found he enjoyed many aspects of city government, from planning and zoning to ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
Since becoming mayor, Ward said the job has been far from easy, citing difficult days and ongoing clashes with the Florida Legislature and the governor. Still, he said the community’s enthusiasm in civic engagement and pride in local policymaking make the work worth it.
“I would much rather they [the Florida Legislature] just did their work and let us do our work,” Ward said, “but the energy that our community brings to supporting our local government makes it all worthwhile.”
As the nation celebrates 250 years, Ward said he continues to be inspired by political leaders and figures like President Jimmy Carter and former Florida Govs. Lawton Chiles and Bob Graham.
“Those are folks who really set the bar for what service ought to be, for what it means to be an elected official,” Ward said. “In these very strange times when not everybody seems to have that same kind of commitment to transparency and authenticity, I still lean back on the examples that folks like them set.”
Contact Olivia Lofaso at olofaso@alligator.org. Follow her on X @OLofaso77652.
Olivia Lofaso is a third-year journalism student and the Summer 2026 city/county commission reporter. She previously worked as a contributing writer at The Alligator. In her free time she enjoys visiting art museums and solving crosswords.
