| When Melony was a young girl her family moved to Satellite Beach. There her father Ronald, a Korean War Veteran, was employed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center as a missile mechanic for McDonald Douglas Corporation.
Though her family had moved, they did not lose touch with their Heartland roots, making frequent visits home to see family and friends. In 1975, the family was able to return to Ft. Meade when her father was offered a job at one of the local phosphate mines.
Melony was in the ninth grade and very glad to be back where her heart had always been. Not long after the family's return, Melony fell in love with Robbie Bell. He was her high-school sweetheart, and she and Robbie were married in 1981.
Robbie is a bee farmer and is very familiar with the day-to-day struggles and worries of our agricultural community. He also served Fort Meade for many years as a volunteer fire fighter before becoming a full-time county fire fighter in 2000.
Melony recognizes that both the heritage and family values of Florida's Heartland must be preserved while we pursue jobs and opportunities that will keep our talented young people here at home and contributing to our workforce and tax base.
As a Commissioner, she had to fight against higher taxes, wasteful spending, and special interests and their schemes. Count on Melony to fight just as hard for the Heartland. She will continue the fight against bigger government and wasteful spending that stifles economic opportunities. Above all |