It was her unrelenting commitment to children and schools that led her to seek a seat on the school board and she served from 2002-2006.

Laura is also very concerned about the future of Florida and was appointed in 2005 the Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida www.centurycommission.org. This organization is charged with envisioning the Florida we want to have in the next 25 and 50 years and for her ensuring that Florida is a place where people can raise their children and stay together as a family is a high priority.

In January, Laura was appointed by Governor Crist to chair the Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota. This is the organization that provides for quality child care and the Voluntary Pre-K program. She has served on this Coalition since 2003. All children benefit from the early start they get in quality child care and this organization under Laura’s leadership continues to improve the opportunities available in child care centers – establishing a strong foundation for future learning.

She chairs the Public Policy Committee of the Sarasota Association of Realtors and teaches a state required Ethics course to fellow Realtors. She serves on the state Board of Directors for Florida Future Business Leaders of America and is a mentor with the Take Stock in Children program.

Laura is a Realtor, is self employed, pays wages and has to buy her own health insurance. Facing the same costs as most residents and other small business owners, she is remarkably in tune with the difficulties everyone has to face in an environment of exploding insurance expenses, ridiculous increases in property taxes and the difficulty of insuring a family of five.

Laura met her husband Brian Meskil at the day care their sons attended 12 years ago and is also a Realtor with Prudential Palms Real Estate. Her daughter Kate is a student at the University of South Florida with hopes to attend law school in 2009 and her sons Zac and Corey will be starting their senior year at Pine View and Riverview, respectively. Laura is particularly proud that Corey is also a student at the Sarasota County Technical Institute and is excelling in the automotive program.