Donna Fiala, “the people’s commissioner” known for her steadfast loyalty to East Naples that propelled her into public office, died April 23. She was 88.
Fiala served 20 years as a Collier County Commissioner, the longest in modern county history.
She represented East Naples, Marco Island, the Isles of Capri, Goodland and surrounding communities in her District One seat.
She was elected in 2000 and served five terms until retiring in 2020.
Collier leaders recognized her unwavering commitment to the community and renamed an East Naples park as the Donna Fiala Eagle Lakes Community Park, located off U.S. 41 E. between Naples Manor and Lely Resort.
“(She) embodies the title of a truly outstanding public servant,” Crystal Kinzel, Clerk of the Courts, said in a newsletter after Fiala was given a “Lifetime Achievement” award by East Naples Civic & Commerce in 2024. They met in the 1990s.
“Her energy and enthusiasm for all that makes this a great place to live has been something to emulate, she has truly been a mentor, counselor and my very special friend,” Kinzel said in the 2024 newsletter.
In 2017 in honor of Women’s History Month, U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart talked about Fiala’s accomplishments while on the floor of the U.S. House.
“The depth and breadth of her service is nothing short of remarkable,” Diaz-Balart said. “Throughout my time in Congress representing Collier County, I’ve always found Commissioner Fiala to be a dedicated partner as we’ve worked for the betterment of the Southwest Florida community.
“I am lucky to be able to collaborate with such a hard working woman who cares so deeply about her community,” he said.
How people in Collier County remember Fiala
Commissioner Bill McDaniel described Fiala as a friend and part-time mom.
“She’s always called me ‘Billy dear.’ I will cherish the many memories I have of her,” McDaniel said. “She was a wonderful leader of our community, and always put the people first. I will miss her very much.”
Jacob Winge, former president of East Naples Civic & Commerce, said Fiala was instrumental in shaping his civic endeavors.
“As a 14-year-old sophomore I skipped school on a Tuesday to attend a Board of County Commissioners’ meeting to defend tourism funding for our museums. I never looked back,” Winge said. “Donna saw something in me and we developed a mentorship and friendship second to none. I learned that leadership means listening, understanding, and that it takes heart.”
Fiala’s roots went deep
Originally from Cleveland, Fiala and her family moved to Collier in June 1974. They picked a model home in the not-yet-built Lakewood community in East Naples to make their home.
There was little around but wetlands, sand and mosquitoes.
She worked in public relations for Provincetown-Boston Airlines, which used to fly into Naples, followed by sales at Marco Island Marriott. She later worked in community relations at Naples Community Hospital, now Naples Comprehensive Health.
All five of her children graduated from the Collier County Public School System.
She became concerned about the direction East Naples was taking and became active with the East Naples Civic Association.
She became its president, along with serving on a long list of other civic groups through the years.
Among them: the Naples Junior Woman’s Club, Marco Island Kiwanis Club, Marco Island Chamber of Commerce, East Naples Kiwanis Club, Woman’s Republican Club of Naples Federated, the Republican Executive Committee and many more.
She ran for the District One seat on the Collier commission in 2000.
“I mean, I was really green,” she said in an interview with the Naples Daily News upon her retirement in 2020.
“But I did have it in my heart that I wanted to help the East Naples people overcome all of the junk that had been foisted upon them all of those many years,” she said.
Fiala served on the county’s Productivity Committee, the Tourist Development Council, the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council and more.
She served on the board of directors for the Florida Association of Counties that helps shape state-wide policies.
She was instrumental in bringing landscaping to the medians on U.S. 41 East and Davis Boulevard, in making sure kids had places to play baseball, and helped families get access to medical care.
A year before her retirement, she spoke out in her gentle demeanor against a Realtor-driven movement to rebrand parts of her district as South Naples.
At the time, East Naples was facing huge growth, and she pointed out amenities that couldn’t be found elsewhere in Collier. They included Naples Botanical Garden, Sugden Regional Park and the East Naples Community Park that is home to the U.S. Open Pickleball Championship.
“We, in East Naples, are proud to have made so many advancements and happy we are getting more buyers and positive press, and we did it because we are changing what we are,” she wrote in her commissioner newsletter.
When Collier leaders renamed Eagle Lakes Community Park after her in November 2020, she was a bit embarrassed.
“It’s never you alone that does it,” she said at the event. “It’s always a group that’s working together for the betterment of the community.”
Fiala’s family life
Fiala was born April 13, 1938 in Seven Hills, Ohio. She was the daughter of Louis and Violette Kish Beck.
“From an early age she carried a natural compassion for others, a quality that shaped her as a devoted mother, proud grandmother, and dedicated public servant,” her family said in a statement.
Fiala was a loving and steadfast mother to her five children: Debbie Cross, Bob Fleming, Sherri Holcombe, TJ Fiala and Todd Fiala. She had eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
“Donna Lou Fiala will be remembered as a devoted matriarch, a trusted leader and a woman whose life’s work was rooted in making others feel seen, heard, and cared for,” her family said.
“Her legacy lives on in the family she adored, the community she helped shape, and the countless lives she touched. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered,” her family said.
Liz Freeman is a health care reporter. Reach her by emailing lfreeman@naplesnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Marco Eagle: ‘The people’s commissioner’ for two decades – Donna Fiala dies at 88
Reporting by Liz Freeman, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Marco Eagle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
