RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT By Marianne Zak Brenda Van Sickle of Ashton Club Drive has spent many years serving the Lake Ashton community, including 12 years on the Lake Ashton CDD Board of Supervisors, where she currently serves as Chair. Brenda first ran for the Board in 2010 and served two four-year terms before retiring in 2018. In 2022, after encouraging others to consider running, she filed just before the deadline and ultimately ran unopposed. “No one else would run,” she recalls. One of Brenda’s proudest accomplishments has been helping strengthen the relationship between Lake Ashton’s two CDDs. She meets monthly with CDD II Chair Jim Mecsics to discuss ways the East and West sides can work together as one community. That cooperation was evident during Lake Ashton’s recent celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, when activities across the community were coordinated so residents could enjoy the ceremony, golf cart parade, food trucks and dance together. Brenda has also worked to build relationships with the HOAs, City of Lake Wales, police and sheriff’s departments. Her philosophy is simple: “We should have one goal, to make Lake Ashton the best it can be. Just another day in paradise.” Originally from South Carolina, Brenda married her husband, Jack, on May 16, 1981. The couple recently celebrated their 45th anniversary with a Disney cruise to the Caribbean. Together, they have five children and ten grandchildren. A graduate of George Mason University, Brenda spent 20 years teaching special education, including 15 years in Virginia and five at Pinewood Elementary in Eagle Lake. Early in her career, she was given a classroom with four walls and no furniture. She gathered donations, shopped thrift stores and created her own curriculum, teaching students practical life and employment skills. Her guiding belief was that everyone can succeed when given the opportunity. Jack, a 14-year Army veteran who retired from the Department of Defense in 2002, has also embraced public service. He previously served as Mayor of Lake Wales and as a Lake Wales City Commissioner and volunteered with the Lake Ashton HOA. When they aren’t serving their community, Brenda and Jack enjoy traveling, particularly to St. Pete Beach and Fort De Soto. Brenda is an avid seashell collector, a hobby that began during her childhood in Okinawa, Japan. Her home is filled with her exotic seashell finds. Some of her favorite seashells are the Florida fighting conch, tulip shells, and whelk shells from the Gulf Coast. She has donated many of her shells to decorate at LA events. Her lighthouse collection is another hobby of hers. She has a 5' tall replica of a lighthouse from St. Augustine, Florida, and another 3' lighthouse in her flower bed. She displays about 20 lighthouses throughout her home. In November, Brenda will step down following her 12th year as a CDD Board member. Her years of serving the residents of Lake Ashton have given her valuable knowledge to share with those who come after her. Now, she will have more time to spend with her little black miniature poodle Buddy, whom she adopted from her late mother. Brenda enjoys the pool and regularly walks there to enjoy the water and the sunshine. You may see her relaxing in the pool with her red hat on, where you can greet her with a smile and thank her for her service in making Lake Ashton "Simply the Best." 14
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