Governor appoints fresh face to District 5 seat | Alva resident Patricia “Trish” Petrosky to fill vacancy on Lee County Commission
Two months after Lee County District 5 Commissioner Mike Greenwell died in office, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he has appointed Patricia “Trish” Petrosky to fill the seat.
Petrosky was sworn into office on Monday, as she transitioned from an executive assistant at Evangelical Christian School into a new political career. As the District 5 Commissioner, Petrosky represents the communities of Lehigh Acres, Alva, part of North Fort Myers and Buckingham.
“I want to represent our community and I want to be a part of the decision processes that are coming through for our future, growth that we are playing catchup with and for the foreseeable future as well,” Petrosky said.
The 34-year-old Republican and former Realtor was a surprise pick due to her limited personal political experience. The new county commissioner, though, has made some rounds locally. Among them, Petrosky was a guest of State Rep. Tiffany Esposito, R-77, Fort Myers, at a GOP gala earlier this year.
Petrosky has served as a member of the Naples Area Board of Realtors and the Bonita Estero Realtors Association. She previously served as a Realtor for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in Estero.
Petrosky, who is married to Peter Josh Petrosky, said she is no longer involved in working in real estate. Her husband manages a golf club, and they have three young children together. Mrs. Petrosky attended Palm Beach State College and is currently working toward her bachelor’s degree from Liberty University.
Originally from West Palm Beach, Petrosky moved to Lee County 15 years ago. She lived in Fort Myers before buying a home in Alva in October.
Petrosky said she plans to set up listening tours throughout her district. Since moving to Alva, she has heard the concerns of local residents about development.
“Preserving the rural community of Alva is of utmost concern for the residents,” Petrosky said. “I too also feel that.”
She said residents there are concerned about the amount of development. “Their concerns are about what’s coming,” Petrosky said. Petrosky said she will bring “scrutiny” to development issues in the area. She said she is still learning more about the $140 million school that the School District of Lee County is moving forward with building in Alva, which faced large opposition from Alva residents.
In Lehigh Acres, Petrosky said she has heard from residents “who have been asking for a long time for help in the areas of potholes and road improvements, sidewalks and ways of economic development to help them out there. That is a huge component of my focus right now.”
Though she has not had extensive political experience, Petrosky said she has worked with nonprofits through volunteer activities with Summit Church, which she attends in Fort Myers.
Petrosky said her priorities will include being fiscally conservative on spending, clean water, and addressing traffic in the county.
Among those who had applied for the seat to the governor was Amanda Cochran. Cochran confirmed Monday she will remain in the August Republican Party primary race she has filed to run in.
“I am fully committed to running in the primary,” Cochran said on Monday, Cochran earlier posted a message on Facebook following the appointment by DeSantis saying “I believe the voters of Lee County should decide who represents them, and I will work tirelessly to prove I am your conservative choice.”
Cochran, of Alva, ran against Greenwell last year in a Republican Party primary. While Cochran lost the race, she won the majority of votes from District 5. County commission seats are voted on by the entire county, not just within a commissioner’s district, though a current measure that Lee County voters will decide in a ballot referendum in 2026 could change county commission voting to districts. Voters in Lee County in 2026 will decide whether to have single-member districts on the Lee County Board of County Commissioners.
Petrosky will have to run again for the seat in November to retain the seat. Petrosky said she put in her application for the vacant seat in December and was interviewed by the staff of Gov. Ron DeSantis over the phone though she did not speak with DeSantis.
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the appointment.
Lee County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Cecil Pendergrass said he has spoken with Petrosky since she applied for the position. “I am looking forward to working with her,” Pendergrass said. “It’s been 12 years since a female was on the board. I am looking forward to having a different perspective on the board.”
Pendergrass said that Petrosky’s work background will also give the commissioners more insight into their political decisions.
Pendergrass, who was close with Greenwell, said “Mike will be missed.”