April Tilton Iser

My name is April Tilton Iser. I am a:

• 15^th generation Floridian
• 7^th generation Putnam county resident
• 6^th generation farmer

I am married to my best friend and we have been together for 14 years. I am a homeschooling mother of 4, and a puppy mom to 3. Many of you probably know me through my volunteer time, and many of you might know me through my family or from growing up here. Either way, most that do know me, know that I am focused on creating a better environment for my children to grow up in.

I’m a firearms instructor at Iser Defense, and I teach Concealed Carry Classes, as well as Personal Protection Inside and Outside of the Home.

I have been a volunteer across Putnam County for more than a decade, and some of my volunteer work includes being a Keep Putnam Beautiful volunteer and board member for 4 years, serving as Vice Chair for 2 of those. I have also been a member of the GFWC Woman’s Club of Palatka for 10 years, and have served as 2^nd Vice President, Arts Chairman, and a Juniorettes advisor.

I am a mother, a community member, a local business owner and a volunteer, and I am wholeheartedly a patriot!  I want to thank all of our veterans for their service and for fighting for the freedoms that I am privileged to have in my life today.

I believe that no problem stands alone. That they’re all interrelated to other problems. When we succeed in one area, it helps create a path toward success for other issues we need to overcome. However, when we fail in areas, it often leads to additional struggles.

Countyhealthrankings.com states:

“poverty limits opportunities for quality housing, safe neighborhoods, healthy food, living wage jobs, and quality education. As poverty and related stress increase, health worsens.”

“higher rates of educational achievements are linked to better jobs, and higher incomes resulting in better health. Education is also connected to lifespan”

“Teenage motherhood is more likely to occur in communities with fewer opportunities for education or jobs. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school and face challenges to upward economic mobility. In turn, their children often have fewer social and economic supports and worse health outcomes.”

We can indirectly help in the education of our students by creating an economy that encourages healthy and strong growth, not only physically, but mentally as well. Local business owners and local entrepreneurs are the lifeline of our county, without them we have nothing. Local businesses drive economic growth, which fuels everything.

At a political level, we need to work harder at bringing together municipalities throughout the county to implement economic development efforts. We need to offer consistency in regulations and reduce the barriers, cost, risks and uncertainties to stimulate and support local business growth and retention. We need to encourage redevelopment in blighted areas and take advantage of the economic growth surrounding our county. These actions will bring us closer to attracting new businesses to the area.

With a lot broken, anything is possible. I think our small, quaint towns have a charm we should market and take advantage of when it comes to tourism. I’m here because of the love and passion I have for Putnam County. Like I said, I’m a 7^th generation Putnam County resident. This is my home. I’m not ready to give up just yet, so I’m here to fight.

Our bodies can not go somewhere that our minds have never been. Therefore, there needs to be a clear vision of what we want our community to be. For most, the future is no more than the day after today, and their concept of tomorrow can be just as narrow and limited. We need to make sense of our past, and create a powerful, positive vision and a plan of action for beyond tomorrow.