Three seats on the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Pinellas Suncoast Fire & Rescue District were up for election to a 4-year term on November 6, 2012. Commissioner Laura T. Martin, Seat 2 representing Indian Rocks Beach, and Lawrence G. Shear, Seat 1 representing Indian Shores, were sworn in at the November 20 meeting of the Board. James C. Terry, Seat 5 representing a portion of the unincorporated mainland area west of Vonn Road to the Intracoastal between 102^nd Avenue to 94^th Avenue, was sworn in at the December 4 meeting.

Lawrence G. Schear
Commissioner
Board of Fire Commissioners
Indian Shores - Seat 1

Following a long and successful career in Aerospace Engineering (Systems, Communications, Manufacturing, and management for both large and small companies), Larry and his wife Diantha retired to the Suncoast in Indian Shores near family (2 children and their families including 4 grandkids, and a sister-in-law and her family) and new friends.

Larry continues a long history of voluntary community service with some Indian Shores’ appointed boards learning first hand our local political and geographic infrastructure and issues. When an opening appeared on the PSFRD Board, his mayor suggested that he might be interested in contributing more actively there by filling the open term. He was subsequently elected in November, 2010, to the Board.

Larry’s outside activities include motorsports (Tampa Bay British Car Club and Sun Coast Jaguar Club), computers and electronics, travel, reading, our Space Program, outdoor sports, Boy Scouts, and military history and preparedness. He was instrumental in the selections of the new Fire Chief and the Indian Rocks Beach Commissioner.

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Laura T. Martin
Commissioner
Board of Fire Commissioners
Indian Rocks Beach - Seat 2

Commissioner Martin ran unopposed for election to Seat 2 representing Indian Rocks Beach and was sworn into office in November, 2012.

Laura is a native Floridian having grown up in north Florida. She and her family moved to Clearwater in 1979. In 1999, Laura and her husband purchased a home and moved to Indian Rocks Beach. She has worked in the legal field as a legal assistant for the majority of her adult life, mainly in real estate law and associated issues.

 Laura is a member of CERT (Citizens Emergency Response Team), Friends of the Library for the Indian Rocks Beach Library, and is a lifetime member of Action 2000. She is a volunteer at the Indian Rocks Library and has volunteered time and effort to raise funds for the Indian Rocks Volunteer Firemen’s Association as well as the Nine-Eleven Memorial Fund.

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Thomas H. Hafner
Commissioner
Board of Fire Commissioners
Belleair Beach and Belleair Shore - Seat 3

Tom was born in Passaic, New Jersey and moved to Florida in 1946, first residing in Hernando County and eventually Tallahassee. He earned a Bachelor degree in Art and Design, and entered the Air Force ROTC at Florida State University. He entered the Air Force in 1958 and retired in 1976 after serving for 22 years. He earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration while on active duty.

In the Air Force he served in the Security Police and as a Missile Combat Crew Commander in the Thor, Atlas E, and Titan II weapon systems. He entered into the safety career field in emergency management, ground, nuclear, explosive, vehicle, and accident prevention fields and as Safety Director on several installations. He retired as the Director of the Air Force Art and Museum Program in the Pentagon.

After retirement he served as the Public Safety Administrator in Collier County administering Disaster Preparedness, EMS, several fire departments, the building department, and other emergency services departments. He took the position as Florida’s Emergency Management Bureau Planning Administrator, and served on the State’s EMS Advisory Board.

In 1982 he was employed by The Hartford as a Senior Safety Engineer Consultant, specializing in Workers’ Compensation, fleet safety, industrial hygiene, safety training, accident prevention and investigation, and development of safety plans and programs for public entities, municipalities, and industry.

Tom was a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers and is rated as a safety professional in the insurance industry. Tom retired from The Hartford as a safety consultant.

Tom is a Past President of the Indian Rocks Beach Rotary Club and past Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners. He was first elected to the Board in 2002 and began serving his third term in 2010.

Tom is married, has three daughters, and five grandchildren.

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James G. Mortellite
Commissioner
Board of Fire Commissioners
Mainland - Seat 4

Elected to the Board of Commissioners in November 2002.

Currently owns and operates a construction company specializing in the installation of communication towers, buildings and site development in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and the Carolinas. His company also owns and maintains rental properties and also does rehab projects on homes and other real estate in Pinellas County.

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