Andrew Werner, Cornelia Manfre and Mark Stancel ran for city offices in 2024. Dave Ferguson and Dave Sullivan have experience in public office. Scott Pillath applied for the position of city manager.
March 19 was the deadline for applying to be appointed to the District 3 seat on the Palm Coast City Council, and 13 applications have been received.
Whoever is appointed will replace Ray Stevens, who resigned in February due to health reasons. The appointee will serve till the fall of 2026, with the option to run again in that election.
In alphabetical order by first name, here are the candidates:
Andrew Werner
Lived in Palm Coast since 2022.
Occupation: school psychologist.
Note: Ran for City Council District 3 in 2024, finished first in the primary and then lost to Ray Stevens in the general election.
Candace Stevens
Lived in Palm Coast since 2015.
Occupation: Mixologist/manager/chef, former police officer in Knoxville, Tennessee, from 1992 to 2001.
Note: Founder of the Facebook page Flooded in Flagler County.
Chad Raymond
Lived in Palm Coast since 2007.
Occupation: Real estate appraiser
Note: Co-owner of Raymond Appraisal since 2015 and owner/broker of Raymond Realty Group since 2017. Was chief enlisted manager for the U.S. Air Force from 2002 to 2022. Was a criminal investigator for the Volusia Sheriff’s Office from 2006 to 2016.
Cornelia Manfre
Lived in Palm Coast since 1999.
Occupation: Broker associate with One Sotheby’s International Realty
Note: 40 years of business background. Ran for Palm Coast mayor in 2024 and lost to current Mayor Mike Norris.
Dana Mark Stancel
Lived in Palm Coast since 2021.
Occupation: None. Formerly, U.S. Army (1970-1991), U.S. Postal Service, retail sales.
Note: Ran for District 3 seat and lost by two votes to Ray Stevens in the primary. Currently serves on the Palm Coast planning board.
Dave Ferguson
Lived in Palm Coast since 2012.
Occupation: Retired in 1997. Formerly, vice president of sales and marketing for PCR.
Note: Volunteer for SCORE, member of the Palm Coast planning board. Was appointed to the City Council, serving from 2012 to 2014.
David Sullivan
Lived in Palm Coast since 2001.
Occupation: Retired U.S. Navy, after 28 years of active duty.
Note: Elected to the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners in 2016 and reelected in 2020 before retiring in 2024.
Douglas Courtney
Lived in Palm Coast since 1997.
Occupation: President of ExecData Inc., a management consulting/research and development firm.
Note: Served as town clerk of Palm Coast from 1999 to 2000. Has a doctorate in management/information systems technologies from the University of Phoenix. Served on the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club Advisory Committee.
Gene Perez
Lived in Palm Coast since 2015.
Occupation: Self employed, insurance sales, based in Ormond Beach.
Note: Served in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1971.
Joan Paulus
Lived in Palm Coast since 2015.
Occupation: Real estate agent at Grand Living Realty since May 2023. Retired corporate recruiter for 30 years, including for Fico, Oracle and Accenture, between 2020 and 2023.
Mark Burton
Lived in Palm Coast since 2024.
Occupation: Retired software sales, Splunk. Owner and manager of Ozark RV Park from 2021 to 2024.
Note: Former chairman of the Boynton Beach Downtown Area Redevelopment Board, from 1983 to 1987.
Michael Flanagan
Lived in Palm Coast since 2019.
Occupation: Retired director of business development.
Note: Board member of the Grand Haven Community Development District for three years.
Scott Pillath
Lived in Palm Coast since 2019.
Occupation: Adviser for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Retired from the U.S. Army after serving from 1987 to 2012.
Note: Has 38 years of federal experience, managing programs at Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. Applied to become the next city manager of Palm Coast but did not make the Top 5 finalists.
