Arlene Dillon has been appointed to fill the council seat vacated last year by Scott Crater.
"I want to thank the Council for entrusting me with this responsibility and let the Sanibel community know that my door is open. I welcome your suggestions, and I'll do the best I can to represent you, " said Dillon.
The city council appointment is for a partial term which expires on June 4. A special election will be held May 21 to select a candidate to fill the remainder of the term.
Crater resigned effective Dec. 28 due to the new requirement for Florida’s Mayors and City Councilmembers to complete the Florida Financial Disclosure Statement known as “Form 6” beginning in 2024. He had been elected to serve a four-year term on the Sanibel City Council March 2, 2021.
Dillon made her home on Sanibel Island 19 years ago. She and her husband, Dan Wexler, raised their two daughters on Sanibel and live full time in the Tradewinds neighborhood. She is retired from a long career in television news and video production.
As sole owner and founder of Dillon TV & Video production she’s produced projects for various clients including the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Marine Corps, and the Sheet Metal Air Conditioning National Association. She’s also worked locally producing videos for the SW Florida Alzheimer’s Association and the Affordable Housing program (CHR) on Sanibel.
Before moving to Southwest Florida from Washington DC, Dillon had more than 25 years experience in national television news, including senior management in television news shows, live news event production and booking newsmakers.
As a senior producer for the CBS News Washington Bureau, she helped launch The Early Show and managed editorial content, assignments, and staff schedules. She secured live interviews with key elected and appointed officials, and managed coverage of dozens of live news events, including CBS coverage of the events on 9/11. Before that she was assigned as a White House producer covering three presidential administrations.
At CBS News she was also a live Special Events Producer/Director, covering White House Presidential travel throughout the world from 1990 through her move to Sanibel in 2005.
Highlights of Ms. Dillon's career include:
• Producer/Director, 2004 Network Election Night
• Producer/Director, 2004 Coverage of President Reagan’s Funeral
• First Woman to Direct the President’s State of the Union address to the nation (1995) • Produced various presidential news conferences, oval office speeches, Presidential summits & international trips to Europe, Russia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East (1990-2000)
• President & Host of the White House Correspondents Association Annual Dinner, 2001 • Member of the Director’s Guild of America
Highlights of Ms. Dillon’s service to Sanibel:
• Sanibel School Teacher – Media Center (2007-2009)
• Sanibel School Substitute Teacher (Present)
• Sanibel School Advisory Council (2016-2022)
• BIG ARTS Board of Directors (2006-2009)
• BIG ARTS “Talking Points” Series Chair (2018-present)
• CHR Fundraiser Co-Chair & Volunteer (2015-2021)
• Tradewinds Neighborhood HOA Vice President (2019-present)
Ms. Dillon holds a BA degree from the University of Maryland in Communications/Journalism.
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