The motto for the Village of Estero is “A Village with a Vision,” and it is Don Eslick who provided that vision and came to be known as “Mr. Estero.”
Eslick, 88, died on March 16, 2023, leaving behind his wife Suzie Eslick.
Eslick was a driving force in the Estero community starting upon his arrival in 1999. He was passionate about shaping the future of this community, an unincorporated area that experienced phenomenal growth throughout the 2000s.
He was the founding Chairman of the Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL) in 2002, a “grass roots” community organization which addressed quality of life issues. In addition, he organized a Hospital Committee which was instrumental in the ultimate development of Lee Health at Coconut Point.
Eslick served as ECCL Chairman for 10 years before serving as Chairman Emeritus until 2019. In addition, he had served on three of Lee County’s most prominent committees: the Smart Growth Committee, the Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource (DR/GR) Advisory Committee and the Charter Review Committee.
He was voted Lee County Citizen of the Year in 2006 and presented with the ECCL’s Visionary of the Decade Award in 2011.
Eslick’s exceptional leadership skills included inspiring and mentoring others to follow in his footsteps, from his students at Edison College to those working with him in the ECCL.
Whether its architectural design, preservation of natural resources, access to health care or economic development, you can be assured Eslick’s influence has been realized, which is why he was known as “Mr. Estero”.