Estero Community Planning Panel

David Graham

(12/15/1946 – 10/23/2005)

David Graham, an Estero resident, was well known for his leadership on a wide range of community issues, particularly in building regional consensus, environmental stewardship and raising the bar for development in the communities he worked in.

David was the type of committed leader whose very participation and dedication inspired others to excel.  He stood firmly on his principles and ideals and humbly led by example, always attributing his own success to others.  David was a founding member of the Estero Community Planning Panel and was instrumental in the creation, negotiation and adoption of the Estero Community Plan, the Estero Design Review Committee and the Corkscrew Overlay. David consistently challenged the development community to exceed previous standards and prided himself on raising the bar for development throughout the region.

He was named Lee County's Citizen of the Year in February 2005 for his work with a long list of community organizations devoted to land stewardship, responsible development and improving the quality of life in Southwest Florida and was a recipient of the Pathfinder Award from the Southwest Florida District Council Urban Land Institute.

David continued to create high standards in the development industry for community participation and outreach, environmental preservation and sustainability, project design and regional benefit.  He consistently thought of new ideas for making each development special for the greater community, either through solving regional issues, preserving more land, or building a stronger consensus.  He set a standard in Southwest Florida that has made this area a better place...