June 5, 2022—A longtime Winter Springs resident who has worked in the environment for more than 15 years announced her candidacy this week for Winter Springs City Commissioner District 2.

Victoria Colangelo, the CEO of The Mitigation Banking Group, a company she founded in 2017, announced her plans to run in Winter Springs, Florida.  

“I have lived in Winter Springs for 15 years, and prior to that lived in Oviedo for 10 years. I am a passionate advocate to preserve our water and wetlands and I started a small business which has facilitated taking over $50 million from developers’ deep pockets and making them invest it back into preserving our environment.”

Victoria is running against Kevin Cannon who she says has broken his campaign promises over and over by voting for dozens of special exemptions to allow development projects to move forward.  “I have been working to enhance and restore our ecosystem, tirelessly striving to offset the damage done by politicians’ empty promises. I have a vision for what our hometown can be, and the experience to preserve what makes Winter Springs a great place to live.”

Victoria stated that she will self fund her campaign but that she is also seeking support from the residents and business leaders in the community ready for change.

She said she has thought about running for office for a few years, and with Winter Springs at a critical point in our history, she thought now would be a good time to serve the residents of Winter Springs, Florida.

The announcement comes as current District 2 Commissioner Kevin Cannon recently announced his intentions for re-election after already serving for 8 years. “Kevin Cannon is a smart man, and he has served our community for 8 years, but his communication skills and temperament are not ideal for our local community.  It’s time for a change,” Colangelo was quoted as saying.

Colangelo, 39, said during her career she has worked alongside county and city employees, as well as outside agencies including the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and South Florida Water Management District.

“I’ve got the knowledge and the experience,” she said.

Her goal as commissioner would be to improve the quality of our waste and drinking water while also looking to make Winter Springs a more friendly government for all citizens and businesses who live and operate in the area.  “I have watched and listened for the past 4 years as residents and our city commission have battled to find common ground.  It became clear to me that my time to serve my local government was now.”

Victoria said when she is elected, she will remain CEO of her firm but will be able to dedicate herself full time to the job of City Commissioner.  Colangelo is engaged to marry Bryan Bruce later this year and they have three daughters, Bella, Lily and Briella.