Board of Trustees for Daytona State College and on the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Seventh Judicial Circuit .
Shailesh echoes similar sentiments .
“ Leadership to me Kelly Parsons Kwiatek is what others see
in you through the example you set .” As a business owner , Shailesh believes , “ I don ’ t want the company to be about me . It must be what our DMC team does to solve challenges and best serve our clients and communities .”
Like Kelly , Shailesh is also deeply involved in the community . He serves on Team Volusia Economic Development Corporation and is a past chair of VCARD ( Volusia County Association for Responsible Development ), amongst other roles . first years of being a lawyer without my dad ,” Kelly says .
Ironically , Kelly ’ s passion as a youth was much different . “ I grew up singing , dancing , acting and playing the piano ,” she says . “ It was my
Shailesh Patel childhood dream to study musical theater in college and go on to make it my profession . She graduated with a Fine Arts degree . But during college , “ I slowly realized musical theater wasn ’ t exactly what I wanted for my life ’ s dream .” So she applied to law school , and her career progressed from there , starting with Cobb Cole and now at Halifax Health , where she leads the legal services , compliance and risk management teams as well as government affairs .
Career Paths
Shailesh ’ s journey began in Zambia , where his father was a successful businessman , excelling in diverse ventures , including coffee production . It was Shailesh ’ s shared interest in agriculture that prompted his move to the United States to pursue advanced college degrees in soil and water science . And after working for a Lakeland-based engineering firm , in 2002 , Shailesh launched his own business – Dredging & Marine Consultants – in the Daytona Beach area . Throughout his career , Shailesh has completed close to 500 projects in coastal areas : stormwater improvements , waterfront parks , seawalls , boat ramps and shoreline restoration .
Shailesh credits his parents for instilling in him a strong work ethic and professional interests . “ My parents worked hard in all their endeavors but always selflessly ,” he reflects . His father remains Shailesh ’ s primary source of guidance , inspiring him to start DMC 22 years ago .
Kelly ’ s parents were role models for her as well . Her father especially had a direct influence on Kelly ’ s career direction . Now retired , William A . Parsons was a respected attorney in Daytona Beach and also served 17 years as a judge for the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court . “ I honestly don ’ t know if I could have made it through the
Words of Wisdom
Kelly encourages young professionals to join VYPG ( Volusia Young Professionals Group ) to make friends and connections . “ I promise you that if you work hard and do the right thing — and stop worrying — it will all work out ,” she advises . “ I ’ d also remind you that you ’ re only in competition with yourself , and the goal is to be YOUR best !”
With so much of today ’ s reliance on technology and computer-generated conversation , Shailesh stresses the importance for professionals to have verbal and personal interaction with their associates and clients . “ People want to know who you are ,” he says . “ If you build relationships through personal communication , you will succeed much better .”
David Castagnacci worked at the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce for 31 years where he served as Executive Director of the Volusia County Association for Responsible Development ( VCARD ), a non-profit association of planning and development professionals . Prior to that , he was a news reporter and New Smyrna Beach Bureau Chief for the Daytona Beach News-Journal .
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