Named after the beloved Florida sea lion mammal, the fast-growing Manatee County is located on the west coast of Florida, just south of the Tampa Bay area. Bradenton is the county seat and a few of the other Manatee communities include Anna Maria, Cortez, Longboat Key and Myakka City. With a population of close to 400,000, the area is perhaps best known as the headquarters of Tropicana.
Sunshine began working in the community in 2018 with the opening of an office in Sarasota and today handles the cleaning of nearly 500,0000 square feet. As the Manatee County Area Manager, Azalea Rodriguez adeptly handles the management of her team of 45, who care for more than 70 different buildings. The County, which employs 1,700 people in 12 different departments and multiple locations, is a major Sunshine client.
The Sunshine team tackles a wide range of facilities every day, including:
- Beach and park facilities
- Transit stations
- Fairgrounds
- A multitude of utilities, water, and public works facilities and satellite locations
- The County’s fleet services division
- Numerous public library locations
In addition, high-profile and busy facilities, such as judicial centers, courthouses, and the County’s administration building, are on the Sunshine staff’s daily task list. Accessibility and responsiveness are qualities Sunshine customers appreciate.
“It’s reassuring that when I have a problem day or night that Azalea will answer her phone,” said Paula Pesmark, Custodial Supervisor, Manatee County Property Management Department. “That kind of service from the Sunshine team makes my job so much easier.”
Azalea, who grew up in Libertyville, Illinois and moved to Florida when she was 19 years old, lives in Bayshore Gardens in Bradenton with her 12-year-old daughter.
She joined Sunshine in 2019 as an area supervisor. Her background in accounting, banking and customer service has provided the perfect foundation for her current responsibilities, she says. “My job is challenging, but my experience in customer service has really helped.”
“I sure do love my job,” she added. “I enjoy being in the field all day looking at buildings and working with our own amazing team and the great people we are proud to call our clients.
