During the Nov. 21 special reorganizational meeting of the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners, current Vice Chair and District 2 Commissioner Sarah Arnold was unanimously elected as the new chair, and District 3 Commissioner Roy Alaimo was unanimously elected as vice chair.
Both will serve one-year terms in those roles. Arnold replaces District 1 Commissioner Christian Whitehurst, who served as chair the previous year.
“I am grateful and honored for this opportunity to help guide St. Johns County forward with the support of my fellow county commissioners, our County Administrator Joy Andrews and our dedicated team of county employees,” Arnold said.
Arnold was appointed to serve on the board by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021. She is invested in the St. Johns County community, its schools, its development and its future. She serves on the board of the Tristyn Bailey Foundation, is also a member of the Rotary Club of St. Johns and volunteers with United Way of St. Johns County, Habitat for Humanity and the Dream Big! Foundation.
She previously served as the director of resource development for the United Way of St. Johns County.
A lifelong Floridian, Arnold and her husband, Casey, raise their four children in District 2.
Alaimo was appointed to serve on the board by DeSantis in 2022. He previously worked for then-Congressman DeSantis as a district representative, where he acted as a liaison between constituents and federal agencies.
He also served on the board of the St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Authority. A proven job creator, he owns several small businesses in the St. Johns County community where he was raised.
He is also a member of many local community-based organizations, including the St. Augustine Rotary, Fraternal Order of Police, Knights of Columbus, Northeast Florida Builders Association and St. Johns County Sports Club.
A graduate of the University of North Florida with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Alaimo lives in St. Augustine with his wife, teacher Jennifer Alaimo, their son, Gavin, and their daughter, Hailey.
