Mollie Carroll Cardamone

Legacy winner Mollie Carroll Cardamone can be considered a Renaissance

Woman due to her many accomplishments. Mollie was on the ground floor when Riverview was first conceived and later became a reality. After receiving a degree in Physical Education from Florida State University in 1958, Mollie taught PE at Riverview High School from 1958-1962. Her teaching methods and enthusiasm for her students were most evident in her classes, especially swimming, and her development of the beginning cheerleading program.

While at Florida State University, Mollie was a member of the Tarpon Club and

the F Club. She was also tapped into the prestigious Who's Who in American

Colleges and Universities.

Following her graduation from FSU, Mollie married the love of her life, Ronald

Cardamone, and the two moved to Sarasota to start their married life together.

They later had two sons and two grandchildren. After her time at Riverview,

Mollie and Ronald started a retail business called Children's World which they

operated for 35 years in Sarasota and 19 years in Bradenton. Mollie soon became a neighborhood activist and founded the Coalition of City Neighborhoods Association. She served as that Association's president for its first two years.

As a result of her civic interest, she ran for and was elected to the Sarasota City Commission in 1993. She was re-elected in 1997. Mollie served eight years on the Commission and was Sarasota's mayor for two of those years. During her term of office, she was involved in the areas of economic redevelopment and neighborhood preservation. In 2000, the Florida Redevelopment Association named her as the elected official who had done the most to promote re-development in their community.

In 2007, Mollie Cardamone was named a Champion Beyond the Game by Florida State University. This group recognizes former FSU athletes who excel in their

communities after their time at FSU. Mollie currently operates her own consulting business, dealing in land use and neighborhood issues. She also serves as the Community and Legislative Liaison for First Step of Sarasota, a drug and alcohol treatment organization.