A conversation with Melissa Donnahoe, Coral Springs Commission candidate
Two lifelong Coral Springs residents have announced campaigns for Joshua Simmons’ Coral Springs City Commission seat, months ahead of the official deadline and over a year before voting is scheduled to take place.
Melissa Donnahoe and Jeffrey “Jeff” Adelman spoke one-on-one with the Coral Springs News about the skills and priorities they believe will make them ideal municipal leaders.
They share a number of priorities: Both highlight the importance of dialogue and community in their pitches to potential voters, with a focus on practical ways to make residents’ lives better and keep the city safe and affordable.
Both also highlighted their professional and volunteer experiences that they believe make them quality candidates — and set them apart from one another.
Simmons has been the city commissioner for Seat 4 since 2018. But after two straight terms, he will be term-limited in 2026.
Here’s more from our conversation with Donnahoe:
What civil conversation, community look like
Donnahoe’s experience moving to a new neighborhood in the city is part of that, she told the Coral Springs News.
“I was so surprised by the community,” she said, citing her neighbors’ immediate invitation to their WhatsApp group, block parties and barbecues.
They keep conversations to subjects such as work and family, she said, avoiding more sensitive things, including politics and religion.
Donnahoe says she plans to put this into action by holding more town hall meetings to facilitate understanding between residents on issues they care about.
How Donnahoe’s professional experience sets her apart
Donnahoe cited her work as a realtor, small business owner and landlord.
“I’m around so many different people all the time,” she said. “I have to learn how to communicate with people who have very different views than I do.”
That includes giving them grace and respect, she said, because “anger comes from feeling like you’re not being heard.”
Donnahoe said her time as a developer also gives her key insight into housing issues, which could mean innovative programs for builders in the city.
“Costs are astronomical,” she said. “What the state offers for developers, specifically with affordable housing, it’s not enough.”
Volunteering, parenting mold priorities
Donnahoe also cites her volunteer roles — the Coral Springs Community Chest executive board, as well as time with the Florida Realtors Association and the city’s Planning and Zoning Board — as providing experiences that will help influence her campaign.
As part of the Coral Springs Community Chest, for example, she helps process emergency grant applications from neighbors who are unable to pay their bills. While she knows that high-cost items such as insurance will require advocacy in Tallahassee, Donnahoe says she’s committed to cutting costs where she can while maintaining police and fire budgets.
She’s even seeing it in her own life, as her kids — also raised in Coral Springs — struggle to see a future in the area.
“I can’t watch my daughters say I cant afford to have children here,” she said. “I want things to be affordable. I want people to feel safe.”
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
