A conversation with Erick Nyatenya, Coral Springs Commission Seat 3 candidate

Five Coral Springs residents are currently running for City Commission Seat 3, formerly held by the late Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer.

Voters will decide during November’s election who will fill the remaining two years of her four-year term.

One of the candidates is Erick Nyatenya, who moved to Coral Springs six years ago. He served in the U.S. Army for six years and was deployed overseas, then he was in Air Force Reserve for four years and was a Dallas police officer for seven before transitioning into the private sector.

He completed his undergraduate degree in aeronautics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he also earned his masters in project management in 2012.

“I’m not a career politician,” Nyatenya told the Coral Springs News. “This will be my first time running for office. I don’t have any political debt that I’m bringing with me.”

He said his six years in the city has given him the perspective to solve problems without becoming too entrenched in the status quo.

“It’s enough time to be immersed in Coral Springs, while at the same time, it’s also enough time not to suffer local inertia, where I’m just going about life like, ‘Well, it’s always been like that. Why change it?’” he said.

Nyatenya, a father and husband, moved to Coral Springs for its family-friendly energy, saying the city has a “soul” and might feel small, but has a lot going on. He’s now a cloud software and AI engineer, having worked with major companies such as IBM and Blue Cross Blue Shield.

He likened some of the responsibilities of commissioner to his experience working on high-dollar value initiatives as a project manager, juggling parties’ expectations, relationships, budgets and goals. And he said his background in public safety will also inform how he approaches those issues on the dais.

“Those are some of the skills that I can bring to the city of Coral Springs, where there’s a fiscal responsibility, there’s the networking, people management, and then the accountability,” Nyatenya said. “In a way, you have to report what you’ve done with the resources provided to you, did you deliver, that kind of thing.”

Part of his platform also involves integrating AI, data and technology into the city more thoroughly to increase transparency and efficiency. He described using AI to streamline the process of applying for city services and permits, analyzing traffic patterns, reviewing city spending and anticipating public safety needs.

“Bringing the AI aspect into it, technology aspect into it, what this will do is it will bring about efficiency,” he said.

He gave the example that someone looking to secure a permit to do work on their property might be able to submit photos and ask clarifying questions online. Or the city could use a software program to understand how often and how much to water the vegetation across the city.

“I would like to see Coral Springs become a smart city. We are right for it,” he said.

But he clarified that ultimately, the constituents come first.

“The data is just a tool for us to leverage,” he said. “But at the end of the day, in front of that data, there’s people, there’s human beings that are being impacted.”

He said he understands that many residents have made an effort to live in Coral Springs and that people strive to move to the city.

“Because the people work so hard to be able to be here, it’s only right for us to be able to serve them accordingly.” he said. “The people are still number one. Then the data just helps explain things a little bit.”

Whoever is elected to fill the Seat 3 vacancy will likely find themselves stepping into big shoes and a spotlight, following the outpouring of admiration for the late vice mayor. Some of the candidates have said they’re conscious of that, and Nyatenya said he would like to carry on some of the causes Metayer championed, including sustainability.

“I’m not an environmental scientist, on the other hand,” Nyatenya said. “However, with technology, my background, I can see to it that a lot of that stuff she stood for, which are great things of value, are seen to fulfillment.”

Nyatenya said from mentoring other young professionals to his time in the military and as a police officer, he has experience serving the community. He said he’s ready to make sure Coral Springs is business-friendly and serve as an ambassador to attract new entrepreneurs to the city.

Coral Springs voters will go to the polls Nov. 3.