Honoring a great man
By Commissioner Danny Iglesias


On November 21, 2006 the city of Sunny Isles Beach honored what some considered the greatest ambassador of our City, Mr. William F. Lone. On this date, a beach access was named after this great promoter of tourism and quality development in our City. When I went to the podium to speak about my good friend Bill, I though that I could easily spend hours speaking of this man who for the past 16 years of his life devoted himself to work promoting Sunny Isles Beach, Florida’s Riviera.

Years before Sunny Isles Beach was incorporated, the Executive Director of the Sunny Isles Beach Resort Association (SIBRA), Mr. Ken Welt, also a promoter of this area, hired Bill Lone (who later became the Executive Director of this Association). Bill’s mission was to promote Sunny Isles (as it was known back then) as a world-wide tourist destination. It was a great move by Ken Welt. Bill’s ideas, ranging from parades to beach festivals to world-wide tour promotions, helped make Sunny Isles Beach the great place it is today and a world-wide destination.

As a Board of Director of SIBRA during the 80s and 90s I had the pleasure of working together with Bill and his lovely wife Joann (always at his side) and his kids Sherri and Bill Junior in many events to promote this remarkable City. During 2002 to 2005 my wife Mari and I had the pleasure to join Bill and the Sunny Isles Beach delegation to “highlight” our City in the “powwow” tourism events. We traveled to cities such as, New York, Los Angeles, Saint Louis, and New Orleans where these world-wide conventions were held.

In 1998 I was honored to be part of the SIBRA delegation that visited the European cities of London, Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, and Rome. That trip included dignitaries like Senator Gwen Margolis and the U.S. Ambassador to Netherlands. Today some of us still marvel as to how Senator Margolis and Bill Lone made it possible to have joined the New World Symphony tour on that European mission to showcase Sunny Isles Beach.

But knowing Bill, his motto was “The Best Will Do” when it came to Sunny Isles Beach. Yet he never took credit for anything he did. He always tried to give others the credit; but we all know it was Bill. I was so impressed by this man; I had him hold the Bible during my swearing into office on my first term as commissioner while Senator Margolis delivered my oath.

Bill’s charismatic personality could brighten up a room simply by walking in. His ability to work with others was unmatched. Nothing was too challenging for him, always striving for perfection. When the situation was tense, he would quickly change that with his humor, and at the end of the day which was usually in the late evenings, everyone knew Bill always did his best.

Many of us miss my friend, but none of us will ever forget our greatest ambassador which is why we dedicated the 192 Street Beach Access to him. This magnificent access that looks like a park in the City he helped put on the map is our way for Bill to pass to immortality. This is something if he had a choice; he would have said was not necessary. Well, sorry my friend, this time you don’t have a choice on this one, it’s just our small way of saying thanks to you and your family for all your hard work and dedication throughout the year.

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