Pictured: Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida CEO Mary Anne Servian (left) and Board President Juliana Meek (right) present Clerk and Comptroller Angel Colonneso with her award. Photo courtesy Manatee Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller.

On September 9, Angel Colonesso was honored for a lifetime of leadership in her over 30 years of public service. Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida presented Colonesso, along with two other women, with this honor at its annual Denim and Pearls Lifetime of Leadership Luncheon. The award recognizes women whose lives reflect the leadership qualities Girl Scouts works to instill in girls.

“I was shocked,” Colonesso says about receiving this honor. “You go on about your life and then someone says they want to recognize you. I was so excited, and it made me think of my badges—and I still have my sash. It was such a privilege.”

Colonesso began working at the clerk’s office in 1990, and now, she is the first woman to serve as Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller in Manatee County. Her public service experience spans from Assistant State Attorney to the General Counsel to former Clerk R.B. “Chips” Shore. In her current role, Colonesso still remembers the skills and confidence she learned as a Brownie at St. Joseph Catholic School, earning badges with Troop 369.

“I felt like the sky was the limit,” she says. “I had the campfire cooking and medical badges…you could learn anything and do anything while being a part of Girl Scouts.”

In her office, Colonesso is exposed to about 100 different reports throughout the year and works with the county to examine spending, investments and accounting. She says she is very forward-thinking in delivering services to the community, such as creating an in-house Child Support Program which partners with Goodwill.

“We’re big on preserving our local history,” Colonesso says. “Our records library has records dating back to the 1800s. My big goal is to open a genealogy lab and have the upstairs be ADA accessible.”

Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller: 1115 Manatee Ave. W, Bradenton

Pictured: Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida CEO Mary Anne Servian (left) and Board President Juliana Meek (right) present Clerk and Comptroller Angel Colonneso with her award. Photo courtesy Manatee Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller.