Over coffee on a Sunday, I started wondering…what if…I considered other paths. Obviously, my background is pretty diverse, but I was sure some central theme I missed was present. With no prompting to an LLM other than “Have a look at my résumé and all information available about me online”, the results are below. My question, just for fun…”Is there an ideal career for me other than politics or sales?

I’ve actually been moderating groups, BBS’s and writing for a lot longer than my online presence would show. It’s a long story, My original blog ameliaislandnet.com started as a way to talk about local issues. At the time, domain names mattered more and social media was either non-existent or not widely used. At some point, after about ten years of writing, I corrupted a database and lost about ten years of content. Then, after running another local group for several years, politics became more and more compelling. Interesting in making better decisions on behalf of the local taxpayers and voters, I became a politician. The reality…political life and an online commentary on local issues are complex when combined, so I turned that group over to five other people. In 2016, after leaving office, I restarted a similar group with a more local focus, initially meant to stay below 10,000 members. That plan changed.

Evaluating myself or yourself, if you think about it, is always filtered. The evaluation below was interesting to me and I might look for opportunities in new directions. Helping others always makes my day. If I think about what really matters to me, it’s always been the people.

Note: This is an unbiased evaluation based on publicly available information about my professional and community activities. It is not formal career advice and serves only as a reflective assessment of paths that might align with my skills and experience. AI-generated analysis was used to organize and articulate these observations. The focus here is on suitability and potential appeal, leaving elected politics and real estate sales off the table.

I take genuine pride in the journey I have built over decades as a lifelong resident of Northeast Florida. Rooted in Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach, with deep community ties that span generations, I have dedicated significant time and effort to fostering connections, sharing information, and engaging thoughtfully with the people and places around me. My background includes a BBA from Stetson University and years of active involvement in local matters, all of which have shaped a skill set centered on clear communication, digital platform management, and community insight.

This post steps back to examine what my verified online presence and activities might suggest as suitable or appealing directions, based on an objective review of public information. The goal is a balanced, professional look at transferable strengths without overstatement.

Public records and my own platforms show consistent patterns. I maintain edboner.com, a site dedicated to local commentary and updates on topics relevant to the Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach/Nassau County area. Through this blog, I have practiced researching issues, presenting information accessibly, and contributing to ongoing community conversations. Separately, I founded and continue to moderate a large locals-only Facebook group serving Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, Yulee, and Nassau County. With over 26,000 members, the group requires daily attention to guidelines, respectful dialogue, timely information sharing, and handling of resident questions or concerns. These activities demonstrate practical experience in content creation, audience engagement, and maintaining constructive online environments.

Additional elements include an active presence on X (@EdBoner) and Instagram (@amelialocal), where I share observations, local imagery, and occasional commentary. While current location data may reflect time in the Orlando area, the majority of my adult life and professional roots remain tied to Northeast Florida’s coastal communities, providing authentic familiarity with regional dynamics.

Given these elements, one role that stands out as potentially well-suited is Community Engagement Manager (or closely related titles such as Digital Community Relations Specialist or Public Outreach Coordinator).

Why this direction might appeal or fit, based on the evidence:

• The moderation of a large-scale local network directly mirrors the demands of managing member or resident communities—setting standards, facilitating interaction, and ensuring information flows effectively.

• Blogging experience aligns with producing newsletters, updates, event promotions, or educational content for organizations focused on public connection.

• Long-term residency offers grounded perspective on local needs, growth challenges, and resident priorities, which could support outreach in nonprofits, tourism-related entities, chambers of commerce, cultural institutions, or community-focused educational settings.

• The combination emphasizes relationship-oriented work: listening, clarifying, and helping groups stay informed and involved.

This path would leverage strengths in digital tools, clear writing, and community-oriented thinking while shifting emphasis toward collaborative, impact-driven environments. It centers on building and sustaining meaningful connections.

Other adjacent possibilities could include roles in social media strategy for mission-driven groups or resident experience coordination in hospitality and visitor services. However, Community Engagement Manager appears to offer the strongest alignment with the scale and nature of my demonstrated activities.

Ultimately, any transition would benefit from updating professional materials to highlight specific examples—such as group moderation practices or content that informed local discussions—while remaining open to the learning curve of new organizational contexts. Florida’s diverse communities, whether in growing metro areas or established coastal regions, continue to value individuals who can bridge information and people with consistency and care.

This post reflects a neutral review of public information as of April 2026.