Wellington Utilities Director Shannon LaRocque Enjoys Life Living And Working In The Village

After two years on the job, Wellington Utilities Director Shannon LaRocque has settled into her role and found that there truly is no place like home.

Living in Palm Beach County since the early 1970s, LaRocque has always felt like a Florida native and has never wanted to be anywhere else.

“I went to elementary school, middle school, high school and what was then Palm Beach Junior College. I left to go to the University of South Florida, and then I came back. My whole professional career has been in Palm Beach County,” LaRocque said.

Being a home-town girl did nothing to slow down LaRocque from pursuing big dreams though. She had wanted to be an engineer since middle school and made that her passion early on in life.

“I was always interested in engineering and wanted to actually design bridges when I was in middle school,” LaRocque recalled. “I had a wonderful math teacher. His name was Mr. Reese. I was very good at math, so I asked him, ‘What can I do with math as a career?’ He suggested that I can be an engineer. I never forgot that. I attribute a lot of my career to Mr. Reese.”

Her career as a successful civil engineer began immediately after graduating in 1988, with LaRocque being one of very few women in her field of choice at the time. Even without female mentors, there was nothing tempering her drive to return home to Palm Beach County.

“It was great. I had a lot of fun, guy friends. They were always very encouraging, even professionally,” LaRocque said. “There were times I thought I had to work a little harder to get noticed or recognized, but I only got a lot of encouragement, and all my mentors were men.”

LaRocque’s career began through internships in the Tampa area, but over spring break of her senior year, she scheduled interviews every day, determined to come back home.

“My second interview was with a company by the name of Kimley-Horn, and I fell in love with the firm. I got a job offer the next day and went to work immediately after graduating. I don’t even think I took a week off. I worked for them more than 12 years,” LaRocque said. “I thought I’d be there forever, but after my second child, it was very challenging. A client was the utility director for the Town of Jupiter and said, ‘Why don’t you come work for me?’ So, I did, and I was the assistant utility director there for five years.”

Being part of a cutting-edge utility gave LaRocque the opportunity to be at the forefront of new technology. Jupiter was one of the first utilities on the east coast of the United States to implement reverse osmosis treatments, so she built a strong background in membrane treatment.

After being entrenched in the water treatment industry for 17 years, former Palm Beach County Administrator Bob Weisman approached LaRocque about a job running the county’s initiative to build a campus for the Scripps Research Institute. After a heavy round of soul-searching, she shifted direction, and over a 12-year span with the county, she worked her way up to assistant county administrator with direct oversight of the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department.

“I was always very driven and always looking for new challenges and what was going to be next, but it has been an extremely rewarding career,” said LaRocque, who was directly involved in many large projects, including the convention center hotel and the difficult task of absorbing the three Glades-area municipalities into the county’s infrastructure.

“I feel like I came full circle. I’m back to my roots in the utility business, and it is very rewarding, because I feel like I can bring a lot of value to Wellington,” LaRocque said. “When utilities across the country are looking for best practices, I want them to say, ‘Hey, let’s call the Village of Wellington, because they’re recognized as one of the best utilities in the country for their class and size.’ That’s really my goal, and I believe we’re moving in that direction.”

Another positive in LaRocque’s view is the reinvestment strategy that she has witnessed. Wellington’s utilities department includes widespread trainings for all staff, resulting in growth that keeps everyone motivated.

“I’m focused on Wellington and my people. I want my staff to be happy, to feel challenged, to feel appreciated, to feel important,” LaRocque said.

But part of her joy now comes from finally having the dream of a real work-life balance both living and working in Wellington.

“I used to drive 45 minutes each way to get to work, and if there was an accident, it was an hour and a half. Now, I’m two minutes away, and I can’t even listen to a full song on the radio — and it’s wonderful. Life is good,” she said.

LaRocque now has the chance to be there in support of her two daughters and husband in pursuit of their dreams after working hard on her own success. They even spend time traveling around the world together.

“We love to be in nature, we love to hike, I love to garden, we cook together,” LaRocque said. “When I retire, I plan to learn another language because my husband speaks six different languages.”

When reflecting on her own path and seeing the direction of education’s focus move to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) initiatives, she has great advice for young people.

“Don’t give up,” LaRocque stressed. “If there is something you want to do, just do it. Set your sights and surround yourself with people who encourage you and support you to grow.”

Wellington Florist: A Blooming Success For Three Decades

Flowers are a luxury that everyone loves, and many from the local area immediately recognize an arrangement from Wellington Florist for its distinctive style and quality.

“Customer satisfaction is by far the number-one reason customers choose our florist,” said owner J.P. Varvarigos, a third-generation florist who moved to Wellington with his parents in 1991 from Fort Lauderdale. “We are the only florist that we know with a one-week guarantee on our creations. And for any reason — if you simply don’t like the color or smell — we will cheerfully replace it. No fine print, no questions asked.”

Flower arrangements are more than the first impression and the color and smell. There is the longevity, the length of time the recipient gets to enjoy the flowers.

“We understand flowers are expensive, and our guarantee takes a lot of a client’s anxiety out of buying flowers. If the flowers ever wilt too quickly, we insist on a full replacement,” Varvarigos said. “Customers never have to worry if their bouquets are fresh or not.”

Varvarigos, whose grandfather was a florist in Queens, New York, is married to Melissa Varvarigos, who is a longtime teacher at Wellington High School. Married since 2005, the couple has two daughters, ages seven and nine.

Varvarigos likes to play disc golf and go to the gym, when he is not arranging things and accommodating almost any last-minute request. “We carry more flowers than any shop in Palm Beach County and thrive in last-minute requests delivered same day,” he explained.

Expertise distinguishes the designs that come out of Wellington Florist, where every arrangement is a work of art.

“My mother, Melinda, founder of the business, has received the highest accreditation a florist can achieve from the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD),” Varvarigos noted.

Another thing that sets Wellington Florist apart is its weekly and corporate floral delivery service. “We serve many businesses and high-end homes on a weekly basis,” Varvarigos explained. “Customers never have to look at flowers past their prime because we come in and swap everything out on a regular basis so that they never have to worry about it.”

Flowers to acknowledge or celebrate an event is another large part of the business at the longtime local floral shop.

“Gift giving is a big service of ours. We have many real estate agents, property managers, law firms and various corporate professionals who simply e-mail us an important client or list of clients they would like to send flowers to, and we handle it, so they don’t have to worry. Flowers are a perfect gift. It’s a true luxury, and everyone loves them,” Varvarigos said.

Noted for their unique cutting-edge designs, flowers from Wellington Florist make a lasting impression. “We definitely have our own style, and people recognize our work when they see it,” Varvarigos said.

The reason is an unswerving passion for the highest quality and freshness. “Our procurement process is also somewhat proprietary, as we find farms all over the world and import flowers directly from them to our clients’ home or office. Flowers cut from the ground on Monday are picked up at Palm Beach International Airport on Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest.”

Varvarigos is a longtime resident who loves the Wellington community and cannot think of any place better to be. “I love it here in Wellington,” he said. “This is such a great community, and I am very proud to be a part of it. I could never leave.”

Service to the community of Wellington extends to a philosophy of business practices and a spirit of giving back.

“This past July, we donated about 200 flower arrangements to each and every patient and resident at the NuVista assisted living facility in Wellington,” Varvarigos said. “We are also involved in the Wellington Community Foundation, where we donate flowers to Wellington seniors who might not have much family or help around. We give away approximately $10,000 worth of flowers every year.”

He also takes care of his staff and treats them like family.

“I believe in providing a safe and nurturing environment for my employees where everyone gets a living wage, paid time off and access to healthcare,” Varvarigos said.

A lot goes into a top-quality floral design, and Wellington Florist makes sure all the elements are arranged just perfectly. That’s why the business continues to be a blooming success that’s a cut above.

Wellington Florist is located at 13889 Wellington Trace, Suite A12, in the Wellington Marketplace. For more info., call (561) 333-4441 or visit www.wellingtonflorist.com.”