NORTH WEBSTER - Kay Andrews is resigning from her town council seat and as Tippecanoe precinct 1 committeewoman, effective immediately.

The 17-year officeholder plans a move to Naples, Fla., where she has accepted a position as a financial adviser with Merrill Lynch.

"The opportunity came up and it's something I always wanted to do," said the Lake City Bank assistant vice president. "It just came about a little sooner than I expected."

A Bluffton native, she has lived in North Webster for 19 years. She'll head south Friday.

"It's really hard to leave. I'll miss my daughter and grandchildren." But she expects them to be frequent visitors to the Sunshine State.

The five-term councilwoman said the hardest part is leaving her elected position.

Andrews was re-elected to her fifth term last fall. She was joined by two new council representatives, Jon Sroufe and Jane Shepherd, and a new clerk, Betsy Luce.

"There's so many unfinished projects I wanted to see completed."

Since taking office, Andrews, 55, has worked on the sewer expansion and improvement, Culver Hill - the senior housing subdivision and the transformation of the North Webster Elementary School into the North Webster Community Center

"It's a big move. Merrill Lynch will be a great opportunity."

Andrews knows people in Florida and has seen a lot more folks moving to the state or staying there longer each year. "By October there is an exodus from here."

"It's a totally different market," she said of Naples, on the Gulf Coast side of the peninsula. "The whole area on the coast has new buildings and developments every time I've visited." [[In-content Ad]]