The nine-member commission, created by the state legislature in 1987, has the highly sensitive task of making sure the Florida Department of Transportation gets the job done right. The oversight duties extend to work orders, performance, fiscal status, budget requests and long-range plans.

The group can also recommend major transportation policy to the governor, and it helps select the Florida Secretary of Transportation by narrowing down applicants for the job and presenting the reduced pool to the governor for final selection. Roepstorff is presently performing this task, while current transportation secretary Tom Berry is re-examined for the job by Gov. Jeb Bush.

While it may sound like Roepstorff's job is highly political, however, she explains that her charge is to "equitably represent all geographic regions." FTC members are chosen from their private-sector business experience and are not allowed to have any interest -- financial or otherwise -- in the Department of Transportation. Seven of the nine members are from DOT Districts (Roepstorff's District 1 covers Polk County south to Collier County). The two others are chosen at-large based on port or rail expertise.

Roepstorff, president of Fort Myers-based Edison National Bank, applied for the position when a former member stepped down. After being chosen from among other applicants, Reopstorff made an appearance before the Florida Senate before being appointed to the position in 1997.

She is paid for travel expenses only -- the rest of hours she spends during the commission's eight-10 yearly meetings is volunteer time. "I truly do feel that the business sector has been good to me," she explains, "and I wanted to be able to give back, especially on the state level."

Perhaps one of her most daunting tasks will be the continued exploration of how to increase the state's roadway funding -- there are simply too many needs now to cover everything at once. "Our needs are really just because of the population explosion here," she says, "It's not that we haven't been using our transportation dollars wisely."

In coming months, the commission will continue to look at new ways of generating funding, visiting other states who have successful programs in place to fight off debt. "We as a commission are looking to see if we can use the funding more creatively," Roepstorff says.

As much as her commission duties may be statewide, however, she is still a local resident and drives the same roadways as the rest of Southwest Florida. "My advice," she says to those looking for localized attention, "is you've got to work as a region.

"I don't think it's a day too late to be doing this," she adds.