Lisa is a Licensed Commercial Broker and industrial and land specialist with Hauger-Bunch, Inc. Realtors, the longest existing local commercial and industrial real estate firm in Polk County.  Lisa’s work with HB has extended over 13 years servicing Polk County and eastern Hillsborough County markets. Unique among brokers, Lisa holds designations as both a SIOR (industrial specialist) as well as an AICP, a professional land planning designation, providing the ability to offer a specialized technical level of service to clients.  She holds a Masters of Science in Planning, and was a Sr. Manager with Ernst & Young consulting.  Lisa’s civic involvement includes serving as chairman of the Charter Commission for Polk County’s first public-referendum approved home rule charter, and she is known for her professionalism and sense of commitment to her clients.

Willie Aceves is the owner and president of Tiger Concrete and Screed. He is involved with all aspects of every project and assures that every client receives a quality deliverable. Email

As Market CEO in Polk County, Brian Adams oversees AdventHealth Heart of Florida and AdventHealth Lake Wales as well as AdventHealth Four Corners ER.

Adams is also responsible for future growth of AdventHealth facilities in Polk County. Since coming to Polk County in 2019, Adams has supervised the infusion of more than $15 million in renovations and technology upgrades at AdventHealth Heart of Florida, a 202-bed facility located in Davenport and AdventHealth Lake Wales, a 160-bed facility in Lake Wales. Email

Susan brings over 30 years of real estate experience from ground up development, investment, asset management, acquisition and underwriting, debt and equity placement, securitization, as well as workouts. From 1990 to 1997, Susan was with Fleet Real Estate Capital, where she managed a national portfolio of commercial properties on behalf of Lehman Brothers. These assets were either pool buyouts, recaps or in bankruptcy, giving her extensive knowledge of workouts and restructurings.

Additionally, Susan was then responsible for the real estate and hard asset portfolio for a Greenwich family office, which had been a private banking client. As the head of real estate, she dealt with the acquisition and disposition strategies for such assets as the purchase of a southeastern based defunct REIT, individual office and multifamily assets in the northeast, an oil terminal facility in Puerto Rico, and the holding/development strategy for 18,000+ acres in central Florida. Susan then went back to the private banking side of the business, both at Citi Group and then Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, where she was responsible for identifying and developing suitable commercial real estate products to meet the needs of bank clients.

Susan earned a BA in economics from Boston University and a Real Estate Finance Certificate from Northeastern University.

A Polk County native, Keith Albritton graduated from the University of Florida in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. While a student at Florida, he was also a 4-year letterman on the golf team, during which time, the team won over 15 team titles and 2 SEC Championships. Pursuing his passion for golf, Keith turned Pro in 1991, where his accomplishments included numerous highlights and eight wins as a Pro. In July 1996, Keith joined Allen & Company of Florida, Inc. as a Financial Advisor. Currently, serving as Sr. Vice President, additional leadership responsibilities include being a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of Allen & Company.

Ralph is a Lakeland native and spent his summers during high school working for Allen & Company. After graduating from St. Andrews Presbyterian College, in North Carolina, in 1963 he joined the firm as a Financial Advisor Trainee. He became a Vice President in 1970 and assumed the role of Chairman of the Board and CEP upon the death of his father, J. Everett Allen in 1979. He is currently the Chairman of the Board at Allen & Company. Ralph holds Series 7, Series 65 and Series 24 licenses as well as Life and Variable Annuities.

Amazon’s dedicated air network is a critical conduit for delivering packages across longer distances. It’s a feat that would not be possible without the talented employees who continuously invent within our global operations, technical, and non-technical corporate teams. We work together to innovate on behalf of our rapidly growing number of Prime members who love fast delivery, low prices, and vast selection from Amazon.

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, Earth’s best employer, and Earth’s safest place to work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon.

Ira graduated from Florida Southern College with a Bachelor of Science degree. He has spent the last 30 years working for local or national CPA firms overseeing their audit practices, serving companies in numerous industries, such as construction, real estate, manufacturing and distribution, and agriculture, with various complex accounting and auditing issues. Ira is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is also Certified in Florida Sales and Use Tax (CFST) in the State of Florida. He has served on many not-for-profit boards, including Lakeland City Baseball, The Polk Museum of Art, The Polk Theatre, Girls, Inc., and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Polk County.  Ira’s married to Alisa and has three children, Ian, Ava, and Asher.

Rob Anderson is responsible for the day-to-day operations in the Lakeland instant game production facility including security, graphic design, game programming, prepress, quality control, printing, packaging, warehouse operations, and shipping/receiving.  He has 15 years of lottery industry experience, and 23 years experience in production facility management.  He also has a depth of knowledge in many printing technologies.  Rob earned a BS in Industrial Technology from Southern Illinois University, and served for 9 years in the USAF.

The Apiary is a creative services studio based out of Lakeland, Florida specializing in content creation and ideation. Our team of interdisciplinary artists bring decades of professional experience spanning animation, concepting, visualization and more. Designing content-driven experiences is what we do best, and by doing so, help tell stories, convey intent, and help secure funding for projects.

Maggie Briggs

Maggie Briggs serves as the Director of The Apiary, a new creative services company in Lakeland that specializes in animation, previsualization, and content creation. Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company, she establishes direction, develops strategy, implements tactics, and oversees their execution as they align with business goals for the organization. Maggie brings ten years of experience in marketing for a wide variety of clients. While serving as a marketing coordinator for a local architecture firm, she found a passion for organizational process that led her to helping establish this new company.

JD Arbuckle founded Smart Inbound Marketing after moving on from the CEO position of a larger agency with 50 clients and 15 employees. He observed how difficult it can be deliver effective results at an affordable cost with standardized packages and too little face time. Smart Inbound was created to change that frustrating aspect of the digital marketing industry. JD Arbuckle received his Masters Degree in Business at Florida Southern College. He has personal experience with 100's of clients of all sizes in many different industries.

JD also assists Baron Realty as a commercial real estate agent, and invests in various platforms and technology to improve worldwide mental health. He runs the Upward Lakeland platform to highlight projects and players in the local community, and is president of Lakeland Lancers Rugby, Lakeland's D4 youth and adult rugby organization.

Dr. Randy K. Avent is the founding president of Florida Polytechnic University. Dr. Avent brings a wealth of experience as an administrator, scientist, scholar, professor and researcher whose background includes serving in leadership roles at some of the nation’s top research universities and at the U.S. Department of Defense. Prior to coming to Florida Poly, he was the Associate Vice Chancellor of Research and a Professor of Computer Science at North Carolina State University. Dr. Avent is responsible for the development and operation of the university and is committed to strategically developing Florida Poly as a research and jobs university, an agent for growth, and a beacon for the economy.

Kevin Bailey, General Manager of MaxPak, has served the forest products industry for over 23+ years with experience in sales, manufacturing, business development and management.

Chris is experienced in government administration, nonprofits, politics, policy analysis, and strategic planning. He joined Charter in 2018 and is the Director of State Government Affairs for Florida.

Greg Balasco, Lakeland Automall President, has served in nearly every aspect of the auto industry in his 30 plus years. He joined the Lakeland Automall family in 2009 and took ownership in 2011. Lakeland Automall employs over 245 people and encompasses 16 acres on W. Memorial Blvd. Greg is married to Meredith who serves as commercial spokesperson.

Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida is one of the largest community banks headquartered in Florida, with approximately $9.3 billion in assets and $7.8 billion in deposits as of June 30, 2021. The Company provides integrated financial services, including commercial and retail banking, wealth management, and mortgage services to customers through advanced banking solutions and 52 traditional branches of its locally-branded, wholly-owned subsidiary bank, Seacoast National Bank. Offices stretch from Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach north through the Daytona Beach area, west to Okeechobee and surrounding counties, into Orlando and Central Florida and west to the Tampa Bay market. More information about the Company is available at www.SeacoastBanking.com.

Andrew McGinnis, Market Executive

Jonathan Barreras is the Chief Operating Officer for SVN | Saunders Real Estate and SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Realty. He brings leadership and vision to the task of ensuring the company’s operations are optimized and expandable. He institutes and manages proper operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures, and people systems for the entire scope of the company’s business activities.  Developing company culture and vision along with driving the company to surpass business objectives is part of Jonathan’s expertise. Jonathan is dedicated to ensuring the financial strength and operating efficiency vital to immediate and long-range performance objectives. He leads with a respectful, constructive and energetic style.

Todd Baylis is President and a founder of Qgiv, a Lakeland-based company that enables organizations across the US and beyond to quickly, securely and easily receive donations and effectively manage event registrations. Todd is also President of Cipher Integrations, a network services, internet technology and software development provider in Lakeland. He holds a B.S. in Computer and Information Sciences from Florida State University and Masters in Information Technology from Carnegie Mellon University.

County Manager Bill Beasley began his career with Polk County in 2006 as the Deputy County Manager over the county’s Infrastructure Group. As County Manager, Beasley is responsible for the proper administration of all affairs of the county and executes the Board of County Commissioners policy directions, manages budget and staffing resources, engages in community relations, fosters economic development, confers in land use planning and ensures regulatory compliance.

Prior to Beasley’s tenure with Polk County, he served in various engineering and administrative capacities with the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation, the U.S. Department of Navy, and local government in the Charlotte Metropolitan Region in North Carolina. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Lycoming College in Williamsport, Penn., a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Pennsylvania State University, and a master’s degree in engineering administration from the George Washington University. He and his wife, Cynthia, have three children and three grandchildren.

Wesley Beck is President of Aspyre Properties and BecKryger Capital Partners LLLP,  private equity firms focused on investments in a variety of industries and industrial development. He also serves as CEO of Advanced Concept Innovations, a medical device company and was formerly a founding partner in Florida Flavors, a specialty manufacturer of flavors and fragrances. Wesley is currently serving as chair of the LEDC High Skill Committee.

Mike graduated from Georgia Tech in 1981 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering.  He has held Engineering and Management positions with Southern Company, Tennessee Valley Authority and First Energy prior to accepting the role of Assistant General Manager of Energy Production with Lakeland Electric in 2015.  He recently accepted the position of Interim General Manager of Lakeland Electric, effective April 14, 2022.  This May, he and his wife, Teresa, will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary, and they have two daughters and two sons, the last of which will graduate from college this June. Email

Seth is a Certified Professional Landman with extensive knowledge and experience in all facets of land development. Mr. Blackwell is part of the Corporate Strategic Development team for the Williams Companies (NYSE: WMB), where he focuses on project origination within the New Energy Ventures business unit.

Prior to joining the Williams Companies, Mr. Blackwell held the position of Executive Vice President of Land & Business Development for Lilis Energy & Ruckus Energy, where he grew their core positions to over 40,000 contiguous acres, added over $500MM in asset value, and oversaw multiple M&A transactions.  Prior to that, he gained exposure to multiple oil and gas basins throughout the U.S. while working for Occidental Petroleum.

Mr. Blackwell holds a B.S. in Business Management from Fort Hays State University and a M.S. in Energy Business from The University of Tulsa.

Brett Blondell is a Business Development Associate for Grindley Williams Engineering and has worked in and around the construction industry for more than 10 years.  Brett is a Lakeland native having attended Lakeland High School and Florida Southern College, where he played for the Mocs golf team from 2002-2006.  Brett has acquired and managed a number of projects throughout the State of Florida.

Joshua M. Bomstein is President of Creative Contractors Inc., a leading commercial contractor building throughout West Central Florida. With annual volume in excess of $150M, Creative is consistently ranked in the Top 5 of construction firms by size in the region. Focused on healthcare, education, municipal, recreation, and cultural markets, clients include such notables as Lakeland Regional Health System, University of South Florida, Tampa General Hospital, Saint Leo University, BayCare Health System, Moffitt Cancer Center, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Pinellas County Schools, and Pasco County Schools. Josh is active in the Tampa Bay community with board service to multiple non-profits. Josh was born and raised in Dunedin, FL. He is a graduate of Emory University and currently lives in Tampa with his wife, Lindsay, son, Will, and daughters, Phoebe and Isabel.

Jared Bonshire joined Cushman & Wakefield of Florida, Inc. in September of 2006 as a brokerage associate, a hire as part of the Junior Executive in Training program. As a part of this program, Jared was able to experience and learn from some of the best brokers in the business in all phases of commercial real estate. During his career, Jared has completed retail, office, industrial, property management and capital market transactions because of this well rounded tutelage. In 2008, Jared decided to focus on Industrial Real Estate with a newly formed partnership with Lee Morris, one of the leading brokers in the Orlando market. Since coming together as a team, they have consistently proven themselves as market leaders on a production basis.

Dean Boring is CFO of Boring Business systems. Dean grew up in the company, which was started by his grandfather in 1924 as Lakeland Typewriter & Supply Co.

Steven has thirty plus years of experience as a licensed professional architect, battle tested in the arena of tackling tough problems. Steven’s forte is taking on clients with tight budgets and conceptual barriers and providing them with the vision, clarity, and confidence to maximize their return on investment.  Steven is a registered architect in the state of Florida and California, and a member of the Tampa Bay American Institute of Architects. He is the principal of The Lunz Group.

In the more than 30 years since its founding, IDX has

grown exponentially in products, services, employees, and culture. We provide limitless product types and imprint styles for promotional items, employee uniforms, onboarding kits, corporate gifts, and much more. But we are just getting started. Our vision is to be the best manufacturer of branded goods in the world. From idea to design to completion, every task begins and ends with talented people empowered to create the best work everyday.

IDX | Image Depot specializes in custom printed products such as screen-printed apparel, embroidered items, promotional products, and signage. Our promise of partnership - We do more than fulfill short-term product needs. We strive to become an extension of your internal teams, to understand who you are and how we can best serve you. We strive to understand your challenges, share your vision, and help you identify new opportunities. By intentionally building enduring, collaborative partnerships, we turn customers into clients, and clients into friends. The result is more fulfilling work, added value, and ultimately, our mutual sustained success.

Ryan DelliVeniri

I’m a “family man” with a burning passion for business and people. I’ve lived in Lakeland since high school and went to FSC for college. My wife and I love Lakeland, it’s close to everything and has a “small-town feel” with the opportunity and culture of a larger city. With two young children, there isn’t much time for hobbies but we love listening to live music and having dinner with friends. I am happiest when managing chaos and making a difference.

Maggie Briggs serves as the Director of The Apiary, a new creative services company in Lakeland that specializes in animation, previsualization, and content creation. Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company, she establishes direction, develops strategy, implements tactics, and oversees their execution as they align with business goals for the organization. Maggie brings ten years of experience in marketing for a wide variety of clients. While serving as a marketing coordinator for a local architecture firm, she found a passion for organizational process that led her to helping establish this new company.

I am a results-driven, energetic leader with a Master's Degree focused in Health Management and Policy from University of Michigan. I have extensive experience working in large, multi-site, multi-specialty physician practice settings operating in various reimbursement environments. I've demonstrated a proven ability to lead diverse cross-functional teams and cultivate effective relationships within all levels of the organization to achieve desired strategic objectives.

My expertise in streamlining operational and financial processes, enhancing efficiency and productivity levels, implementing process improvements, generating significant increases in patient satisfaction, contract negotiation / retention, as well as growth and profitability enhancements has bettered each organization I have served at. Some of my additional skills include expertise in planning, directing and supporting physician recruitment, as well as new business acquisitions, to match the company’s vision and mission.

David has an extensive background in all phases of commercial real estate, including brokerage, management, development and consulting, with an emphasis on industrial land. He has been involved in the development of five corporate parks. A specialty of David’s is land assembly. He has assembled complicated sites for private uses, municipal, county, state, school board and college entities. David is currently involved, pro bono, in the organization and development of Bonnet Springs Park, a 200 acre multi-dimension park on the former CSX Railyards. He is a member of: SIOR, NAIOP and LAR. He is Past President of LAR, Salvation Army, Kiwanis, Polk Museum of Art and the YMCA. David is a graduate of Florida Southern College. David and wife Jean, an active volunteer, own and operate Bunch Ranch, a cattle operation, and popular go-to place for family and friend get-togethers.

Joe serves as Assistant General Manager at Amazon Air. He is a graduate of Florida Southern College with a degree in Business Administration.

Mark Cabrera is CEO of Saddle Creek Logistics Services, an omnichannel supply chain solutions company headquartered in Lakeland. Cabrera, who joined Saddle Creek in 2001, was named CEO in July 2019. Previously, he served as chief operating officer (COO) and chief financial officer (CFO) for the company. Prior to joining Saddle Creek, Cabrera spent 15 years in financial roles in a variety of industries for companies including Arthur Andersen LLP, GTE, National Insurance Services and Reeves Steel, Inc.

Cabrera holds a degree from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla., and is a graduate of Leadership Lakeland Class XX. He is a member of the International Warehouse Logistics Association Insurance Company (IWLAIC) executive committee and serves on Lakeland Economic Development Council’s High Skill Investors Group.

Kimberly Calvo serves as Graham Packaging’s Plant Controller in Lakeland, FL. Graham Packaging is a global leader in plastic packaging solutions. Graham serves customers large and small and offers a wide selection of stock bottles.

Tim Campbell is a partner with the firm. Tim received his law degree from the University of Florida Law School in 1988.  Tim is certified as an expert in both Real Estate Law and Local Government Law by the Florida Bar Board of Specialization, and practices primarily in the areas of Commercial Real Estate Development and Transactions; Land Use, Entitlements and Regulatory Law; Business Law and Transactions; Commercial Lending; and Environmental Law.

Stacy Campbell Domineck serves as the President & CEO for CareerSource Polk. Stacy leads a workforce system consisting of two full service career centers, a Mobile Unit, an Administrative Office and an Employer Services division within the fourth largest county in land mass in Florida. Stacy joined Polk Works WorkForce 2020 as the Assistant Director and within 2 years was promoted to Program Director, where she remained for four years before her appointment as President & CEO of CareerSource Polk (formerly Polk Works) in September 2006. Ten prior years as a college administrator has enhanced her expertise in the areas of counseling/coaching, training, and facilities and process management.

Keith Cash is the vice president & general manager of IGT Instant Products and Services. Keith is responsible for overall management and leadership of IGT’s operation in Lakeland as well as developing and executing IGT’s global business strategy for instant lottery products. His leadership in the IGT organization is formed from more than 25 years of industry experience working with government run lottery organizations around the world. Before joining IGT, Keith began his career on the manufacturing floor and progressed through the ranks to vice president level positions in sales, product management, and operational areas. Keith’s educational background includes a BBA in Management & Marketing as well as an MBA in Management.

Jay is the third generation to assume the role of President as he carries on the tradition of his grandfather Roy Chastain, who founded the firm 65 years ago. Like his father, Jim, Jay was a fixture around the office during his teen years and learned much about the firm’s operations and computer systems from an early age. Under Jay’s leadership the firm went through a complete rebranding and implementation of a state-of-the-art IT system. Jay received his Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Florida and is a proud Gator. In addition to his involvement with the firm, Jay is an active in the Leadership Lakeland Alumni Association, United Way, Leadership Winter Haven.

Cidrines Bakery is the undisputed leader in the bread and pastry market in Puerto Rico.  We meet the daily needs and preferences of the bread and pastry market by supplying products and services of unbeatable value. At our plant in Arecibo we produce over 300,000 pounds of bread and over 200,000 items of pastry every week. More than quantity, the priority at Cidrines has always been quality which together with our commitment of innovation and creativity makes up our successful business model. We opened our US Baking Operations in Lakeland, FL in 2022.

We work hard every day to bring you the well made product that you deserve – a product that you can get hot and fresh at the precise moment that you want it and at your favorite store. Creativity, innovation, excellence and quality – that is our secret recipe.  Our vision consists of providing a unique experience to our customer.

Gary King

Gary serves as the President & CEO of Cidrines. The former general manager of Crayola comes to Cidrines, where he has helped the Puerto Rican breadmaker gain awareness and market share in the U.S.

Michael Clanton has over 22 years of banking experience and is the Central Polk Regional President for SouthState Bank.  Michael is responsible for all banking functions including retail banking, commercial banking, treasury management, wealth management and consumer lending for most of Polk County.  His management of the Central Polk Region includes roughly $1 billion in assets.  Michael received his BS in finance from The University of West Georgia.  Michael is a graduate of Leadership Lakeland Class XXXIV, past Board Chair of Heartland for Children, and member of the Board of Trustees for The Schools of McKeel Academy.

Brandon serves as President of The Ruthvens. He oversees all operations, development, leasing, financing and strategy for the Company. Brandon joined The Ruthvens in 2018 as Vice President. Prior to joining The Ruthvens, Brandon was a Vice President Corporate Banker with J.P. Morgan for eight years. In this role, he had responsibility for companies headquartered in Florida with revenue or market cap over $1 billion. Before joining J.P. Morgan, Brandon was a member of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey’s Financial Services and Technology group in Atlanta, GA.

Brandon has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He is currently pursuing his Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation and is a member of the Citizens Bank & Trust Advisory Board. He is excited to be part of the next generation of Lakeland’s growth and development with The Ruthvens. Brandon is married to his wife, Lauren, and they have three children Georgia (8), MaryCharlotte (5) and Sutton (4). He spends his free time with his family, boating, water-skiing and playing tennis.

Brandon serves the community as a member of the Lakeland Downtown Rotary Club, the Lakeland Economic Development Council (LEDC), the Central Florida Development Council (CFDC), the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, and Leadership Lakeland Class of 37. With a great passion for philanthropy, he is involved with the First Presbyterian Church of Lakeland, the Polk Museum of Art, the Young Life of Polk County, the Achievement Academy, and Ubuntu Sports Outreach.

Jason brings over two decades of Healthcare Administration experience to Lakeland.  Most recently, he was the COO of physician owned group in Champaign, Illinois and was instrumental in their growth, development and cultural transformation.  As newly appointed CAO of Watson Clinic LLP, Mr. Hirsbrunner will oversee one of the largest and most successful medical groups in the Southeast. With a total staff of more than 1800 employees, over 300 physicians and providers, 40 diverse medical and surgical specialties and 19 state-of-the-art locations serving close to a million outpatient visits every year. Email

Williams handles approximately one third of the natural gas in the United States that is used every day to heat our homes, cook our food and generate our electricity. Williams works closely with customers to provide the necessary infrastructure to serve growing markets and safely deliver natural gas products to reliably fuel the clean energy economy. With interstate natural gas pipelines and gathering & processing operations throughout the country, we reliably deliver value to our employees, investors, customers and communities by running our business with authenticity and a safety-driven culture, leading our industry into the future.

Williams common stock (WMB) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Seth Blackwell, CPL

Seth Blackwell is a Certified Professional Landman with extensive knowledge and experience in all facets of land development. Mr. Blackwell is part of the Corporate Strategic Development team for the Williams Companies (NYSE: WMB), where he focuses on project origination within the New Energy Ventures business unit.

Prior to joining the Williams Companies, Mr. Blackwell held the position of Executive Vice President of Land & Business Development for Lilis Energy & Ruckus Energy, where he grew their core positions to over 40,000 contiguous acres, added over $500MM in asset value, and oversaw multiple M&A transactions.  Prior to that, he gained exposure to multiple oil and gas basins throughout the U.S. while working for Occidental Petroleum.

Mr. Blackwell holds a B.S. in Business Management from Fort Hays State University and a M.S. in Energy Business from The University of Tulsa. Email

Katie Estep, P.E.

Katie Estep is a Business Developer for Williams New Energy Ventures (NEV) organization.  She is focused on commercializing innovative technologies, markets, and business models specifically in the solar and battery space.  The NEV organization evaluates and implements projects to grow the clean energy business.

Prior to taking this role in 2022, Katie held several other positions at Williams to support the natural gas business including engineering, project management, and project development.  In addition, she worked on the utility scale solar team for NextEra Energy developing solar projects in the Midwest. Katie earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of LaVerne.  She is a registered professional engineer in Louisiana and Texas. Email

Cole Springer

Vice President | Springer Voss Construction

Email

A Philosophy Based on What’s Right, Not What’s Easy.

Creative Contractors Project Portfolio

Joshua Bomstein

Joshua M. Bomstein is President of Creative Contractors Inc., a leading commercial contractor building throughout West Central Florida. With annual volume in excess of $150M, Creative is consistently ranked in the Top 5 of construction firms by size in the region. Focused on healthcare, education, municipal, recreation, and cultural markets, clients include such notables as Lakeland Regional Health System, University of South Florida, Tampa General Hospital, Saint Leo University, BayCare Health System, Moffitt Cancer Center, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Pinellas County Schools, and Pasco County Schools. Josh is active in the Tampa Bay community with board service to multiple non-profits. Josh was born and raised in Dunedin, FL. He is a graduate of Emory University and currently lives in Tampa with his wife, Lindsay, son, Will, and daughters, Phoebe and Isabel

Pionne Corbin is senior vice president of GEICO, with oversight responsibilities for GEICO’s Lakeland, Midwest, and Macon Southeast locations. Before taking on her current duties in 2018, Corbin had been regional vice president with responsibility for all operations in GEICO’s Buffalo, New York, regional office since 2016. Corbin graduated cum laude from the University of Mary Washington with a B.A. in economics.

Kevin Coyne joined Summit Broadband in May 2020. With more than 20 years of telecommunications experience focused on fiber-optic and high-bandwidth solutions, he currently serves as CEO and leads the company as it continues the strategic expansion of its fiber-optic network into new enterprise, government, education and residential communities in Florida. Mr. Coyne is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an Accounting degree from Towson State University and a Master of Science degree in Taxation from the University of Baltimore. Email

Johan Dam is the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Risk Officer for Farm Credit of Central Florida. Johan began his career in the financial services industry in 1996 and eventually joined Farm Credit of Central Florida in 2007. Since joining Farm Credit of Central Florida Johan has held roles as a commercial loan officer, Chief Relationship Manager, Special Assets Manager, investment portfolio manager, and Director of Capital Markets. Johan holds a B.S. in Organization Management and Finance from Warner Southern College and an M.B.A. from the University of Florida and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.

JDam@FarmCreditCFL.com
863.682.4117

Dr. Steverson is currently the President of the Lakeland Campus with Keiser University. She has worked for Keiser 12 years, beginning as faculty then moving to the role of Academic Dean, and just prior to this recent appointment, she was the Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, working with all campuses in the area of academic policies. She is a licensed attorney in Florida and handles pro bono cases and other specialized cases as time permits. She graduated with her DBA in Marketing through Keiser University, JD from Stetson University College of Law, MBA from Webber International University, and BA in Organizational Management from Warner University. She has a range of work experience, with over 20+ years in Higher Education, including adjunct faculty positions with Southeastern University, Webster University, Polk State College, and Warner University. She began her career with the former SunTrust Banks, where she worked for 11 years, and became the Branch Manager in North Lakeland the last 9 years of her career with them. Her legal career began at the State Attorney’s Office in Bartow. She enjoys music and time with family.

A graduate of Louisiana State University’s Ourso College of Business Administration, Terry holds the MBA degree from Florida Southern College. He has served Florida Southern College’s department for business affairs for 28 years. As the Vice President for Finance and Administration, his areas of oversight include all financial operations, administrative technology, construction, facilities maintenance, and auxiliary services. He currently serves on the City of Lakeland’s Utility Committee and previously served on the Planning and Zoning Board and the Historic Preservation Board.

Donna joined Summit Consulting, LLC in 2004 and has 40 years’ experience in the financial services industry. Donna is a Senior Business Projects Manager and in a dual role as the Director of Facilities encompassing Summit’s Corporate Office in Lakeland and two regional offices in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Gainesville, Georgia. She manages and facilitates multiple projects and initiatives varying in scope in a wide variety of functional groups upon request of the CEO.

Summit Consulting

Summit, a leading provider of workers’ compensation services in the southeastern United States,  is a member of the Great American Insurance Group. Summit provides workers’ compensation services to businesses in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Summit is based in Lakeland and has offices in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Gainesville, Georgia.

Blue Steel Development is your single source solution for your project vision. Contact us today to learn more about the advantages of working with an experienced and turnkey developer.

Howard Bayless

A Brooklyn apartment developer looking to expand into new markets has chosen a site off Old Tampa Highway, drawn by increased demand for housing for workers at large west Lakeland warehousing and shipping centers.

Welcome Canary, a 160-unit apartment complex, broke ground last week at 1010 Browning Road. It is a project by Welcome Developments, the Lakeland subsidiary of Murex Enterprise in New York. It’s scheduled to be completed by October 2023.

Brooklyn-based Murex Enterprises was founded by brothers David and Shlomo Sinay. Their portfolio includes dozens of builds in Brooklyn, most of them ground-up renovations, according to the Welcome Developments’ website.

Sinay Brothers

Every successful duo is made up of a dreamer and a doer—vision meets execution—and while both co-founders of Welcome Developments take on those roles interchangeably, Shlomo is more the dreamer and David is more the doer.

More specifically, Shlomo designs the interior and exterior spaces while David handles acquiring and managing new properties. Expanded corridors and unique first impressions meet sound investment opportunities and timely project completion.

Thomas Capital Partners LLC

Jeff Donalson is the co-founder and Manager of Thomas Capital Partners LLC, , a diversified real estate development and investment company. Since operations began in 2013, Thomas Capital Partners has successfully acquired and developed over 300,000 square feet of commercial real estate in downtown Winter Haven, Bartow, and Lakeland. One of the largest acquisitions includes to purchase of the Ledger building in downtown Lakeland in December 2016. Thomas Capital Partners has specialized in redeveloping value-add, distressed properties in urban areas. A core principal in Thomas Capital Partners redevelopment strategy is finding a way to connect the community with the real estate. In November 2013, the first project included over 13,000 +/- square feet (SF) and was fully leased and built out by October 2015. The total costs of the Project equaled approximately $1,600,000 and has remained 100% occupied since development was complete. Prior to the founding of TWC, from June 2011 through November 2013, Mr. Donalson worked as a project engineer and project manager for Reiss Engineering, Inc. at the Winter Haven, Florida office. Mr. Donalson’s responsibilities included local business development, project facilitation and budgeting, project management and project design. In 2013, Mr. Donalson led the design services and construction management duties for the City of Clearwater’s new reverse osmosis water treatment facility. With project costs exceeding $30,000,000, this facility now services the entire community of Clearwater, Florida with clean water, utilizing a delicate blend of fresh and brackish water methodically treated for human consumption with reverse osmosis filtration.

From June 2008 through January 2011, Mr. Donalson worked for Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. (now known as ARCADIS US) as an intern and staff engineer. In such capacity, Mr. Donalson performed project management, design, research, and compiled engineering reports for several engineering projects focused on water resources, and water and wastewater process design.

Mr. Donalson graduated from the University of Florida’s College of Engineering with both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Engineering degree in environmental engineering with a cum laude designation for academic achievement.

Dale Dreyer has over 25 years of banking experience and is the Central Florida Regional President for CenterState Bank. Dale is responsible for all banking functions including retail banking, commercial banking, treasury management, residential lending, wealth management and consumer lending for Polk, Osceola, Orange and Seminole Counties. Dale’s management of the Central Florida Region includes, 2 Community Presidents, 2 Area Executives, 22 commercial RMs, 22 branch managers, 25 offices, with over 129 employees and over $2 billion in assets. Dale received his BS in Accounting and his MBA in Finance from Auburn University. He currently serves on multiple community boards including Lakeland Regional Health and the First United Methodist Church of Lakeland.

John Dunphy, Executive Vice President, is a 32-year veteran of the Tampa Bay industrial market. John leads the Tampa Bay industrial team, which handles occupier and investment sales for the greater Tampa Bay MSA. Prior to joining JLL, John was Managing Director of Industrial Services and Partner at Colliers International Tampa Bay specializing in the sale and leasing of user and investment property.  Since 1988, he has sold and/or leased more than 12 million square feet of space and sold in excess of 20,000 acres of land, representing more than $2 billion in transaction value.  John earned a B.A. in Finance from The University of South Florida. He received the CCIM designation from the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute and a SIOR designation from the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors. Fewer than 2,000 commercial real estate brokers hold both of these prestigious designations.

Dr. Melody Rider serves as President of Lakeland Leads. Founded in January of 2019, Lakeland Leads is a 501c (3) nonprofit, independent, nonpartisan organization that produces research, and tangible public policy recommendations designed to help improve Lakeland’s K-12 education landscape and make Lakeland a better place to live, work and raise a family. In the K-12 education arena, Lakeland Leads promotes a high-quality education for all Lakeland children through finding the most promising and successful education reform initiatives from across America and supporting their launch or replication in Lakeland.

Melody is a dynamic operator with over 25 years of progressive experience and accomplishments in fast-paced education industry with experience in K-12 and higher education. Strategic leader with a proven history of maximizing revenue goals, bottom-line results, and improving key performance indicators.  Results-driven blended with strong business acumen, leadership, marketing, and communication skills. Acknowledged team builder, community liaison and mentor, focused on training and developing staff to maximize potential. Inspires other to succeed. Email

Wade Elliott joined the Port in 2003 and is responsible for the marketing and business development activities of Port Tampa Bay. Wade has more than 25 years of port marketing, business development and research experience working with clients across the globe, including exporters, importers, ocean carriers, terminal operators and cruise lines. Wade is a graduate of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia where he also worked as Research Associate conducting economic and policy research in the maritime sector. Wade is the Chairman of the Tampa Foreign Trade Zone, and serves on the board of directors of Tampa Port Ministries Seafarers’ Center and the Tampa Bay International Business Council.

Dr. Falconetti, a native Floridian, has extensive experience in all aspects of higher education administration. She holds a bachelor’s degree from New York University and master’s and doctorate degrees in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida with specializations in Instructional Leadership and Postsecondary Education and Adult Learning.

Gregory Fancelli is owner of property management and development company Prestige Worldwide Group. Born and raised in Florence Italy, with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Florence. For nearly fifteen years Gregory has focused his real estate efforts in Lakeland towards preservation and redevelopment of properties within Lakeland’s historic districts, placing particular effort on protecting the architectural character of Lakeland.

Preservation and re-development are crucial aspects of every city with high quality of life goals, for this reason Gregory and his company have teamed up with many local organizations such as Parker Street Ministries in order to repair and strengthen many of Lakeland’s inner city neighborhoods. Several redevelopment projects have been completed in the Dixieland area, bringing revitalization and infusing new life into the area.

After serving four years on the Polk Museum’s Board of trustees and Florida Polytechnic University’s Foundation Board, Gregory is presently active with Lakeland Regional Medical Center’s Foundation Board and Historic Lakeland Inc.

Additionally Gregory serves on the George Jenkins Foundation board dedicated towards programs in education, welfare, health and human services.

With a deep appreciation for early 20^th century architecture, Gregory enjoys traveling, photography, skiing and water sports.

Carlos Fernandez serves Executive Vice President of Customer Sustainability at JBT. He is a food processing technology executive and leader of global businesses, with demonstrated business acumen, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a reputation built on more than 20 years of experience. Aligns cost-effective solutions and transformational strategies that streamline processes and focus business growth in fast-paced, competitive environments. A compelling leader, who motivates teams to exceed aggressive business objectives.

International Business Development | Corporate & Division Management | Sales Strategy & Revenue Generation | Transformational Change | Leadership & Results | Business Growth Strategies | Mentoring & Team Development | Mergers & Acquisitions | Relationship Management

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
• INITIATED a new strategy that diversified and selectively expanded into new business segments, driving significant business growth from 2015 to 2022 through acquisitions, new product development, and organic growth
• DEVELOPED long-range strategies that transformed product manager roles and created the initiative that expanded multi-cultural hiring into the management team, emphasizing early career potential and talent
• RESTRUCTURED the organization into four key divisions to support future growth, re-organized around synergies, newly acquired businesses, and improved customer relationships.

Farm Credit of Central Florida is a federally chartered, locally owned and operated cooperative. Farm Credit of Central Florida serves the agricultural and rural communities across thirteen Central Florida counties: Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Sumter, Lake, Osceola, Orange, Seminole, Volusia and Brevard. Farm Credit borrowers have long enjoyed the benefits of doing business with local offices, where people know their business, their community, and their market. We are headquartered in Lakeland and have brick and mortar locations in Apopka, Brooksville, and Plant City.

Farm Credit of Central Florida is part of the larger Farm Credit System, which is a nationwide network of borrower-owned lending institutions and specialized service organizations providing loans to farmers, ranchers, rural homeowners, aquatic producers, timber harvesters, agribusinesses, and agricultural and rural utility cooperatives. The Farm Credit System has been in existence since 1916.

Reggie Holt

Reggie Holt became the CEO of Farm Credit of Central Florida in April 2008. Reggie joined Farm Credit in 1982 and has spent his entire career serving the American farmer and rural communities. During his career with Farm Credit Reggie has had the opportunity to serve in various instrumental roles including branch manager, Area Vice President and SVP of Agribusiness Lending. Reggie has an MBA from Florida Southern College and a BA in Business Administration from East Carolina University. He is a graduate of the Graduate School of Baking at Louisiana State University and the Wedgworth Leadership Institute at the University of Florida. Reggie is an active member of the Plant City Rotary Club.

RHolt@FarmCreditCFL.com
863.682.4117

Johan Dam

Johan Dam is the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Risk Officer for Farm Credit of Central Florida. Johan began his career in the financial services industry in 1996 and eventually joined Farm Credit of Central Florida in 2007. Since joining Farm Credit of Central Florida Johan has held roles as a commercial loan officer, Chief Relationship Manager, Special Assets Manager, investment portfolio manager, and Director of Capital Markets. Johan holds a B.S. in Organization Management and Finance from Warner Southern College and an M.B.A. from the University of Florida and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.

JDam@FarmCreditCFL.com
863.682.4117

Scott Folsom is the Market President for Polk County, in charge of the Lakeland, FL office at 3340 South Florida Ave.

Senior Vice President

Market President, Polk County

NMLS# 210741

Phone: (863) 417-8509

Specializes In: Commercial Banking

Chuck Foss is a co-founder of Core Wealth Advisors, Inc., a Certified Public Accountant and a Personal Financial Specialist, a designation recognized by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He currently serves as the managing partner of Core Wealth Advisors, Inc. and focuses on strategic direction of the firm. He is also an integral member of the firm’s investment committee, and as a Financial Advisor enjoys working closely with clients to provide pathways for clients to achieve their goals. Chuck came to Lakeland in 1976 to attend Florida Southern College. He and his wife Lisa have two grown children, Ashley and Andrew, who both reside in Lakeland. They enjoy spending time with family and traveling to the mountains with their two Labrador retrievers, Bailey and Sadie.

Cole graduated with a degree in Building Construction from Georgia Southern University in 2005 and returned to Lakeland as a project manager for Register Construction. He transitioned into the role of president in 2016. Cole is involved with all aspects of the company including sales, estimating, project management, and company development.

Carl Gilbert has over 20 years of experience in healthcare, hospital, medical device, financial services, banking, telecom, logistics, and real estate. His extensive background in customer service, operations, and organizational development equip him for building high performance teams , improving sales and service, enhancing culture development and employee engagement. Carl studied economics at Washington and Lee University.

We are an influence firm.

When The Southern Group was founded twenty years ago, our firm pioneered the lobbying industry in Florida and beyond. We were the first to offer a unique type of advocacy that was driven by aligning the best and brightest candidates from business, government, and politics, and establishing a network of offices that offer our clients unparalleled access to local and state government.

Over the last two decades we have cultivated and retained a strong team of experts who help our clients build winning strategies, navigate the pathways to power, and connect with decision makers—whether in government or business. We know how to navigate the halls of government because most of us already served in them.

Today, the sharp lines between government, business, and constituencies have blurred. Applying calculated influence demands dynamic strategies that keep pace with societal trends and economic outlooks. Survival of the smartest, fastest, and most connected is the new norm. While lobbying will always be our foundation, tomorrow has reshaped who we are and how we access, advocate, and influence.

Justin Hollis

Justin Hollis joined The Southern Group in 2018, bringing with him more than a decade of experience in government and political campaigns. Justin’s areas of expertise include agriculture, business regulation, charity regulation, consumer services, energy, food and beverage, natural resources, and water, among others. In addition to his role at Southern, Justin also serves as president of the Beer Industry of Florida, where he works to advance the policy priorities of Florida’s beer distributors.

Justin began his political career as deputy director of legislative affairs in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). During his tenure, he worked with House and Senate leadership to successfully transfer the more than $1 billion school nutrition program from the Florida Department of Education to FDACS. Additionally, he played a key role in developing and passing the state’s most comprehensive water policy in more than a decade.

Justin has run two statewide campaigns, first as the campaign manager for Adam Putnam’s successful 2014 reelection campaign for Commissioner of Agriculture. More recently, he served as chairman of the Florida Grown Political Committee, an organization supporting Adam Putnam’s run for governor. In this capacity, Justin was instrumental in helping to raise more than $37 million during the 2018 election cycle.

Justin lives in Lakeland, Florida, with his wife, Rachel, and their two children.

Onicx Group is a Tampa-based private real estate firm with core competencies in development, construction, property acquisitions, property management, investments, and capital markets. Our primary focus is healthcare real estate, multifamily and mixed used projects.

As an integrated company, we use our knowledge to build long-term strategic partnerships that focus on our understanding of the complex challenges our clients face.  Then, creating comprehensive solutions that deliver results.

Onicx Group has completed over $500MM of commercial real estate, including over a million SF within the healthcare sector alone since 2004.

Arjun Choudhary, Vice President

Arjun Choudhary is a member of Onicx Group’s executive leadership team where he is responsible for the investment analysis and market research on all prospective properties. He is focused on banking and investor relations and overall development strategy. Arjun drives Onicx’s future pipeline of activity, including development projects, acquisitions, and asset management. Recently, Arjun was named to the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 40 under 40 list and serves as a member of the Executive Committee for the Indo-Us Chamber of Commerce.

Arjun has held responsibility in all aspects of raising equity, financing, acquisitions, dispositions and asset management, and has directed numerous ground-up development projects. He is experienced  in the development of healthcare anchored mixed-use projects. He has developed medical office buildings, multifamily, hotels, and retail projects in the past. He also ensures the availability of new land inventory and appropriate site selection for the firm.

Arjun has worked on three continents and is also a former small business owner with cross- functional experience in business operations, strategy, and relationship management.

Along with his sister, Arjun conceptualized Aligned Studios in 2019. Aligned Studios is developing a  team of architects, software engineers and animators to help innovate the building design process, partnering with architectural studios across the globe.

Arjun has a successful track record of innovating new ideas and developing new skills to meet the demands of changing markets and assure client fulfillment. He has been effective at translating high-level strategic vision into operational directives and driving implementation through effective communication and alignment with positive corporate culture. He has proven analytical and problem-solving skills and capability of improving processes, planning, and financial metrics.

Gregory Fancelli is owner of property management and development company Prestige Worldwide Group. Born and raised in Florence Italy, with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Florence. For nearly fifteen years Gregory has focused his real estate efforts in Lakeland towards preservation and redevelopment of properties within Lakeland’s historic districts, placing particular effort on protecting the architectural character of Lakeland.

Preservation and re-development are crucial aspects of every city with high quality of life goals, for this reason Gregory and his company have teamed up with many local organizations such as Parker Street Ministries in order to repair and strengthen many of Lakeland’s inner city neighborhoods.

Several redevelopment projects have been completed in the Dixieland area, bringing revitalization and infusing new life into the area.

After serving four years on the Polk Museum’s Board of trustees and Florida Polytechnic University’s Foundation Board, Gregory is presently active with Lakeland Regional Medical Center’s Foundation Board and Historic Lakeland Inc.

Additionally Gregory serves on the George Jenkins Foundation board dedicated towards programs in education, welfare, health and human services.

With a deep appreciation for early 20^th century architecture, Gregory enjoys traveling, photography, skiing and water sports.

Leah Hacker is the CEO and Founder of Rebel, a market research and strategy agency. During her career, Leah has been responsible for crafting user-centered strategy and data-driven scale for brands to create competitive solutions and sustainable, profitable growth through innovation. As a researcher, she focused her work on understanding what people expect from the brands they support and architecting how brands can deliver on those expectations. She is a published author, with her research work presented in academic journals and industry publications such as Forbes, AdWeek, Business Insider and Yahoo Finance. She is a frequent speaker, guest lecturer and angel investor to fast growth and diverse startups and has worked with brands such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Intuit, iDonate, Kodak Moments, Tecovas, Dell and many others.

Dan Hakker joined Summit Broadband in June 2020. He has more than 15 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, and oversees all sales and marketing activities for the company. Before joining Summit Broadband, Mr. Hakker was Vice President and General Manager of the Florida region for Windstream where he led an organization responsible for $150 million in annual revenue. His background includes roles in sales leadership and sales operations with a focus on the Enterprise Business Segment. Throughout his career, he has focused on developing a company culture that aligns cross-functional teams to the common goal of revenue growth. Mr. Hakker holds an Economics degree from State University of New York at Albany. Email

J. Michael Hall is Vice President and Client Advisor for SunTrust Bank. He has a Business Administration degree from the University of South Florida.

Lisa Hall is a Business Development Manager and has been with Rita Staffing since 1998.  She is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), and graduated with her BA from the University of South Florida. Lisa serves on several community boards including, CareerSource Polk, the Mulberry Chamber of Commerce, and Business Alliance for Persons with Disabilities (BAPD).  She currently volunteers as a Guardian Ad Litem helping children in our foster care system and is active with Junior Achievement at South McKeel Academy.

David commenced the practice of law with the general practice department of a large firm in Miami, Florida. After practicing seven years in Miami, David moved to Lakeland, Florida, in 1997 to focus his practice in corporate business transactions. Presently, David is involved in corporate and business practice, including general corporate and business representation, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, tax, health care law, banking and wealth protection planning.

Rich has been with Rita Staffing since 1996 and currently serves as  Chief Financial Officer. Rich graduated from the University of Georgia and was a budget analyst for The University System of Georgia prior to moving to Lakeland. He is active in many local groups and is a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church.

Jamie Hamilton is the Director of Business Development and Project Manager at Hamilton Engineering & Surveying, Inc. She started at HESI in 2016 as an Engineering Intern/Project Engineer working on stormwater drainage design, master utility design, stormwater modeling, grading, and paving design for large residential subdivisions and commercial projects. Ms. Hamilton is active in the Tampa Bay area and is a member of Urban Land Institute (ULI) Young Leaders Committee, Real Estate Investment Council (REIC), Young Professionals Committee, Society of Real Estate Professionals (SOREP), and Tampa Bay Builders Association (TBBA). She graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and from University of Florida with a certificate degree in Geomatics. Ms. Hamilton expects to be a registered Professional Engineer by the end of 2020 and a Professional Mapper and Surveyor by 2024. Outside of the office, Ms. Hamilton is earning her pilot’s license and enjoys rollerblading on Bayshore Boulevard.

David Hand is Chief of Business Services manages the Business Services Department providing commercial lending and deposit services in MIDFLORIDA’ s central Florida market.  He earned his B.S. in Economics from Auburn University and his MBA from Fairfield University.

Sean Harper graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1992. He was Polk County Builders Association Builder of the Year in 2013 and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Polk County Builders Association. Sean started in his family’s real estate business and has more than 30 years of experience in the industry. He has built everything from 150 custom homes to commercial projects and numerous residential communities throughout Polk County. Sean holds a Florida Real Estate Broker’s License and Florida General Contractor’s License. Conservatism, faith and high ethical standards were instilled in Sean early on, and he continues promoting those values in his professional life today. His family is his life and motivation every day, and he works to provide the best experience for families throughout Polk County. Email

Jack Harrell Jr. is the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Harrell’s LLC based in Lakeland. Jack continues the tradition that his family began in 1941 of offering quality products and personal service.

Ron Henkelman has been a certified General Contractor for over 35 years. After moving to Lakeland in 1980, armed with a degree in Building Construction from the University of Florida, Ron founded Henkelman Construction, Inc. in 1993.

Kaylee Holland is an Editor of LALtoday in conjunction with Abby Dell. Kaylee graduated from Southeastern University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations. She joined the team in August 2018, when LALtoday officially launched.

Randy Hollen is Senior Vice President and Commercial Lender for the Bank of Central of Florida. A native of Pennsylvania, Randy received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Marietta College in 1983. He began his banking career immediately thereafter before moving to Florida in 1985. Since that time, Randy has worked with SunTrust Bank and two community banks in commercial lending roles, including all forms of commercial transactions such as real estate, equipment and tax exempt transactions. He has been a resident of Lakeland since 1991 and has served in various community service roles. He is a 1995 graduate of Louisiana State University’s School of Banking of the South.

Justin joined The Southern Group in 2018, bringing with him more than a decade of experience in government and political campaigns. Justin’s areas of expertise include agriculture, business regulation, charity regulation, consumer services, energy, food and beverage, natural resources, and water, among others. In addition to his role at Southern, Justin also serves as president of the Beer Industry of Florida, where he works to advance the policy priorities of Florida’s beer distributors.

Justin began his political career as deputy director of legislative affairs in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). During his tenure, he worked with House and Senate leadership to successfully transfer the more than $1 billion school nutrition program from the Florida Department of Education to FDACS. Additionally, he played a key role in developing and passing the state’s most comprehensive water policy in more than a decade.

Justin has run two statewide campaigns, first as the campaign manager for Adam Putnam’s successful 2014 reelection campaign for Commissioner of Agriculture. More recently, he served as chairman of the Florida Grown Political Committee, an organization supporting Adam Putnam’s run for governor. In this capacity, Justin was instrumental in helping to raise more than $37 million during the 2018 election cycle.

Justin lives in Lakeland, Florida, with his wife, Rachel, and their two children.

A Florida native, Jason Holm was born in Ocala and moved to Lakeland in 1983.  He graduated from the University of Central Florida in 1999 with a BA and earned his MBA from Webster University in 2008.  Jason has been in banking since 2000; as commercial banker, he provides services in lending, cash flow conversion cycles, deposit needs and treasury management solutions that streamline efficiency.  He has also worked as an adjunct at Florida Southern College teaching Managerial Finance for the Barney Barnett School of Business.  When not at work Jason enjoys spending time with family, boating and fishing.

Reggie Holt became the CEO of Farm Credit of Central Florida in April 2008. Reggie joined Farm Credit in 1982 and has spent his entire career serving the American farmer and rural communities. During his career with Farm Credit Reggie has had the opportunity to serve in various instrumental roles including branch manager, Area Vice President and SVP of Agribusiness Lending. Reggie has an MBA from Florida Southern College and a BA in Business Administration from East Carolina University. He is a graduate of the Graduate School of Baking at Louisiana State University and the Wedgworth Leadership Institute at the University of Florida. Reggie is an active member of the Plant City Rotary Club.

RHolt@FarmCreditCFL.com
863.682.4117

413 Hospitality Group, Inc is the parent company of Frescos Southern Kitchen and Bar, Frescos Catering & Events and Frescos Cafe.  Established in 2009, 413 Hospitality Group has grown to occupy over 10,000 square feet in the Carr Building on the corner of Lemon Street and Kentucky Avenue in Downtown Lakeland.  The businesses currently employ over 65 people.

The Calhoon's

Tina Calhoon is Owner and President of 413 Hospitality Group, Inc.  Serving as Executive Chef managing the day-today operations of Frescos Southern Kitchen and Bar, Frescos Catering and Events and Frescos Cafe.  Tina comes from a strong 30 year plus small business owner background having owned and operated several restaurants in Downtown Little Rock

Tim Calhoon is Vice President and Director of Spirits.  Tim joined 413 Hospitality Group, Inc full time in 2020 upon his retirement from Mead Johnson Nutrition after 33 years in the Central Florida area as Executive Territory Business Manager.  As a 1984 Graduate of the University of South Florida, he oversees all financial aspects of the Corporation along with the Frescos' Spirits program.

Midwestern Construction Inc. in 2001, continuing his family’s multi-generational legacy in the construction industry. Headquartered in Orlando with additional offices in Florida, MCI is a FDOT pre-qualified firm providing statewide services to FDOT, government agencies, and utilities. These include roadside landscaping, tree planting and trimming, grass and sod installation, irrigation, fencing, grading, drainage, sidewalk, shoulder repair, infrastructure maintenance, and related services.

Midwestern Construction Inc. provides cost-effective roadside beautification, maintenance, and repair services. We are a FDOT pre-qualified company with strong, longstanding professional relationships with government bodies, landscape architects, and project managers across the state.

A champion of innovative educational design, Dr. Kent Ingle serves as the president of Southeastern University, one of the fastest growing private universities in the nation. Under his leadership, the university has seen significant growth. Dr. Ingle has propelled the university’s enrollment from 2,546 students in 2011 to nearly 9,000 students currently, with more than 100 extension sites and 13 regional campuses nationwide. Additionally, multiple building projects have been completed during his tenure, including a 120,000-square-foot Live/Learn building, which houses students, classroom space and a food court. Dr. Ingle is also a founding member of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. Before becoming SEU’s president in 2011, Dr. Ingle held leadership positions in higher education and the nonprofit sector in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle.

Marci Johnson is the Regional  Director of Sales for the Hilton Garden Inn Lakeland, Hampton Inn Bartow, and the NEW Staybridge Suites Lakeland. Marci has over 20 years of hotels sales experience in different markets in the United States including: California, Nevada, Wisconsin, North Carolina and now Florida. She has always enjoyed serving on the tourist development and lodging association committees.

Staybridge Website          Hilton Garden Inn          Hampton Inn Website

Jennifer Kincart Jonsson serves as Vice President of A·C·T Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc., which has been owned and operated by her family since 1987. An avid fan and active alumna, Jonsson earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Florida. Her drive and commitment are aimed at ensuring A·C·T’s success and she is passionate about improving the quality of life in our community. Among her many accolades, Jonsson holds the distinction of being the youngest professional to ever serve as the Chair of the Board for the United Way of Central Florida.

William L. Keller, III is president of Keymark Corporation with operations in New York and Lakeland, FL.

She was appointed president of Bartow Regional Medical Center in February 2019. She has served as president of South Florida Baptist Hospital since August 2013 and continues in that role.

Kerr previously held a number of key leadership roles at both South Florida Baptist Hospital in Plant City and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa. As president of South Florida Baptist Hospital, she has worked to develop new initiatives for neurospine, surgery, obstetrics, radiology and patient experience.

Kerr received her Bachelor of Science/Nursing degree from the University of South Florida, Tampa, and a Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale. She has served as president of the Tampa Bay Organization of Nurse Executives, chairman of the Plant City Family YMCA, and chairman of the Plant City Daybreak Rotary Club. In 2016, she received the Plant City YMCA’s Strong Leader Award. Kerr serves as Chairman of the Plant City Economic Development Corporation and, in 2019, was inducted as chairman of the Plant City Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Anne Kerr became the seventeenth president of Florida Southern College in June 2004. Prior to her presidency, Dr. Kerr held several distinguished positions in higher education administration, including vice president at the University of Richmond, vice president at Rollins College, and dean of the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins. Dr. Kerr holds a Ph.D. and M.S. from The Florida State University and a B.A. from Mercer University. She is active in numerous arts and civic organizations and serves on the boards of SunTrust Bank, Mid-Florida; EarthLinked Technologies, Inc.; the Polk Museum of Art; and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

Gary serves as the President & CEO of Cidrines. The former general manager of Crayola comes to Cidrines, where he has helped the Puerto Rican breadmaker gain awareness and market share in the U.S.

Jon Kirk, AIA, LEED AP became a principal at Straughn Trout Architects in 2019 with more than 21 years of design expertise. Jon is a licensed architect in the State of Florida and has achieved the designation of a LEED Accredited Professional (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). He is also a former member of Historic Lakeland, Inc's. Board of Directors and has served as both vice president and president of the organization. He is a past member of the City of Lakeland's Historic Preservation Board, Platform Art Board, and is a volunteer for Lakeland City Baseball. In 2017, Jon was awarded the 2017 Florida Redevelopment Association Renovation Project of the Year for his work at Haus 820/Mass Market. Jon attended the University of Florida where he earned a Master of Architecture degree in addition to a Bachelor of Design degree. He is an alumni of Leadership Lakeland Class XXXII, member of AIA Tampa Bay, and is actively involved in the Lakeland community.

RRod Kirkwood is the Tampa Area Director for Saint Leo, including the Lakeland Education Center. Rod has been with Saint Leo University since 2018. His career, spanning 26 years, has always been in Adult Education. From his beginning at a small Technical College in Portland, Oregon to his most recent opportunity as Director at Saint Leo University Tampa Bay Region. Rod’s passion for education is evident in every interaction with his students. He takes pride in helping each and every student achieve their life long goal by achieving their degree with Saint Leo University. Rod relishes celebrating with each of his students as they walk across the stage on graduation day. He is committed to assisting every member of the Lakeland community in pursuing their educational goals.

Steve is the General Manager and PGA Director of Golf of Grasslands Golf & Country Club responsible for membership development and club operations.  Steve has served the members of Grasslands since 1994 and is a PGA Master Professional and a member of the Club Managers Association of America.

Steve Kros serves as the executive vice president of Transwestern’s southeast development services team. Steve has over 20 years of high-level experience sourcing, underwriting, negotiating, communicating and executing real estate development and acquisition deals. Prior to joining Transwestern, he held positions as a vice president of investments and vice president of development with AMB Property Corporation. Steve spearheaded real estate development and acquisition investments in multiple east coast markets. He also was responsible for overall project management for an 11 million square foot development pipeline on 800 acres in six cities in throughout the southeast and mid-atlantic, representing a total investment of over $560 million. Steve is currently working on Lakeland Logistics Center, a 245,000 sf development park near Interstate 4 in Lakeland.

Bobby Krueger is an Associate with Brennan Investment Group.  In this capacity Mr. Krueger is responsible for financial and market analysis of industrial developments, single-tenant net leases, and corporate real estate acquisitions across Florida.  While at Brennan Investment Group, Mr. Krueger has assisted in the acquisition, development, and recapitalization of over $170 million in transactions totaling approximately 3.7 million square feet.

Mr. Krueger graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Real Estate. He is a member of NAIOP and a licensed Real Estate Associate in the State of Florida. Email

Robert J. Krueger is a Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Brennan Investment Group. He is responsible for industrial property transactions in Central Florida. Mr. Krueger is among the most accomplished industrial professionals in the Florida market, with 37 years of experience in construction, development, and acquisitions. From 1997 to 2009, Mr. Krueger was the key executive in building First Industrial’s portfolio in Central Florida. During his tenure with First Industrial Mr. Krueger acquired and developed over 5 million square feet of industrial and flex space in the Florida market for such tenants as Home Depot, J.C. Penney, Caterpillar Tractor, Haverty’s Furniture and Walgreen’s. Before leaving First Industrial, Mr. Krueger was in charge of managing First Industrial’s Florida portfolio of nearly 3 million square feet, and 821 acres, in Tampa, Orlando and Miami.

LoveLakeland is a non-profit organization dedicated to highlighting the energetic contributors in our community and taking action to improve our city and continue to encourage innovative thinking. It is LoveLakeland’s goal to shine a light on our community’s creative minds, inspirational leaders, activists, students and other engaged citizens in order to share our cities most brilliant resource–the people–with others. Because of these “CityMakers”, we live in a place that we are so lucky to call home.

Howard Wiggs

R. Howard Wiggs began a storied career in public service when he was first elected to the City Commission on November 1, 1993; and became Mayor of the City of Lakeland on January 6, 2014; and
when Commissioner Wiggs assumed office, Sony Walkmans were everywhere, Sleepless in Seattle was a hit, Lawton Chiles was Governor; and electric cars were kid's toys.

Commissioner Wiggs became Mayor Wiggs after his election in November of 2013 and has since been committed to elevating the office of Mayor on a regional and statewide basis while representing the City at public functions continuously reminding people of how special a place Lakeland is and that it is a responsibility that all its citizens have, to preserve and protect its uniqueness; and Mayor Wiggs embraced his role as the City's ambassador, he became known for his positive attitude, for handing out Hershey kisses after meetings to his constituents and always rewarding citizens when they said the secret phrase "Love Lakeland" with a #LoveLakeland lapel pin; and Mayor Wiggs early on used up his "Mayors allotment for the creation of task forces," flaunting an unwritten rule for mayors that they each get 3, by creating a record number of task forces on various subjects thereby using up the allotment for future mayors thru year 2052.

Mayor Wiggs, throughout his tenure in public office, established himself as a moderate voice, one who recognizes the value of all citizens regardless of their clout or station in life, and as an advocate for City employees, an advocate for neighborhoods and for all citizens of Lakeland; and

Mayor Wiggs served with pride, honor, integrity and distinction -- having a major impact on what history will show will be some of the City's most important issues, such as the establishment of sound growth policies and planning, the renewed vibrancy of Downtown Lakeland, the Francis Langford Promenade, all of the Community Redevelopment Areas, Lakeland Regional Medical Center expansions and redevelopment, Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, the RP Funding Center, numerous local and regional parks and recreational facilities, all projects that will serve Lakeland's citizens for decades to come; and was a relentless advocate and persistent voice for Home Rule in dealings with the state Legislature and was designated as a Home Rule Hero by the Florida League of Cities.

Welcome to the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Lakeland FL hotel, located near the RP Funding Center (formerly the Lakeland Civic Center and Lakeland Center) and only minutes from a variety of eateries, bars, and local shops. Our hotel is also near Lakeland Airport, Bryant Stadium, Florida Southern College and Southeastern University in Lakeland Florida. Enjoy spacious suites that are designed to blend how guests work and relax. Once your day is complete, enjoy a craft cocktail or local beer in our full-service bar featuring an evening menu with innovative food offerings. Our hotel also features 4,000 sq. ft. of flexible function space, perfect for corporate meetings, social gatherings, and sports groups visiting our Lakeland Convention Center hotel. Step outside and enjoy our outdoor pool and patio, plus our fit pit and plenty of space to relax and connect. Stylish surroundings and enhanced offerings will leave you feeling uplifted and at ease when you travel to our downtown Lakeland hotel.

John Loute

John Loute, hospitality veteran serves as General Manager of SpringHill Suites by Marriott Lakeland.  Loute is responsible for overseeing all operations for the 126-room, all-suites hotel, which opened in downtown Lakeland in spring 2020. Loute brings more than 22 years of hospitality management experience to the new SpringHill Suites by Marriott Lakeland. John served as General Manager for La Quinta Inn & Suites - Lakeland. Prior to his stint at La Quinta, he worked for Lakeland-based HI Development, Inc. as the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Avenue Hotel in Lakeland, overseeing a sales team and directing the development and execution of the hotel's marketing plan. He attended the University of South Florida and currently serves on the boards of directors for the Lakeland Hotel/Motel Association and Visit Central Florida's Tourist Development Council. Email

Lakeland’s Plant Manager, Steve Larkin, and his team are responsible for directing plant operations and overseeing the day-to-day activities in all departments. They develop and implement both short and long-term plans to support the company’s strategic roadmap. The Pepperidge Farm Lakeland Team provides the leadership to achieve key objectives in all areas of safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement.

Robert Lee is a serial food and resturant entrepreneur. Robert started in Lakeland owning  China Max at Lakeland Square Mall’s food court and now has grown to operating Chinese Kitchens at five Publix Super Markets stores across Florida, including one at Lakeland’s Lake Miriam Square. His company Breezy Spring LLC also sells a line of bourbon chicken sauce and marinade, and a line of cold brew on-the-go green tea.

Following graduation from upstate New York’s Alfred University in 1972, Rich assumed the roles of President and Chief Executive Officer of Russell P. LeFrois Builder, Inc, a company founded by his father. Rich plays a major role in every LeFrois project as the leader of his management team and continuously provides valuable direction to all phases of his construction and development projects. His dynamic technical skills as well as his enthusiasm, genuine integrity and passion for success, make him the driving force behind the LeFrois companies growing and prospering in a highly competitive environment.  Rich has brought his proven strategy for successful commercial development and construction to Lakeland, Florida. Currently, Central Florida Development is developing 300 acres in the Lakeland area.

Sebastian Leon, External Affairs Manager, Tampa Bay
TECO Peoples Gas

Sebastian Leon is External Affairs Manager in the Tampa Bay area for TECO Peoples gas, where he focuses on corporate external affairs, economic development, and local government in the region.

Prior to joining TECO, he served as Deputy Director of State Operations for U.S. Senator Rick Scott. In this role, he oversaw external affairs and day-to-day operations for the Senator’s nine district offices in Florida. Prior to joining Senator Scott in the U.S. Senate, Sebastian worked in multiple roles for the Executive Office of Florida Governor Rick Scott and the Florida State Senate, with experience in state legislation, gubernatorial appointments, communications, and external affairs.

Sebastian received both his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Master’s degree in Applied American Politics and Policy from Florida State University. In 2022, he was named a “Rising Star of Florida Politics'' by INFLUENCE MAGAZINE.

Since his 2012 election to the commission, Lindsey has worked to attract new employers and remove barriers to the expansion of existing businesses in Polk County. He also is working to increase partnerships between the county and municipalities on matters such as planning, water supply and parks. He was elected chairman in 2014. Lindsey is also president and broker of Lindsey Realty & Development Corporation. He is an Honor Flight 15 guardian, University of Florida sports fan, and a Harley Davidson enthusiast.

Joe Little is Chairman of the Board and CEO of Bernie Little Distributors. Joe continues a rich history of innovation and efficiency in beverage distribution.

We own, operate, and manage world-class commercial properties with an emphasis on investing in irreplaceable assets, driving innovation in the industry, and maintaining disciplined financial stewardship. With over a century of industry experience, our leadership creates value in high-growth markets across the Sun Belt. Contact us today to learn more about investing with Parkway. We look forward to partnering with you.

Whit Duncan

Managing Director | Development Whit brings a strong track record spanning over 35 years in the real estate industry to his role of overseeing Parkway's development projects throughout the U.S. Prior to joining Parkway in 2020, Duncan was with Crescent Communities for 22 years where he was President of the commercial business unit. Duncan has also overseen the development, leasing, management and disposition of over 13 million square feet of office, industrial and retail product. Most notable in Florida, Mr. Duncan spearheaded the land acquisition, entitlement and vertical development and leasing of Primera Office Park consisting of 6 buildings, Gateway Mixed-Use Park, 4 buildings in Orlando’s Research Park, and 2 million square feet of office and industrial buildings in Tampa.

Jeff Donalson is the co-founder and Manager of Thomas Capital Partners LLC, , a diversified real estate development and investment company. Since operations began in 2013, Thomas Capital Partners has successfully acquired and developed over 300,000 square feet of commercial real estate in downtown Winter Haven, Bartow, and Lakeland. One of the largest acquisitions includes to purchase of the Ledger building in downtown Lakeland in December 2016. Thomas Capital Partners has specialized in redeveloping value-add, distressed properties in urban areas. A core principal in Thomas Capital Partners redevelopment strategy is finding a way to connect the community with the real estate. In November 2013, the first project included over 13,000 +/- square feet (SF) and was fully leased and built out by October 2015. The total costs of the Project equaled approximately $1,600,000 and has remained 100% occupied since development was complete. Prior to the founding of TWC, from June 2011 through November 2013, Mr. Donalson worked as a project engineer and project manager for Reiss Engineering, Inc. at the Winter Haven, Florida office. Mr. Donalson’s responsibilities included local business development, project facilitation and budgeting, project management and project design. In 2013, Mr. Donalson led the design services and construction management duties for the City of Clearwater’s new reverse osmosis water treatment facility. With project costs exceeding $30,000,000, this facility now services the entire community of Clearwater, Florida with clean water, utilizing a delicate blend of fresh and brackish water methodically treated for human consumption with reverse osmosis filtration.

From June 2008 through January 2011, Mr. Donalson worked for Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. (now known as ARCADIS US) as an intern and staff engineer. In such capacity, Mr. Donalson performed project management, design, research, and compiled engineering reports for several engineering projects focused on water resources, and water and wastewater process design.

Mr. Donalson graduated from the University of Florida’s College of Engineering with both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Engineering degree in environmental engineering with a cum laude designation for academic achievement.

John Loute, hospitality veteran serves as General Manager of SpringHill Suites by Marriott Lakeland.  Loute is responsible for overseeing all operations for the 126-room, all-suites hotel, which opened in downtown Lakeland in spring 2020.

Loute brings more than 22 years of hospitality management experience to the new SpringHill Suites by Marriott Lakeland. John served as General Manager for La Quinta Inn & Suites - Lakeland. Prior to his stint at La Quinta, he worked for Lakeland-based HI Development, Inc. as the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Avenue Hotel in Lakeland, overseeing a sales team and directing the development and execution of the hotel's marketing plan. He attended the University of South Florida and currently serves on the boards of directors for the Lakeland Hotel/Motel Association and Visit Central Florida's Tourist Development Council. Email

James M. Luffman, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Personal Financial Specialist (PFS), currently serves as a Financial Advisor at CPS Investment Advisors. His professional journey commenced in Washington D.C., where he assumed the role of Operations Manager in the $3 billion Trust Department of American Security Bank. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Florida State University and is recognized by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as a board-certified PFS. Furthermore, he has earned the Certificate of Educational Achievement in Personal Financial Planning. Jim's tenure with CPS dates back to 1986, affording him extensive expertise in investments, financial planning, accounting, and taxation. He is a seasoned lecturer, frequently sharing his insights on financial planning and investments.

Katrina is Vice President, Middle Market Relationship Manager and Market Manager for Fifth Third Bank serving Polk County and surrounding areas. A native Floridian, Katrina holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Troy State University. Katrina is experienced in small business and commercial lending, starting her career with Barnett Bank over 30 years ago.

Bradley Lunz, AIA, LEED AP, GGP, NCARB joined The Lunz Group in 2008. Brad has over 15 years’ experience ranging from large commercial resorts development to higher education facility design. He is a registered architect in the state of Florida and Texas and a member of the Tampa Bay American Institute of Architects. Brad has a breadth of experience in resolving a client’s spatial and budgetary requirements while delivering a quality and creative design. Currently, Brad serves as President of The Lunz Group.

Maggie Mariucci currently serves as the Assistant Vice President of University Relations for Florida Polytechnic University. Maggie is a 5th generation Polk County resident and brings extensive knowledge of the community and the region to the University. She has had a fifteen year career focused on public affairs, community relations and development. She is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications and has a BS in Public Relations.

Committed to cultivating community development strategies, managing community partnerships and providing impactful financial services and products leading to financially healthy people and sustainable communities. Also, responsible for managing and leading the region's compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act with thoughtful programs and partnerships supporting economic development and small business lending, affordable housing and home ownership initiatives as well as supporting efforts to improve the quality of life for underserved communities.

Alisha has lived in Lakeland for the last 20 years. 15 of those 20 years have been focused on commercial real estate. With degrees in Business Administration, Business Management, and International Business, she has originated, syndicated, and serviced over $1billion commercial loans with credit unions nationwide.
As the commercial lender for Suncoast Credit Union, I support all of West and Central Florida. Loan sizes we are seeking are $250,000 to $25million and offering competitive terms and interest rates. Email

As a 29 year veteran of the Insurance Industry, “Tony” has held positions at both regional & home office levels with large insurance organizations such as Penn Mutual, AIG & USF&G. He’s held direct sales & sales management positions with Federated Mutual Insurance Companies. His career has taken him throughout the Mid Atlantic region of US and all over Florida & the Southeast. He’s spent the last 15 years working in the Independent agency system. First at Herndon & Associates & now at Stahl & Associates. After the Herndon acquisition, Stahl & Associates appointed Tony as Vice President Commercial Lines Sales where he handles the commercial insurance needs of the middle market segment. Although he handles a variety of risks, he specializes in addressing the needs of manufacturers, contractors, physician groups & auto/equipment dealers. Stahl & Associates has four (4) offices throughout Central Florida.

Rob McCollum is a Polk county native with over 23 years of banking experience. He began his banking career with SunTrust Bank in August 1997 and has served in many different roles.  Prior roles include, Business Banking Team Leader for Business Bankers covering Polk, Highlands, Desoto, Okeechobee, Osceola, and Lake counties. He most recently served as a Commercial Banker working with clients in both Polk county and Agri Business clients throughout the state of Florida.  Currently, he is serving as the Market President for the Commercial Community Bank in the Greater Polk County market.  In his current role, he is responsible for coordinating SunTrust, BB&T now Truist’s efforts in the greater Polk county market.

Rob currently represents SunTrust, BB&T now Truist on the Board of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise at Florida Southern College, the United Way Business Services Advisory Board, and a Deacon at the First Presbyterian Church in Lake Wales.  In addition to his current involvement, he has also been involved with numerous organizations including a board member for the Lake Wales Family YMCA and the Lake Wales Arts Council, United Way Loaned Executive, and a graduate of Winter Haven Leadership XXIV.

Andy is founder and owner of Indie Atlantic Films. He has worked in video and digital media production for over 10 years and has produced films for clients all over the world. He has directed national TV shows and produced multiple commercial and brand story. Andy has also created films for many non-profit organizations locally and worldwide. He is a graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic University and serves on several local and regional nonprofit boards.

Market Executive at Seacoast Bank

Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida is one of the largest community banks headquartered in Florida, with approximately $9.3 billion in assets and $7.8 billion in deposits as of June 30, 2021. The Company provides integrated financial services, including commercial and retail banking, wealth management, and mortgage services to customers through advanced banking solutions and 52 traditional branches of its locally-branded, wholly-owned subsidiary bank, Seacoast National Bank. Offices stretch from Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach north through the Daytona Beach area, west to Okeechobee and surrounding counties, into Orlando and Central Florida and west to the Tampa Bay market. More information about the Company is available at www.SeacoastBanking.com.

Shirley McGovern is the Director of Sales for both the Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott.  She relocated to Lakeland in 2018 from West Palm Beach, lived in Miami and is originally from New York.  She has 26 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has worked for IHG, Hilton, and Marriott properties.  She is also bilingual and will be involved in local community events.  These two award-winning hotels are located at the Lakeside Village and have been serving our community for over 18 years.  Our Residence Inn by Marriott is perfect for the Extended Stay guest.  Each suite provides a fully-equipped kitchen, living space, queen bed and pullout sofa bed. The hotel offers a complimentary hot breakfast daily, complimentary Wi-Fi, business center, fitness center, and our “Mix” on select evenings with food tastings and complimentary beer and wine.  The Courtyard by Marriott is ideal for business and leisure travelers, and the Bistro serves breakfast and dinner at affordable pricing.

Residence Inn website     Courtyard by Marriott website

Kim has been representing residential buyers and seller in the Lakeland area for over 10 years.  She is consistently one of the top producers in our area, and has a history of success and integrity in real estate that you can depend on.  As an experienced negotiator with extensive knowledge of the Lakeland Real Estate Market in all price ranges, she remains laser focused on helping her clients get what they want.  Additionally, her community involvement keeps her connected to what makes Lakeland so special, and she loves giving back to the community that she and her family love so much.

McKeel Team at Keller Williams Realty

The McKeel Team prioritizes relationships over single transactions. The McKeel Team's success is built on a history of integrity and satisfying customers in buying and selling homes.

Seth McKeel serves as Vice President of Lakeland Properties & Management. In addition to his work in property management, Seth has had a distinguished career in public service as a past Lakeland City Commissioner and a former Florida House Representative. A fifth generation Floridian and a graduate of the University of Florida, Seth is  committed to and engaged in the Lakeland community.

Shawn is a food industry veteran with 30 years of experience in general management, supply chain, manufacturing, commodity procurement, trading, and risk strategy. He has held executive roles with a notable list of food and beverage companies including Keebler Company, Sara Lee Brands, E&J Gallo Winery and ConAgra Brands. In May of this year, he joined Tampa Maid Foods, a leading manufacturer of retail and foodservice seafood and vegetable products as its President and COO. Prior to Tampa Maid, Shawn led JM Swank, LLC, a $500MM US food Ingredient distributor, as a division of ConAgra Brands and as its CEO under private equity ownership. In addition, Shawn is a co-founder and shareholder of Buck Creek Distributing, a growing distributor of inputs into the craft brewing and distilling industries, and he led Buck Creek as an entrepreneurial CEO through its successful start-up phase. Shawn is a graduate of Iowa State University with a BBA in Business Logistics and holds an MBA from the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business. Outside of work, Shawn is a multi-time ironman finisher, an avid outdoorsman, and an enthusiastic student of historical property renovation. In addition, Shawn has served on boards for both private equity-backed and non-profit organizations and is an active supporter of community-based efforts focused on child nutrition and food insecurity. 

Mike moved to Atlanta in 1999 to take an equity stake in Premier Transportation with the objective of expanding Premier Transportations service offerings to our nation’s largest retailers. Mike joined Premier  in 1999 and served as Vice President of Marketing until 2002 when he was promoted to Executive Vice President. He served in that capacity until being elected Chairman and CEO in 2006.

Harper Little has the dedicated team to complete all types of commercial construction. From design professionals, site contractors and qualified subcontractors, Harper Little has assembled Central Florida’s best team to complete your project. Our ability to self-perform key aspects of our projects allows us to be efficient with the budget and schedule. We have experience in all types of commercial construction and look forward to discussing how we can help with your company’s needs.

Sean Harper

Harper Little Construction Management is a full-service design-build construction company in the commercial and residential market. Sean Harper has built over 150 custom homes, constructed numerous commercial projects and developed several residential communities throughout Polk County. Sean Harper graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1992. He was Polk County Builders Association Builder of the Year in 2013 and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Polk County Builders Association. Sean started in his family’s real estate business and has more than 30 years of experience in the industry. He has built everything from 150 custom homes to commercial projects and numerous residential communities throughout Polk County. Sean holds a Florida Real Estate Broker’s License and Florida General Contractor’s License. Conservatism, faith and high ethical standards were instilled in Sean early on, and he continues promoting those values in his professional life today. His family is his life and motivation every day, and he works to provide the best experience for families throughout Polk County.

David A. Miller is a shareholder at Peterson & Myers, P.A. and has a diversified transactional practice with significant experience in business law; corporate governance; mergers and acquisitions; agriculture law and developing strategic plans for large-scale agriculture properties; banking and finance; debt restructuring; office, retail, and mixed use lease transactions; and commercial real estate.

J. Michael Miller is the Operations Manager for Manhattan Central Florida. He’s been with Manhattan for 3 years and has over has over 21 years of construction experience. Through his work on large and small projects, he’s developed an understanding of all types of construction. He received a Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering degree from Missouri University of Science and Technology.  He is a State of Florida Certified General Contractor and is OSHA-30 certified.

Corey received his B.S. in Building Construction, with high honors from the University of Florida and is a member of Florida Blue Key.  He holds general contracting licenses in Florida and other states throughout the Southeast.

David Miller is the Owner of Spherion Staffing in Lakeland, among six additional locations throughout Central and Southwest Florida. With a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, David has leveraged that with much success. As a seasoned professional, with over 25 years of staffing experience, David is responsible for fostering the strategic direction, performance, and continuous growth of his Spherion Staffing locations. Email David.

Steve is Executive Vice President & President of MIDFLORIDA Financial Services. He oversees all branch retail operations, finance related functions, IT, mortgage operations, and realty services.  Steve obtained his undergraduate degree from Stetson University and his MBA from Florida Southern College.

Chris Murray serves as Graham Packaging’s Plant Manager in Lakeland.

Bill Mutz, a native of Indianapolis and an Indiana University graduate, moved to Lakeland in 1996 where he became President of the Lakeland Automall. In 2012, Bill left the Lakeland Automall and took on the role of Managing Partner for both Greenstar Panels & Greenovative Homes. Then, in 2014, Bill became a Senior Consultant for Claridge Associates, where he remains today. Mayor Mutz and his wife, Pam, have been married for over 40 years and are parents of 12 children and have 19 grandchildren.

Cory Neupauer, our Chief Financial Officer, started with Lakeland Automall on April 2, 2012 after spending 31 years with Asbury Automotive Group. He oversees all of our accounting operations as well as our financial reporting systems. Cory resides in Lakeland along with his wife Mary and their daughter Jillian.

Alex Nikdel is President and a second generation partner at Clark/Nikdel/Powell (CNP). A Polk County native and graduate of the University of Florida, Alex has 15+ years of experience as a digital marketing consultant and led CNP’s transition from a traditional advertising design shop into a modern, digitally-focused marketing agency. He has prior experience at a search engine and online directory, a software development company and as a consultant in Walt Disney World’s Industrial Engineering department. Email

Paul Noris is the President and CEO of Bank of Central Florida. Prior to joining Bank of Central Florida, Paul was the Lakeland city president for SunTrust Bank, Mid-Florida. His time in the commercial area began as a relationship manager and progressed from managing a local unit to managing the commercial lending function for SunTrust, Mid-Florida, while also carrying the title of city president. Paul has lived in Lakeland since 1996 and has served on the boards of various civic organizations during that time. He is former chair of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce and the past president of the Explorations V Children’s Museum. Paul received his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Florida.

As the Public Affairs Specialist for The Mosaic Company, Morgan Odum serves as a principal liaison with local community, business leaders and elected officials. Morgan manages Mosaic’s community outreach and corporate philanthropy in Polk County while supporting the company’s manufacturing facilities and operations.

Derek M. Oxford, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™️ and ACCREDITED ESTATE PLANNER, brings his extensive financial expertise to CPS Investment Advisors as a certified financial planner and accredited estate planner since 2008. Derek's educational background includes a Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Florida State University, which he earned in 2004. With over two decades of experience in estate and financial planning, Derek has honed his skills to provide exceptional guidance to clients. Before joining CPS, Derek played a pivotal role on the 529 college planning team at Fidelity Investments and held a prestigious position on the institutional trading desk at Merrill Lynch. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Derek is deeply committed to his community and has made a significant impact by serving on various non-profit boards across diverse sectors, including education, special needs organizations, economic development agencies, and leadership programs. Email

She is a Business Developer for Williams New Energy Ventures (NEV) organization.  She is focused on commercializing innovative technologies, markets, and business models specifically in the solar and battery space.  The NEV organization evaluates and implements projects to grow the clean energy business.

Prior to taking this role in 2022, Katie held several other positions at Williams to support the natural gas business including engineering, project management, and project development.  In addition, she worked on the utility scale solar team for NextEra Energy developing solar projects in the Midwest.

Katie earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of LaVerne.  She is a registered professional engineer in Louisiana and Texas.

Gonzalo Padron has more than 20 years of sales and business development experience within the maritime transportation industry.  His responsibilities include Port Tampa Bay’s outreach and liaison with beneficial cargo owners and ocean carriers, with a particular focus on trade with Latin America. Gonzalo began his career working for ocean carriers Tecmarine Lines and Seaboard Marine, traveling the Caribbean and Latin America extensively.  Prior to joining the Port Tampa Bay, he was employed by DHL Global Forwarding as Manager of Strategic Accounts, Datamyne as Business Development Manager – Maritime, and PIERS as Maritime Regional Manager.

Dick is President/CEO and founder of Pilgrim associates which provides CEOs, business owners and senior level executives well defined business planning consulting and coaching on an individual basis as well as in group settings. Dick’s corporate life spanned 36 successful years in a variety of senior level management positions including being president of several multi-national corporations.

Cory Petcoff, President of Baron Realty, is a seasoned commercial real estate professional with extensive background in investment analysis, property management and leasing. Petcoff is the recipient of the prestigious Top General Brokerage Producer Award in a seven county region offered by the Florida Gulf Coast Commercial Association of Realtors. He serves as the commercial real estate consultant and manager to multiple insurance companies who have diversified their investment portfolios through high quality investment grade commercial real estate. His background also includes forming and subsequently managing investor owned limited liability companies which seek to develop a high quality real estate portfolio. Petcoff is a licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Agent as well as a Licensed Real Estate Broker.

Michael Phelps is the Lakeland Office Manager for Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. and has more than 25 years of experience with a wide variety of engineering projects. Mike has managed hundreds of projects and continuing contracts for engineering services for counties and cities throughout Florida.

Tom Phillips is the Executive Director of the Lakeland Area Mass Transit District a/k/a The Citrus Connection and the Polk Transit Authority. Tom came to Citrus Connection from Michigan City, Indiana in August of 2011. He was employed at PACE Suburban Bus in Arlington Heights, Illinois as Senior Project Manager II, Paratransit Operations Support. He managed the largest US Paratransit site and nation’s largest Trapeze Paratransit site. He has a fixed route background from previous employment. Tom grew up in Minnetonka, Minneapolis before he earned his degree from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque in Sociology with a minor in Psychology. He has been married to his wife Michelle since 2001.

Brian Philpot is the CEO and Principal Owner of AgAmerica Lending. His background includes extensive experience in real estate investing, agriculture lending, real estate law, market analysis, and negotiation. Brian received his B.S. in Finance, cum laude with honors in investments from Florida State University. He earned a Juris Doctorate, cum laude, University of Florida College of Law.

Nick Plott is the Regional Manager of External Affairs for TECO Energy in Polk County, representing the company in the areas of local government, community relations and economic development. He currently serves on the Boards of United Way of Central Florida, Polk State College Foundation, Polk Vision, the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce and JDRF- Tampa Bay. Nick received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Law from Western Carolina University. Tampa Electric, an investor owned electric utility who started business in 1899, serves the eastern part of Polk with 85,000 customers.  Peoples Gas, a natural gas utility that started business in 1895, today has a Lakeland presence with 5800 customers.

Brenda Powers serves as Vice President for Regions Bank at the North Lakeland Office. Brenda is a Polk County native with  20 years of banking experience.

Wayne Raath serves as General Manager of Lone Palm Golf Club. Wayne earned a business degree in Sports Management at Florida Southern College as well as an MBA in Business Administration. He was a four time All-American golfer and a team member on three consecutive NCAA Division II National Championship Teams. After a brief professional golf career, Wayne joined Lone Palm as the controller and later was promoted to General Manager. His passion for golf fits very well with Lone Palm’s primary focus of promoting the game of golf. Wayne and his wife, Lori, have two daughters and live in Lakeland.

John Rattigan is president and CEO of Colorado Boxed Beef with over twenty years of experience with the distributor. He is a graduate of the University of Central Florida's College of Business Administration.

Lester D. "Buddy" Register founded Register Construction in 1971. Register defines success by the company's relationships and dedication to its clients. With over 47 years of construction expertise and leadership, the local company has missed zero deadlines and has completed over 16 million square feet of construction.

Robert Reinhart, PE has extensive experience in the fields of structural engineering and building envelope consulting. Mr. Reinhart is a licensed professional engineer in Florida, Mississippi, Indiana, North Carolina, and Alabama with 25 years of experience. He serves as a consultant for legal issues involving buildings and other structures, including structural failures, building settlement related damage, storm/wind damage, insect damage, fire damage, and vehicular impact.

Experience

• Principle Hardscape for Global Projects, Walt Disney Imagineering
  Decorative Concrete – Worldwide
• Construction Manager, Walt Disney Imagineering
  Toy Story Land – Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Lake Buena Vista, FL
• Show Design & Production Manager, Walt Disney Imagineering
  Shanghai Disney Resort – Shanghai, China
• Hardscape Superintendent
  Aulani Disney Resort and Spa – Ko Olina, HI

Stephan is excited to be the Director of Sales for the TownePlace Suites Lakeland,  the 300th TownePlace Suites by Marriott to open! His 25+ years of hospitality sales experience in the Central Florida area ranges from Cocoa Beach to Orlando and now to Lakeland. He is Past President of the Greater Orlando Chapter of Meeting Professionals International.  Stephan is a member of the Lakeland Hotel/Motel Association and the Visit Central Florida  Sports & Special Events Committee.

Tim Rice has been the President and sole stock owner of Wards for over 25 years. Mr. Rice is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.S. degree from the Fisher College of Business in MIS & Mathematical Statistics.

Dr. H. Alexander Rich is Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College, a Smithsonian Affiliate and the only nationally accredited art museum in Polk County. Dr. Rich is also chair of the Department of Art History and Museum Studies at Florida Southern College and has worked previously in both curatorial and education capacities at museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum.

Angela Rinella is vice president with responsibility for all operations in the Lakeland, Florida, regional office of Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO). Prior to assuming her current duties in 2019, Rinella had served as vice president of claims in the company’s corporate headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with responsibility for all of GEICO’s claims operations since 2017.  Rinella began her GEICO career in 2002.  Rinella has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Medaille College.

Ricardo Rivera is the general manager at Dynamic Security of Florida, responsible for projects in North and South America (Unlimited Electrical Contractor, LIC# EC13007202). He moved to Florida in 2015 and opened Dynamic Security of Florida, a branch of the New Jersey-based company, Dynamic Security. With over 21 years of experience in the security industry, Ricardo loves working alongside clients to design security systems that fit their individual needs.

John is an international advertising and marketing consultant. He works with Business Owners, Board Directors, and Marketing Managers to develop results-based integrated sales and marketing plans. He also provides advertising and marketing services through his advertising agency, Great Impressions.

With a career spanning 40 years, John has worked for several leading advertising agencies, including Lintas and BBDO, managing campaigns in the UK, Middle East, North Africa, and the US markets. During this time, John has provided services to some of the world's leading brands. Notably, British Airways, British Petroleum, DHL, DP World, Emaar, Emirates, FrieslandCampina, Fonterra NZ, Géant Hypermarkets, General Motors, KLM, Mars, Microsoft, Pepsico, Qantas, and Unilever, to name a few. John moved to Florida in 2018.

Jason Rodda is a life-long Lakelander, and is the CEO and President of their family company, Rodda Construction. He is married to Abby, and they have 4 children. He graduated from George Jenkins High School, received his undergraduate degree from Florida Southern College, and his Masters in Business Administration for the University of Florida. Jason is a state of Florida Certified General Contractor, LEED Accredited Professional, and Certified Healthcare Constructor. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Florida Southern College, the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Givewell Community Foundation Board of Directors, and the Truist Polk County Advisory Board. He is the past President of Board for Explorations V Children’s Museum, an Elder at First Presbyterian Church in Lakeland, and a Manager at Lakeland City Baseball. Jason is a Graduate of Leadership Lakeland Class XXVIII, Leadership Polk Class V, and Connect Florida- Class III, and was named the 2020 Lakeland Chamber of Commerce “Businessman of the Year”.

In 2013, after more than 4 years of C-suite experience and a dozen years advising Fortune 100 brands, professional sports teams, entertainment properties and global nonprofits on the business of sponsorship, Emily left her role as President & Chief Growth officer of IEG to focus her energy on developing leaders and teams. Her business, Emily Rogers Consulting + Coaching, exists to support leaders and teams in growing and realizing their full potential in purposeful and balanced ways. As an executive coach, she is passionate about emboldening leaders. For more than a decade, Emily has had the privilege of partnering with over 500 leaders across a myriad of industries, walks of life, and stages of careers – from young high-potentials, to entrepreneurs, to senior executives and CEO’s at Fortune 500 and Inc. 5000 companies. As a leadership development trainer and team coach, she has facilitated more than 350 workshops and retreats. What lights her up is seeing how inner transformation creates positive outer change and powerful ripple effects across relationships, organizations, and communities. Email  

Born and raised in Lakeland, FL Greg started working with his father in 1984. Today, he serves as Chairman and CEO, and is a real estate broker and Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM). Greg is married with two children and three grandchildren, He spends his leisure time boating and staying abreast of politics. Greg has a Real Estate degree from Florida State University and is a Certified Commercial Investment Member Institute where he served as former regional and state President.

He has a dedicated history of community involvement including being the past President of the Central Florida Development Council and the Lakeland Downtown Rotary Club, which recognized him with the Paul Harris Award. Greg also serves on the Lakeland Economic Development Council (LEDC), Leadership Lakeland Class 2, and Southeastern University Leadership Forum which recognized him with the Servant Leadership Award. Greg was named one of Florida Trend’s Florida 500 Most Influential Business Leaders from 2018-2021.

Greg is passionate about philanthropy and serves on the Bonnet Springs Foundation Board and is the past President of the Polk Museum of Art and Central Florida Speech & Hearing Center.

Brian Samson, the manager of CED/Raybro Lakeland, is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

Rich Schuh serves as Vice President of Regional Sales Gulf Coast for Mission Foods. He is responsible for sales and operations for Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, SE Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Panama.

Steve Scruggs is President of the Lakeland Economic Development Council (LEDC), a private, non-profit organization with approximately 140 member companies. He has been with the LEDC over 30 years. Steve received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from Troy State University in Troy, Alabama and his Master’s Degree in Economic Development at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Steve is married to Tammy and they have three children. He is a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church.

Paul Seefried joined Seefried Industrial Properties in February 2011 as a project manager on the BTS development team. He has been actively involved in the development of over 12 million S.F. of industrial BTS developments around the country, in particular, regional distribution centers for Amazon.com in Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, and Florida. He is now Vice President of Development and responsible for development in the Florida region. Prior to joining Seefried Industrial Properties, Paul spent 3 years working as a development analyst in the multifamily industry for the Lane Company, followed by 3 years of being a commercial broker in which he worked on a variety of real estate asset classes. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from University of Colorado at Boulder.

Prior to this appointment as City Manager, he served as Deputy City Manager for 2 years and as Assistant City Manager for 2 years prior to that promotion. Shawn has an A.A. degree in Public Administration from Polk State College, a B.A. in Management from Warner University, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of South Florida. Shawn is a lifelong resident of Lakeland; he is a graduate of Leadership Lakeland Class XXXVII and Leadership Polk Class IV. He serves as Treasurer for Leadership Polk Alumni Association. He also serves on the Camp Fire Sunshine Youth Development Central Florida Board of Directors. He is a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the Florida City/County Management Association (FCCMA), having served on the Board of Directors in 2018 – 2019.

Brandon Silk is a Commercial Insurance Producer at Brown & Brown, specializing in providing insurance and risk management solutions to businesses. With a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Polk State College, he brings a strong foundation in critical thinking and effective problem solving to his role. Beyond his professional responsibilities, Brandon actively contributes to his community as a current or former board member for organizations such as the Lakeland Kiwanis Club, Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, Camp Fire, The Wilson House, and EMERGE Lakeland. Alongside his high school sweetheart, Marissa, Brandon resides in Eagle Lake, with their two dogs. Email

Since 2005, Rian has consistently been one of the Top Brokers in the Tampa Bay region. Prior to joining CBRE, Smith served as Director for Cushman & Wakefield’s Industrial Brokerage Group in Tampa, where he oversaw a portfolio in excess of six million square feet. He holds a B.A. in marketing from Dominican College.

Mike Smith oversees the efforts of Publix’s manufacturing businesses, facilities, distribution facilities, industrial maintenance, industrial operations purchasing, industrial operations business development & IT, corporate quality assurance and the flight department.

Michael A. Spake, MHA, JD is the Vice President of External Affairs and Chief Compliance and Integrity Officer for Lakeland Regional Health. Educated in both law and health administration, Michael is responsible for the oversight and strategic management of governmental relations and community partnerships, as well as the creation, oversight and day- to-day operations of the Compliance & Integrity and Internal Audit Programs.  Michael is a respected relationship builder who has helped to secure over $4 million in programmatic funding for the Family Health Center. He has successfully worked in partnership with legislators to mitigate Medicaid revenue reductions. He is also a member of the executive leadership team that is helping to establish a graduate medical education program.

Jennifer is a senior associate in the Lakeland office, focusing her practice on litigation. Jennifer has extensive experience as a trial attorney, having tried more than 50 jury trials to completion and handled hundreds of motions before the court. Following her graduation from the Stetson University School of Law in 2010, she joined a boutique family law firm as an associate. Additionally, During her time as Assistant State Attorney, her cases ranged from home invasion robbery and drug trafficking, to DUI manslaughter and attempted murder. Her years spent as a trial attorney have helped mold her into a fierce advocate, a trait which she now uses to champion for her clients. Following her work in the State Attorney’s office, Jennifer served a public policy manager for child welfare where she took an active role in determining the impact of legislative and/or political activities at the federal, state, and/or local levels.

Additionally, Susan was then responsible for the real estate and hard asset portfolio for a Greenwich family office, which had been a private banking client. As the head of real estate, she dealt with the acquisition and disposition strategies for such assets as the purchase of a southeastern based defunct REIT, individual office and multifamily assets in the northeast, an oil terminal facility in Puerto Rico, and the holding/development strategy for 18,000+ acres in central Florida. Susan then went back to the private banking side of the business, both at Citi Group and then Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, where she was responsible for identifying and developing suitable commercial real estate products to meet the needs of bank clients.

Susan earned a BA in economics from Boston University and a Real Estate Finance Certificate from Northeastern University.

Steve Stanford is president of PLANTZ. He started the company in 2004 by combining two established plant service companies, and in 2006 merged with Lakeland’s Plant Manager (owned by Bruce Rumph). Through his leadership PLANTZ has grown to a customer base of almost 500 customers. A 1986 graduate of the University of Florida in Agriculture, Steve combines his plant, people and technology skills daily in his hands-on management of the company. He is a FL Certified Pest Control Operator, and is active in the community.

Charles (Chuck) Sykes was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated in August 2004. Prior to his recent appointment, Mr. Sykes served as Chief Operating Officer since July 2003 and President since May 2004. Mr. Sykes joined the Company in 1986, working his way through the ranks, from various administrative roles while attending school, to a junior sales representative in the Telecommunications Division to various middle-management roles and later serving as General Manager of the Americas. This has led to an extensive career at SYKES, resulting in a comprehensive knowledge of the Company. His experience in operations, accounting, professional services, recruitment, and sales and marketing enable him to manage SYKES’ client relations and the ongoing success of global operations.

Angel is the Director of Sales for the Fairfield Inn and Suites which serves the Lakeland and Plant City communities and businesses. Angel has over 15 years of hotel, sales, and food & beverage experience in the local market.

Sara Taylor

As Marketing & Public Relations at GMF Steel Group, Sara Taylor has a part in consistently innovating GMF's brand to be aligned with the standards of excellence. She also has the honor of being on the Talent Acquisition team where GMF is committed to developing A-Level Talent. After graduating college, Sara Taylor started as GMF’s Business Development Assistant where she monitored bid invitations and learned how to read construction drawings. After a year, she was promoted to Marketing & Public Relations where she now oversees social media, Talent Acquisition, supervises marketing interns, maintains promotional items, and coordinates events, recruiting, and branding.

Macon Tomlinson began his career in western Colorado building industrial and office projects for oil shale service companies long before the current fracking boom. He moved to Lakeland in 1985 and formed his company in 1989. He has built projects in several states and Florida. He is a licensed commercial real estate broker, builder, and investor.

Jim Tormey joined MidAmerica Administrative & Retirement Solutions in 2016 and currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer. Jim initially oversaw both the Account Management and Participant Services teams, while also working on Business Development with both partners and clients. Jim’s focus quickly expanded to include Sales and Marketing, where he fostered partnerships with public sector employee benefits providers to improve the service level and product capabilities of MidAmerica. As CEO, Jim continues to implement growth strategies. He is keenly focused on driving improvements in the client experience by applying innovative technology, growing and diversifying MidAmerica’s client base, providing value-added services, and helping MidAmerica become the nation’s most respected third-party administrator for public sector employee benefits. Jim brought his experience in investment banking, sales and marketing, and the Silicon Valley start-up environment to MidAmerica.  He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and an MBA from Stanford University.

In his role as Regional Director, Ryan oversees all design and construction aspects of Beck’s Florida division. His expertise lies in his ability to create team synergies for the benefit of the project and its participants. Ryan’s propensity to understand complex design and construction challenges, find innovative solutions, and establish open and honest communication with owners and project team members results in successful projects from beginning to end.

Ryan grew up in Winter Haven, Florida and relocated to Tampa in 1994 to attend the University of South Florida. Ryan is married to his wife Charity and they have two sons, Isaac and Gabe. He is an avid University of South Florida Bulls fan, enjoys traveling, boating and spending time with his family. Email

Julie Townsend is the Executive Director of the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority. Julie has been involved in advocating for and promoting Downtown for more than 10 years, first serving as a board member and then Executive Director of the Downtown Lakeland Partnership.”We want businesses to grow and prosper here and help by gathering data about the district and promoting it as a place to locate. We also communicate and facilitate a clean and safe community and work to enhance physical improvements.”

Jan Townsend has served as the administrator of Central Florida SurgiCenter for over twenty years. CFSC is a multi-specialty surgery center that is privately owned. CFSC provides surgical services for ophthalmology, ENT, orthopedic, pain, podiatry, GI, general surgery and plastic surgery patients.

Jonathan Tratt is the founder and Managing Principal of Tratt Properties LLC, a Phoenix based commercial real estate development/investment firm. Mr. Tratt has more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate and has been regarded for his extensive expertise in real estate development, acquisition and property management services for logistics and e-commerce properties. Mr. Tratt was the 2017 National Chairman for NAIOP, The Commercial Real Estate Development Association. He is on the Executive Committee of Valley Forge Military Academy & College Board of Trustees in Wayne, PA and is a Developer Associate Member of SIOR. Jonathan holds a Master of Business Administration in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Dayton.

Karen Turner is the Senior Manager of Billing and Fixed Assets Accounting for Lockheed Martin. She oversees a team that bills more than 300,000 invoices (approximately $42 billion) annually. In her current position, she is also responsible for the asset capitalization, maintenance, retirements, transfers and standard tax reporting for approximately $12.6 billion in gross assets.  Karen has a diverse background in various staff and management positions and has held positions of progressive responsibilities in domestic and International Accounting and Finance. Karen began her career with IBM Federal Systems Division in Owego, N.Y. She was born and raised in Birmingham, Ala. and holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Alabama A&M University as well as an MBA from The Johns Hopkins University.

Kirsten Vignec is a Shareholder in the firm’s Corporate & Tax Group and practice Co-Chair of the Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits Group. She is currently active in both Florida and California. Kirsten’s practice primarily involves employee benefit matters, including legal matters associated with the design and administration of executive deferred compensation plans, welfare benefit plans, Section 401(k) plans, profit sharing plans, and pension plans. Kirsten represents a number of tax-exempt entities as well as for-profit companies. She is a member of the Tax Sections of The Florida Bar and the American Bar Association, as well as the State Bar of California and the District of Columbia Bar.

Darren Vogel oversees the day-to-day operations of the Florida office where he plays an active role in each project. As a registered professional engineer, his experience in commercial, heavy civil and industrial construction make him uniquely qualified to coach field staff on pursuits unique to Florida.

Bryan Waldron is a Regional Sales Manager that supports five properties across Central Florida for Naples Hotel Group, including The Terrace Hotel Lakeland, Tapestry Collection by Hilton. Bryan’s main focus within the NHG Portfolio is the extended-stay market with new hotels in Downtown Orlando and Plant City. Working closely with the NHG Vice President of Sales, Revenue Management, and on-property sales and operations teams, Bryan drives occupancy and RevPAR growth through careful planning and customer service. Since joining NHG, Bryan has overseen two hotels being awarded New Hotel of the Year by Marriott and New Business of the Year by a local Chamber of Commerce.

A Central Florida native, Stacey Heacock Weeks has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry after obtaining her degree in Risk Management and Insurance from Florida State University in 1995.  Stacey’s current role is as Profit Center Leader for the Heacock Team of Brown & Brown, with offices in Lakeland and Sebring. Community involvement has been an important part of Stacey’s professional journey having served as the Chair for Lakeland Chamber of Commerce Board in 2022 and on various boards and committees for organizations throughout her career. Email

Former Mayor Howard Wiggs began a storied career in public service when he was first elected to the City Commission on November 1, 1993; and became Mayor of the City of Lakeland on January 6, 2014; and
when Commissioner Wiggs assumed office, Sony Walkmans were everywhere, Sleepless in Seattle was a hit, Lawton Chiles was Governor; and electric cars were kid's toys.

Commissioner Wiggs became Mayor Wiggs after his election in November of 2013 and has since been committed to elevating the office of Mayor on a regional and statewide basis while representing the City at public functions continuously reminding people of how special a place Lakeland is and that it is a responsibility that all its citizens have, to preserve and protect its uniqueness; and Mayor Wiggs embraced his role as the City's ambassador, he became known for his positive attitude, for handing out Hershey kisses after meetings to his constituents and always rewarding citizens when they said the secret phrase "Love Lakeland" with a #LoveLakeland lapel pin; and Mayor Wiggs early on used up his "Mayors allotment for the creation of task forces," flaunting an unwritten rule for mayors that they each get 3, by creating a record number of task forces on various subjects thereby using up the allotment for future mayors thru year 2052.

Mayor Wiggs, throughout his tenure in public office, established himself as a moderate voice, one who recognizes the value of all citizens regardless of their clout or station in life, and as an advocate for City employees, an advocate for neighborhoods and for all citizens of Lakeland; and

Mayor Wiggs served with pride, honor, integrity and distinction -- having a major impact on what history will show will be some of the City's most important issues, such as the establishment of sound growth policies and planning, the renewed vibrancy of Downtown Lakeland, the Francis Langford Promenade, all of the Community Redevelopment Areas, Lakeland Regional Medical Center expansions and redevelopment, Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, the RP Funding Center, numerous local and regional parks and recreational facilities, all projects that will serve Lakeland's citizens for decades to come; and was a relentless advocate and persistent voice for Home Rule in dealings with the state Legislature and was designated as a Home Rule Hero by the Florida League of Cities.

A third-generation Lakelander and active member of the business community, Mark Wilson is a graduate of Kathleen High School and the University of Central Florida, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering. He started his career working alongside his father, engineer Robert Wilson, and joined North Carolina-based Kimley-Horn in 2002 to establish the firm’s Lakeland office.

Tracy Wilson is the Senior Vice President, IT Strategy, Governance and Business Planning (Office of the CIO) for Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation (MVWC) where she has worked in varying roles for 33 years. In the Office of the CIO, she is responsible for ensuring a consistent and strategic approach to the use of IT across the enterprise, and ensuring a consistent, transparent and efficient methodology to the way the IT organization delivers value to the business; including, financial management, portfolio management and PMO governance, business relationship management, and IT marketing and communications.

Justin is VP of Real Estate for the Florida Division for Palmetto Capital Group. He is responsible for creating strategic partnerships with growing companies and assisting with their build-to-suit real estate development needs.

Jason Witty is the Vice President of Operations for the State of Florida. Jason started with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of New Mexico in 2002, as the Information Technology Manager. In 2005, he and his family moved to Florida, to take the Director of Information Technology role. Jason has worked with both corporate supply chain leadership as well as the Florida Operations team to evolve the SGWS distribution network into an efficient, centralized service model. Jason has his undergraduate degree from Florida Southern College and his sons are pursuing their undergraduate degrees from the University of South Florida.