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With 400+ expert providers, 40+ specialties, and personalized care available at 30+ locations — we are here just for you!
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Business of Baseball
Photo by Jordan Randall
FEATURES
18 METRO
A powerlifter’s incredible story of redemption, a charcuterie spot ready to serve you, a local team dedicated to saving lives and more.
60 [S]ELECT OUR NEXT CHAPTER
Ages 24 to 75, an experienced city leader and three newcomers looking to change the future. Allow conversations with each to inform, inspire and evoke questions.
94 TIME TO GET OUT AND VOTE
All the details you need to engage in your civic duty in Lakeland’s Fall election.
42 THE BUSINESS OF BASEBALL
A longtime baseball aficionado’s plan to reinvigorate Tigertown beyond Spring Training.
84 COMMISSION CANDIDATES
It’s Dennis Odisho vs. Ashley Troutman in the Southwest District (District C) and Kim-Marie Noble vs. Mike Musick in the Southeast District (District D).
Find out what matters most to these City Commission candidates.
Did you know that God is into high quality customer service? You might not think of the Apostle Paul as a world class salesman, but in fact he hustled to make a living as a tent maker, and most importantly, he was a working class servant willing to do the hard, and often disregarded, work of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
As he wrote in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Perseverance in doing good and treating people right, even when it’s challenging, is one characteristic of doing good business.
While not everyone follows the teachings of Jesus, I see time and again that treating people right is always good business.
I recently was on the receiving end of grace from a local business woman who had every right to be frustrated with me.
Shauna Dykes is the Vice President of Districts for Junior Achievement Tampa Bay, and her leadership has helped spur on the development of the The Barnett Family JA Discovery Center at Teneroc High School.
I had a wonderful and insightful interview with her as part of putting together a story about the new development but unfortunately a word I overlooked in the copy editing process changed the meaning of a direct quote from her from extremely encouraging to incorrect and depressing. She called me—and she started out by thanking our team for a great article and for taking the time to share the important information—and then gently asked me to look at the sentence in question. I was mortified by the mistake and was reminded, once again, of the permanency of print.
I apologized profusely, she kindly stated we all make blunders and I immediately corrected the error on our website and digital issue.
I then posted a gallery and the story on our Facebook page, and over the next several days I saw comment after comment about the importance of this project and
the significant impact JA is having on the next generation. That post has been viewed nearly 100,000 times. It should be no surprise that an organization with leaders like Shauna can flourish, because two things are true: it has been a long, winding journey to get the Discovery Center in place, and it’s the things no one sees, like picking up the phone to calmly work through a challenge, that are foundational to long-term sustainable success. Treating people right is always good business. In this issue, we delve into how one great relationship can be the impetus for a web of mutually beneficial partnerships, we examine what it might take for Tigertown to become a hub of commerce and community beyond Spring Training and we converse with mayoral and city commission candidates about the business of making our city a better place for all.
You probably won’t walk away with a million-dollar idea or a five-step process of guiding business principles, but you might have a renewed appreciation of the importance honest, grace-filled relationships play in contributing to a society that can be filled with both dollars and sense.
As Proverbs 28:6 reads, “Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.”
RJ Walters EDITOR
AS SCENE HERE
catapultlkld Oct 10
Congratulations to @bluebirdpropertymedia , @bythechefpizza , and @cleancoast_exterior who were collectively awarded $14,000 to help the growth of their businesses! Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday for Launch Pitch Night. Not only are you supporting these entrepreneurs, but also the Lakeland Community!
lkdflyingtigers Sep 16 YOUR 2025 FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!
First team in FSL history to win BOTH halves AND go undefeated in the postseason!
mobleyproductions Oct 13
This night was a reflection of faith, hard work, and heart. God was truly present in every moment. Grateful for everyone who poured their time and talent into making this possible.
#hopehousegala
While we breathe new life into a corridor of the city with rich history and ripe with opportunities.
We are transforming the historic Searstown location of years past to a space for Lakelanders to work, connect and play.
Just minutes from downtown, now is the time to join MidTown Lakeland.
+ Office spaces w/ access to conference rooms & kitchens from $500 per month
+ Fully furnished restaurant kitchens and bays for $2,000 per month
+ Mini boutique spaces perfect for retailers starting at $275 per month
+ Artists studios inside the Depot Arts District for $500 per month
Contact us today at 863-661-7313
CONTRIBUTORS
TOM HAGERTY
Born and raised in Detroit, photographer Tom Hagerty now calls Lakeland home. Among his many activities he serves as photographer for the Detroit Tigers, Lakeland Flying Tigers and Major and Minor League Baseball.
LAUREN LAWSON
Lauren is a senior studying creative writing at the University of Central Florida with a passion for storytelling and community.
When she’s not editing or exploring Lakeland’s local gems, she’s curled up with a good book, baking something sweet, or savoring a perfectly whisked matcha.
HOLLY CAIN
Holly is a proud Lakeland High School alum and graduate of University of South Florida who has established herself as a premiere sports journalist, and one of the finest NASCAR writers in the history of the sport. She was the first woman to receive the Bob Russo Founders Award, an honor given for “dedication to motorsports” while showing “courage and providing inspiration in the face of personal adversity.”
She has worked at large daily news outlets including The Tampa Tribune, Dallas Morning News and Seattle PostIntelligencer. She is a published author of several books including “NASCAR Mavericks: The Rebels and Racers who Revolutionized Stock Car Racing.” She loves the beach, being a mom and David Bowie.
Lakeland High School And Florida Southern College Launch Educator Academy
Polk County Public Schools recently announced the launch of the Educator Academy, an innovative partnership between Lakeland High School and Florida Southern College that will inspire and prepare future educators.
The Academy currently serves 55 students in grades 9-12 and provides a unique, hands-on pathway into the teaching profession.
Under the SAIL (Serious About Innovative Learning) and CTE (Career and Technical Education) umbrella, students at Lakeland High School can select the Educator Academy as their elective each spring. Students who live outside the school’s attendance zone can apply during the School Choice Priority Window, which typically runs from mid-January to mid-February.
“This partnership between Lakeland High School and Florida Southern College will inspire our students and provide them with a pathway to pursue a career within education,” said Alain Douge, principal of Lakeland High School. “As a Florida Southern
graduate, I can confirm that our students will receive a first-class opportunity to be career ready from both Polk County Public Schools and Florida Southern College. Our students are learning from exceptional educators while developing the skills and passion needed to make a lasting difference in their own communities.”
From their first year in high school, Educator Academy students gain immersive classroom experiences through Florida Southern College’s renowned School of Education. Their work includes time at Roberts Academy, FSC’s on-campus school for children with dyslexia, as well as placements in Polk County public schools.
Through a combination of articulated credit and dual enrollment opportunities, students can complete the equivalent of five collegelevel education courses by the time they graduate high school. Throughout the program, participants collaborate with Florida Southern faculty, complete authentic education coursework, and build the professional skills necessary to become classroom leaders.
A Book Inspired by Parenting a Tribe That Grew Up in Lakeland
When reading Pam Mutz’s recently published book “Richer by the Dozen,” one might wonder if there are more pages in the book (284) or more personal journals she has written over the years as she and her husband, Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz, raised 12 children.
The book blends vulnerable stories with honest reflections from both Pam and her now-grown children, each offering a unique perspective on how surrender takes shape in different seasons of life. For anyone wrestling with the tension between their plans and God’s purpose, this book is a transformative reminder that when people release what they’re holding too tightly, there is the opportunity to gain far more than imagined.
Mutz utilizes honesty and humor to offer hard-earned wisdom that has come from living through realities that are both heartwarming and heartbreaking, including the loss of her son Jonathan when he was just seven months old.
Pam and Bill have lived lives dedicated to sharing the Gospel and what God has taught them about parenting and marriage. They have long served on Family Life’s “Weekend to Remember” speaker team and have had parts of their story documented for radio, print publications and digital audiences.
The couple are grandparents to 30-plus grandchildren (and counting.)
Pam recently held a book signing in Downtown Lakeland, and “Richer by the Dozen” can be purchased online in paperback or audiobook format from retailers like Amazon.
Learn more about Pam and the book at dozenmom.com
Lakeland Arts Association Announces Grand Opening of Depot Arts District
The Lakeland Arts Association recently announced the grand opening of the Depot Arts District, Lakeland’s newest hub for creativity and community engagement, at the location of the historic Sears Town complex on Memorial Blvd.
The inaugural event Depot Walk, “Artwork Comes to Life,” will take place on November 1 from 6 to 9 p.m. at 955 E. Memorial Blvd.
The opening night will offer guests an exclusive first look at the new gallery spaces and artist studios, which can be rented for $500 per month. .
Attendees can enjoy a variety of activities including face painting, a studio decorating contest, and the district’s very first gallery show.
Visitors are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite artwork and immerse themselves in an evening filled with art, fun, and community spirit.
“We are excited to bring this vibrant new space to Lakeland, providing opportunities for local artists and art lovers to connect, create, and be inspired,” said Sherry Ross, President =of the Lakeland Arts Association. “The Depot Arts District represents our commitment to fostering the arts and building a dynamic cultural destination for our city.”
The event is free and open to the public.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PUBLIX EMPLOYEES FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIX EMPLOYEES FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
Atthe Oakbridge shopping center, a new business stands as a symbol of both history and growth. Publix Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) recently opened its newest Lakeland branch there, joining the long-standing headquarters branch already rooted in the city. For PEFCU, expanding in Lakeland isn’t just about adding another location—it’s about strengthening its connection to the community where it began nearly 70 years ago.
“Lakeland is home,” says CEO Jeremiah Kossen. “This is where our credit union started in 1957 with George Jenkins, John Turner, and other Publix leaders who wanted better financial options for Publix associates. To add another branch here shows our commitment to this community and to the associates and families who make Publix what it is.”
That commitment to growth extends beyond Lakeland. PEFCU also recently opened new branches in Jacksonville, bringing the total branch count to 10. And according to Kossen, this is only the beginning: “We have our eyes on additional locations in the near future so we can continue meeting members where they are.”
For Lakeland residents, PEFCU may appear like a standard financial institution, but to its members it feels more like family. Chief Experience Officer Shannon Patten explains, “When people hear our name, we want them to know we’re not just another credit union. We’re a trusted partner for
Publix associates and their families. Our members aren’t customers—they’re neighbors, coworkers and friends. They are the heart of who we are, and everything we do is about helping them succeed.”
As PEFCU grows its footprint in Lakeland, financial stewardship remains at the heart of its mission. Chief Financial Officer Stephanie Straker emphasizes that strength and trust are inseparable.
“Members place their confidence in us to protect their hard-earned money,” she says. “That’s not something we take lightly. Every decision we make is with two goals in mind: supporting our members today and ensuring PEFCU is just as strong for the next generation.”
That philosophy has helped PEFCU earn a spot among the nation’s top five percent of credit unions with more than $1.7 billion in assets and an A+ financial health rating. But Straker is quick to point out that the numbers aren’t the story. “What matters most is what those numbers make possible—more first-time home buyers, more Publix families with peace of mind and more opportunities for us to give back locally.”
In Lakeland, community ties run deep, and PEFCU has made giving back a natural part of who it is. The credit union sponsors local events, partners with area nonprofits and encourages its associates to volunteer their time.
“Supporting the community is woven into everything we do,” Patten says. “Whether we’re helping with financial education, lending a hand at a service project, or sponsoring a local program, we know that when Lakeland thrives, our members thrive.”
Kossen said the new Oakbridge branch is designed not just to expand convenience, but also to make PEFCU more visible and accessible in the neighborhoods where members live and shop.
With two branches in Lakeland and a growing membership of over 120,000 Publix associates and their families, PEFCU is both honoring its roots and embracing the future. The credit union continues to expand digital platforms, strengthen financial education and roll out programs that make major life steps more accessible—from buying a first car to saving for the holidays.
“We’re not trying to be the biggest credit union,” Kossen says. “We’re striving to be the most trusted. For us, success means every member feels cared for, confident and proud to call PEFCU their financial home.”
Patten said from the time Mr. Turner and “Mr. George” founded PEFCU in 1957 until today the promise has been that the credit union will care for Publix associates, their families, and this community with the same dedication that guided us since the very beginning.”
Kossen puts it plainly: “Service is our purpose—always has been, always will be.”
From left to right: CFO Stephanie Straker, CEO Jeremiah Kossen, Chief Experience Officer Shannon Patten
WRITTEN BY LAUREN LAWSON
PHOTOS BY MADI ELIZABETH
Adecade ago, Ayecia Bryant stood at a crossroads. “I had to make that decision to live or die,” she recalls. “So, I chose life.”
At the time, she was a stranger to herself, reeling from a long, abusive relationship and carrying the weight of trauma both physical and emotional. “My life took a dramatic turn. I was severely overweight, depressed, and barely surviving each day. I desperately wanted to take my life back, but I just didn’t know how.”
Six to seven workouts a week, sometimes twice a day, to drown out the noise in her head. The pounds dropped, but something greater fell away too: the shame and the selfdoubt. “I lost 85 pounds on my own,” she says. “Then I got bored with regular weight loss and wanted to do something that would keep me in shape. I was going to get my power back by any means necessary.”
That “something” was powerlifting.
Introduced to the sport in 2017 at age
30, Ayecia discovered she was a natural. A year later, she entered her first local meet and deadlifted 315 pounds on her first attempt. Now, nearing 40, she remains unapologetically herself, often sporting long, painted nails as a deliberate challenge to conventional notions of strength.“Women are capable of being in strength sports and still maintaining their femininity,” she says. “I want women to know that their strength is their beauty.”
Ayecia Bryant has since won national titles in the Open and Submaster divisions of the American Powerlifting Federation, broken Florida state and national records, broke a Guinness World Record and even earned a key to the city. The whole experience is still surreal to her, “I’m just little Ayecia,” she says, “coming in the gym and just lifting my weights, sometimes I don’t even realize the impact that I’ve made.”
For Ayecia, the deadlift, a literal act of raising something lifeless from the ground,
became symbolic of her own rebirth. “If I’ve done all this work to get it off the floor, it’s coming with me,” she says, smiling. Her mantra before a big lift? “Turn the human off. Turn the monster on.”
In 2021, she turned that ethos into empowerment for others, launching Queenz of Power, an all-female powerlifting team built for “the everyday woman: moms, entrepreneurs, corporate women, anyone wanting to reclaim their body.” Though some of the original members have moved on, a few still compete alongside her at nationals. “It makes my heart smile,” Ayecia says. “Even though we’ve all grown in different directions, I know I made an impact. Now they’re teaching other women the importance of strength training. It’s like, okay, they heard me.”
Ayecia Bryant’s foundation is as strong as her lifts. Born in Bartow and raised in Lakeland, she credits her parents, Samuel and Carolyn Bryant, with her grounded sense of purpose. Her father is an ardent supporter of local politics, and her mother is the former assistant principal at Rochelle School of the Arts. “If you see me, you see them,” she says. “They’re front row, center, every time.”
That same community spirit surrounds her at every level. From her nail tech, Micaela, owner of Polish Please, to her meal prep team at Forte Fuels, and the designer behind her custom gym apparel, Bryant’s circle reflects the strength she’s built. Much of that community also centers around Southern Strength Gym, where she trains and connects with other athletes who share her drive. Designer Justin Pineda, owner of Gym Gurus Apparel, remembers their first meeting vividly. “I’d heard of her and what she stood for,” he says. “She believed in advocating for women in a space often seen as masculine, especially for minority women. She had that grind.”
For Justin, it’s about more than clothes. “You have to embrace your strength, not run from it,” he says. “Finding your people, that’s what keeps you going. Ayecia does that naturally. She’s a magnet for women who want to get stronger.”
Ayecia’s most recent project, her book “Beneath the Barbell,” was published in June. It chronicles how the sport helped her reclaim her voice. She lights up when she talks about women like Tia, a reserved lifter she coached who found her confidence through the barbell. “That was me before I started lifting,” Ayecia says. “She’s still competing. I’m so proud, because this sport isn’t for everybody.”
Even now, she’s still surprised when strangers approach her to say they watch her videos. “They’ll just say, ‘You inspire me,’” she shares. “And I just take it day by day.”
Her deadlift anthem says the rest: Rick Ross’s “Devil Is a Lie.” “If I start doubting myself, that song comes on,” she says. “The devil is a lie. Focus on what you’re doing right now. Pick it up.” Because for Ayecia Bryant, every lift is a resurrection. Strength, after all, is the story of her life.
Positioned for the Future
President
How Local Banking Has Played a Key Role in Local Growth from Generation to Generation
WRITTEN
PHOTOS
BY
BY
RJ WALTERS
MADI ELIZABETH, JORDAN RANDALL,
& PROVIDED BY BANK OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BANK OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
Relationships matter, especially when it comes to knowing who to trust in a growing market and understanding your client’s needs.
The Saunders family embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of Lakeland with successful businesses in a variety of distinctive spaces. Dean, Gina and their children and their children’s spouses have built legacies in real estate, jewelry and fashion, all while relying on the personalized approach and purpose of local banking, evident by their long-term relationship with Bank of Central Florida.
Dean Saunders, founder of Saunders Real Estate, Saunders Land and Saunders Commercial, has built a vastly successful enterprise that has expanded to five states since he launched it in 1996.
Saunders served as a state representative for Polk County in the Florida House of Representatives from 1992 to 1996, and the eighth-generation Floridian has established himself as a leader in conservation easements and protecting Florida’s natural beauty so it can be enjoyed for generations to come.
As Saunders recently reflected on nearly three decades of growth, he shared the pivotal role community banks have played. When Bank of Central Florida started in 2007, This long-standing relationship, spanning 19 years, is more than just transactional; it’s a partnership built on trust and shared values.
“I’m a satisfied customer and a shareholder,” Dean quips with a smile, highlighting the bank’s strong performance and sound management.
Tyler Davis, President of Saunders Real Estate, and Dean’s son-in-law, emphasizes the relational nature of their business that is epitomized by Bank of Central Florida. Working with landowners and farmers, a personal connection is paramount.
“We look for that same level of trust and relationship and commitment that we expect out of our agents,” Tyler states, finding it consistently at Bank of Central Florida. He values accessibility and familiarity, noting, “Anytime I call, somebody picks up, and if not, they get right back to me.”
The bank’s investment in technology has also impressed
Tyler, allowing Saunders Real Estate to “ramp up and scale our operations and be able to do a lot more from a financial perspective.”
This technological edge, combined with the personal touch, provides the leadership at Saunders with the confidence that their financial operations are in capable hands, freeing them to focus on the company’s expansion.
Dean further underscores the importance of these relationships, especially as Lakeland experiences rapid growth. He believes that maintaining a sense of community amidst change requires everyone to work together, and having a bank where he can simply “pick up the phone and call Dawn” who already knows his financial situation, is invaluable.
He’s referring to Dawn Lyons, a Commercial Relationship Manager. Lyons notes that learning from clients and advising them at the same time makes for a win-win for all parties involved.
“What I love most about my job is...you can see different trends within diverse industries, and I have the opportunity to collaborate and better advise clients,” Lyons said.
Speaking of collaboration, the Saunders have built a legacy of doing that through the business Dean started. His son Trent Saunders is one of the company’s top producers behind Dean and has been with the company for 14 years. Dean’s son-in-law, Nick Dabbelt, recently joined the business on the commercial team.
Gina Saunders, owner of Gaines Jewelers and Dean’s wife, took over the nearly 90-year-old downtown Lakeland institution in 2017. For Gina, the business is an “honor and privilege” to be a part of people’s milestone moments, from engagement rings to fine china to baby gifts. The relationship between Gaines and Bank of Central Florida began when Gina purchased the store, a conscious decision to partner with a local institution. Her late father, a pharmacist and drugstore owner in High Springs, Florida, instilled in her the importance of buying local first.
“They’re people who know your name. They know your family, they care about your business. They’re supporting the same causes that you’re supporting,” Gina says.
Lake Mirror Auditorium
The Magnolia Building
Peggy Brown Building
This deep understanding of the local economy and community proved especially crucial during challenging times like COVID-19. The bank helped Gaines Jewelers bridge the gap when merchandise delivery schedules shifted, providing a working credit line to navigate the change in their cyclical business.
Gina praises the bank’s responsiveness, highlighting how quickly issues are resolved, allowing her and her team to focus on their customers and the “special moments” they help create.
She firmly believes that valuing local relationships over being “just a number” in a corporate entity is key to their success.
Knowing she has a team of business professionals behind her every step of the way enables her to both innovate—such as the recent subscription launch for customers to buy a piece of fine china each month to build their collection—and continue the tradition of being a trusted local jeweler who can provide individuals with exactly what they are looking for.
“We have one family with five boys and all five couples got their engagement rings here,” Gina says, referring to longtime clients. “It’s an honor and privilege to be part of people’s milestone moments and family history.”
Caroline Saunders Davis, Dean and Gina’s daughter, is the owner of 8.28 Boutique, a space she touts as a “one-stop-shop for trendy, affordable clothing & accessories,” and The Smocked Swan, a children’s store she opened to fill a need in the Lakeland community, and which she co-owns with her mother, Gina. For Caroline, strong relationships are essential for building successful businesses.
“When people trust you, they support you,” she notes.
Her experience with Bank of Central Florida mirrors her parents’.
From generation to generation, there is an importance placed on the strength of relationships to grow the local community. This sentiment underscores the idea that local banking transcends mere transactions, becoming a partnership where community members help each other reach their goals.
Bank of Central Florida | Member FDIC
Life-Saving Surgery Options Close to Home
WRITTEN BY RJ WALTERS | PHOTOS BY LAKELANDER MEDIA
For too long, residents of Polk County in need of specialized neurosurgical care—including stroke patients—faced a daunting journey along Interstate 4 to Tampa or Orlando that not only could be anxiety inducing but could compromise the odds of the best long-term outcomes. In medicine, it’s not cliche to state that “every minute counts.”
Today, thanks to the intentional investment in the tools and expertise needed, Lakeland Regional Health is a highly rated neurosurgery center that has become vital to meeting the growing patient demand in Polk County.
LRH, in partnership with the University of South Florida, has assembled an entire team of neurosurgeons specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of strokes, brain tumors and spine disorders, covering the entire spectrum of neurosurgical procedures from complex brain and spine surgery to minimally invasive and endovascular procedures.
A cornerstone of LRH’s neurosurgery offering is its Comprehensive Stroke Center, which has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval Accreditation and the American Stroke Association and the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check Mark for Comprehensive Stroke Certification. These accolades recognize the significant resources, specialized staff and rigorous training required for treating complex stroke cases.
From top to bottom, left to right:
Dr. Davide Croci, Dr. Gabriel Flores-Milan, Dr. Martin Radvany, Dr. Michael Campanelli, Dr. Jose Torres Gluck, Dr. Sheyar Amin, Dr. Abdul Yassin Kassab.
Dr. Martin Radvany, a specialist in Radiology and Interventional-Radiology, who has been instrumental in establishing and building the stroke program, notes that a stroke is a painless emergency that is often ignored because people might just feel they are suddenly a little weak and expect for it to improve in time.
The reality is that there is a four-and-a-half hour window in most cases for a stroke patient to receive critical care that is most effective at restoring blood flow and minimizing irreversible brain damage.
As Dr. Sheyar Amin, an interventional neurologist, puts it, he is “in a race against the clock” when treating a stroke patient because the team needs to get the blood vessel opened up as quickly as possible to improve the odds of a better outcome.
“Time is brain. When you have a place this close [by] to be treated properly there is less risk of complications happening, better recovery, better outcomes,” he says. “Having something close by will benefit not only patients or families, it’ll save brain cells.”
Dr. Radvany says that getting a stroke victim the treatment they need in the time frame necessary is “one of the few experiences that can be so life changing,” and Lakeland Regional Health has the advanced tools and facilities to make that possible.
He mentions the use of specialized tools are helpful to more accurately and safely open up blood vessels compared to the traditional balloon method.
“We’re really cutting edge and our goal ultimately is to start becoming involved in research so that we are literally at the bleeding edge of medicine,” he says. “Our goal is to be…evaluating new treatments before they even become mainstream…and we’re already doing everything that anybody else across the country does as far as cerebral vascular disease.”
The neurosurgeons encourage people to memorize the phrase B-E-F-A-S-T when evaluating the possibility of a stroke, an acronym that stands for: balance (sudden loss), eyes (loss of vision), face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty and “time” to call 9-1-1.
The neurosurgery department’s expertise extends beyond stroke care to a wide range of complex brain and spine conditions.
Dr. Gabriel Andres Flores-Milan, who specializes in complex brain and spine surgery, is an expert in super minimally invasive techniques, particularly endoscopic skull base and endoscopic spine surgery.
He calls himself a “forever student” who loves to learn, not just about advanced techniques and emerging technologies, but about the unique life experiences and perspective of the patients he serves.
“We have to not to lose our humanity, [to remember] that every patient we deal with that is…not a disease, [he or she] is a human being,” he says. “You have to take into account their social factors like support and loved ones and ‘What is the goal of the surgery?’ and do we have to at the moment save a life or save a limb…you have to take everything into account.”
He joined the LRH team last year and is ecstatic to have found a tight-knit community where he hopes to make a difference for years to come.
Dr. Davide Croci, chief and director of neurosurgery, who specializes in complex brain and spine surgery, has played a key role in the department’s rapid growth since his arrival three years ago. He highlighted the introduction of high-level navigation systems for spine surgery, neuro monitoring, and robotic spine surgery, which enhance patient safety and accuracy. He also mentioned the use of fluorescence dyes in brain tumor surgery, which helps surgeons differentiate tumor cells from normal brain tissue.
Croci has authored more than 50 peer reviewed publications, he is a frequent reviewer of multiple journals and he regularly speaks at national and international neurosurgical conferences.
“I think research is one of the keys to continue to question ourselves [about whether] we’re doing the right thing for the patients, to investigate and also to understand what are the best treatment options for our patients,” he says.
Dr. Abdul Mounnem Yassin Kassab, who specializes in complex spine surgeries, recently joined the team and is already making a significant impact.
This summer he performed surgery on a tumor using carbon fiber composite screws, which significantly reduces artifacts in postoperative MRI scans, allowing for more accurate radiation planning.
“Having this technology is absolutely helpful in planning postoperative treatment for those patients,” he explained, emphasizing the multidisciplinary approach to patient care.
Dr. Jose Torres Gluck, a neurosurgeon with more than 30 years of experience, was recruited by Lakeland Regional Health and USF in 2013. He specializes in disc replacement surgery and minimally invasive spine surgery.
The long-time New Yorker was initially squeamish at the site of a live operating room, but the chance to work in a neurosurgery department during his first summer of med school captivated him.
He appreciates the variety of different opportunities that come with being a neurosurgeon, performing everything from brain tumor removals to subdural hematoma evacuations to disc replacements. Dr. Torres Gluck wants people to recognize LRH not only as a trauma center, but also as a destination for comprehensive neurosurgical care.
One long-time doctor who has helped LRH raise its profile and capabilities in the neurosurgery unit is Dr. Michael Campanelli.
When he looks back on his 25-plus year career in Lakeland, Dr. Campanelli is proud to have helped spur key advances that include the addition of the BrainLab technology in 2002, which he uses regularly, as well as advanced navigation in spinal surgery.
“It’s very precise and it makes putting instrumentation in the spine much easier than it used to be,” he says.
Dr. Campanelli says Lakeland has been an ideal place to raise his family. He adds that he has always considered his patients to be extended family and considered it to be a privilege be part of life-changing and life-saving procedures for so many individuals in the community.
“Time is brain. When you have a place this close [by] to be treated properly there is less risk of complications happening, better recovery, better outcomes.”
- Dr. Sheyar Amin
hen Lyzette and Ira Bryant opened Graze Craze in June 2024, it marked a new chapter in a life already defined by service and community. After 30 years in the military, Ira was preparing to transition into civilian life. One of his mandatory classes, Boots to Business, introduced the idea that military skills could translate into entrepreneurship.
But Ira’s specialty—field artillery and air defense—didn’t have a direct civilian equivalent. That’s when the couple connected with The Entrepreneur’s Source, a group that walked them through potential franchise opportunities. After a careful vetting process, they were presented with three options. Graze Craze, owned by United Franchise Group, stood out.
“We had always talked about owning our own business,” Lyzette says. “With deployments and raising a family, it just wasn’t possible before. This felt like the right time.”
For 20 years, Lyzette worked for Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards. When the opportunity came, the couple jumped in—combining Ira’s discipline and logistics experience with Lyzette’s creative eye.
Inside the shop, Lyzette has earned a fitting nickname: the “board-building queen.” She can assemble popular options like the Large Gone
Grazy board almost on autopilot. But what excites her most is experimenting with new creations—like their upcoming wine pairing board, which will feature honey pistachio–rolled goat cheese and other seasonal flavors, paired with wine curated by sommelier Warner Boin.
“Our other most popular option is the Sweet & Grazy board, which is also my favorite to make. It’s fun and delicious… and yes, I nibble a little while I work,” Lyzette added playfully.
What sets Graze Craze apart from traditional catering is their speed and focus. Many caterers require 24 to 48 hours’ notice—Graze Craze can create a board in just a few hours. By keeping their offerings focused on charcuterie rather than hot meals or complex menus, they can deliver high-quality boards quickly. Whether for a small gathering or a large event, they’re ready to customize—down to the smallest detail.
“Recently, a bride asked if she could bring her own board. I gave her some guidelines to make it easy for us to prep and transport,” Lyzette added, “that’s the fun part of owning your own business—you get to make those calls and connect with people personally.”
For Lyzette, charcuterie is more than a business—it’s a way to bring people together. Her favorite projects are grazing tables: elegant flat lays designed to spark conversation. “I always say
a grazing table brings people to the table,” she says. “You won’t see people gathering around a container of fettuccine alfredo, but they will linger at a charcuterie board, trying new things and talking with each other.”
Their boards have become a staple at ribbon cuttings, open houses, office parties, weddings and even funerals— moments where food creates connection.
With the holiday season approaching, the Bryants encourage pre-orders for events and celebrations. More than anything, they’re focused on growing with the community they now serve.
“We love being part of this community,” Lyzette says. “And we can’t wait to keep growing with it.”
4525 S. Florida Ave. Ste. 30 (863) 606-5002
grazecraze.com
WRITTEN BY LAUREN LAWSON | PHOTOS BY JORDAN RANDALL | DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GRAZE CRAZE
PHOTOS BY JORDAN RANDALL AND PROVIDED BY TOM HAGERTY WRITTEN BY HOLLY CAIN
A
he Detroit Tigers new Vice President Baseball Operations-Lakeland, Andy Dunn took a seat in his office-with-a-an-enviable view, the floor-to-ceiling windows overlook his work domain, the immaculate Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.
Banners honoring Detroit Tiger legends from Ty Cobb and Lou Whitaker to Al Kaline and Jack Morris hang outside just below the office. An open laptop and a desktop computer dominate Dunn’s desk. A bulletin board is filled with yellow sticky notes and tacked-on reminders.
High on the otherwise blank wall to his left is a television. On it, the Detroit Tigers are beating the Cleveland Guardians in the opening game of the American League Wild Card Series. Dunn smiled as he glanced over at the postseason action, clearly pleased with his new team’s work.
In his brief months-long tenure, Dunn hasn’t taken the time to worry about filling his office with decor. He’s clearly got other priorities and has hit the ground running. The good news for Lakeland residents is that he really likes the potential he sees with that wide encompassing view.
It’s telling that Dunn would much rather talk about his plan for the Lakeland stadium and Tiger teams than talk about himself. He has been busy meeting with city leaders and longtime team supporters, getting acquainted with his new staff and introducing himself to the Lakeland Police Chief.
Andy Dunn Vice President Baseball Operations-Lakeland
“Met Andy the first week when he got down here,’’ said Bob Donahay, Lakeland’s longtime director of parks, recreation and cultural arts. “I got a great vibe off of him. He’s a people person and what we liked about him was he not only knows the promotional side of minor league and major league baseball, but he also knows the facility side.
“He’s got a really good background and understands where you’re coming from and what you’re talking about.”
“With Andy it feels different. When you’re in those meetings with him and you’re talking about things that need to be fixed, repaired or changed, Andy’s done that before. He knows how to go about it. I’m not trying to educate someone. I’m talking to someone across the table who has really definitive ideas, which I like.’’
To that point, on one of his very first days on the job, Dunn played host to a ground-breaking ceremony for the Tigers’ new multi-million-dollar Player Development Academy, a 59,000-square foot building billed as a “cutting-edge residential and training facility” that will only further the team’s reputation for first-class facilities at its Lakeland base.
The Lakeland Flying Tigers captured their first Florida State League title since 2012 with a 9-2 victory over the Daytona Tortugas on September 16. Joker Marchant Stadium is home to the Flying Tigers as well as home to the Detroit Tigers Spring Training.
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“
With Andy it feels different. When you’re in those meetings with him and you’re talking about things that need to be fixed, repaired or changed, Andy’s done that before.
”
- Bob Donahay
It all fits in quite nicely with Dunn’s new tenure. His priorities are also big, bold and forward-thinking. He has long established himself a hard-worker and arrives in Lakeland open to ideas and eager to reinvigorate and infuse the city’s nearly 90-year relationship with the Detroit Tigers and Lakeland’s own Flying Tigers—the longest such pairing between a spring training venue and city in the sport.
Tigertown—as locals and Tiger fans know it—is a place Baseball Digest ranked tops among all Spring Training venues four of the last five years (20192023).
“I want this [Lakeland] to be the coolest place to come in town,’’ Dunn said. “And it should be.”
The 56-year old Georgia-native, Florida-raised father of three daughters arrives in Lakeland fresh off a 16-year tenure in Vancouver, British Columbia where he helped transform a bustling waterfront international city—better known for hockey and skiing—into a legitimate baseball hotbed. Dunn’s fresh approach to marketing the Toronto Blue Jays’ high-A league Canadians team—with out-of-the-box thinking and fan-friendly events—created a true diamond in the rough.
And judging by the reaction Dunn’s 2024 departure from Vancouver received, his work was not only much-appreciated, but considered gamechanging. After time with the Florida Marlins and Washington Nationals organizations, he started working in Canada for the Blue Jays in 2007 and was named General Manager of the Canadians in 2018. And he leaves a lengthy resume-highlight reel.
When news of his departure hit last spring, local Canadian news lauded him in big-type headlines touting his “indelible legacy” to the area. Major League Baseball’s website called his tenure in Vancouver, “16 seasons of successes both on and off the field.”
“He (Dunn) found ways to make it fun for everyone and it doesn’t matter if you’re a little kid or a teenager on a date or a grandfather — there’s something there for you,’’ former Canadians coowner Jake Kerr told one local newspaper of Dunn’s mascot races, dancing grounds crew and footlong hot dogs introduced to the Vancouver baseball-converts.
“Andy understood that baseball fans would come for sure, but we needed to make it affordable, family entertainment.
“Did he leave it better than he found it? Absolutely.’’
Left to right: Dan Lunetta, Detroit Tigers Director of Player Development Special Projects, Bob Donahay, Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts for City of Lakeland and Andy Dunn, Vice President Baseball Operations-Lakeland for the Detroit Tigers.
“I tell people all the time, when you take on these operations it’s not like you’re turning around a jet ski. It’s like turning around a cruise ship.”
It’s the tried and tested gameplan of communityfirst, family-fun that Dunn hopes to recreate in Lakeland too.
“I tell people all the time, when you take on these operations it’s not like you’re turning around a jet ski,’’ Dunn said smiling. “It’s like turning around a cruise ship. It just takes some time, but once you get that turn and get the momentum … it starts with ticket packages, marketing, messaging, promotions and fun. Being affordable is always very important, but you have to be involved in the community.’’
Dunn’s community-first approach is already evident. And natural. Moving to Lakeland is a return home of sorts for the former Floridian, who grew up in Altamonte Springs, attended Minnesota Twins spring training games at Orlando’s historic Tinker Field and still fondly recalls the busy Central Florida baseball heydays of the 1980s and 1990s—the area once crowded with MLB facilities in Winter Haven, Plant City, Haines City in addition to Lakeland.
Eventually Dunn went North and played second base at Western Carolina University. But he quickly realized his best position in the sport he so loved was actually going to be off the diamond.
His background and familiarity fuels what Dunn hopes to achieve in Lakeland. He wants to get people back out to the local ballpark where in addition to the traditional Spring Training portion of the calendar, they can also enjoy affordable, fun family nights out watching future superstars on the reigning Florida State League champion Lakeland Flying Tigers.
The Flying Tigers lore dates back to 1963 when the team first became affiliated with the Detroit Tigers farm system. Beloved alumni include Hall of Famers Jack Morris and John Smoltz, as well as household names like Mark Fidrych, Tony Clark and Kirk Gibson.
Dunn hopes promotions with various civic organizations will bring in new eyeballs and create new fans that can be a catalyst for a new chapter in the Flying Tigers history.
“Expand your marketing, expand your promotions and talk to people, be involved in the community,’’ Dunn says of his immediate goals. “The best way to spread the message, I think, is to have other people spread your message by being involved with them. It’s still a small town and your greatest promotion is going to come from word of mouth. I’m just a small-town guy anyway and this is where I feel most comfortable, where I feel at home.’’
Increasing attendance – the last figures available put the Lakeland Flying Tigers just shy of averaging 700 fans a game –will be a priority. And Dunn has proven
a master at such. The Vancouver team, for example, jumped from an average attendance of 3,260 in 2006 to an average of 6,177 in 2016 under Dunn’s leadership. During his tenure the club set five yearly attendance records and was voted minor league organization of the year in 2013.
It’s exactly the kind of promise that gives Lakeland all those good vibes Donahay anticipates.
“He’s coming from an area you had to get out and hustle to put people in the stadium,’’ Donahay said. “You have to remember promoting minor league and major league baseball are two different things. Different business plans.
“That’s what I really like about Andy, he comes in with a business plan – what went well and what hasn’t gone well. And he’s from Florida, so he understands what our Florida weather is like. So, I think coming in for next year, he’s going to have some definitive ideas on the way he wants it to go, to try and get people through the turnstiles.”
The keeper of those turnstiles, Tigertown’s longtime Ground Maintenance Foreman Bryan French
is also enthused about the possibilities Dunn can work at the ballpark. And with such a world-class facility in the city’s backyard, increasing attendance is something French sees as a reasonable priority.
“His eyes aren’t closed and he seems open-minded to any idea,’’ French said of Dunn. “He wants to try things and I’m excited. We’re all in it together and that’s why we have such a long-standing relationship [with the Tigers].”
It’s the kind of community home run Dunn envisions too.
“I want to make sure we’re always thinking and building on us being Lakeland’s hometown club,’’ Dunn said. “This is where you want to come and create memories with your family, your son or daughter, your mom or dad. This place should have so many special memories for everybody in this community and that’s what we want to build upon.
“And it has nothing to do with the score of a game.’’
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INTERVIEWS BY RJ WALTERS
PHOTOS BY JORDAN RANDALL AND MADI ELIZABETH
AGE: 54
PROFESSION: Non-profit professional and Lakeland City Commissioner
POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Republican Party of Florida
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: Founder and chairman of the Randy Roberts Foundation, SUN ‘n FUN board member, Bonnet Springs Park Board member, Polk Arts and Cultural Alliance Board Member, former executive director of Polk Vision and many other past and present
FAMILY: Married to Trey, mother to two children
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
THE LAKELANDER
You know the highs and the lows of what it looks like to manage and to lead in a growing city with a diverse group of people who need served. What’s your ‘Why’ of running for mayor?
SARA ROBERTS MCCARLEY
My why is, ‘Why not me?’ We’re in a volatile political arena right now, and it takes common people to serve. We’re only as good as people who are willing to serve so I applaud anybody who’s willing to serve. For me personally, to serve Lakeland is an honor and a privilege. In 2009, when I was widowed, this community rallied around me. My neighbors rallied around me and took very good care of me and my children.
For me, it’s a no-brainer in that I like serving other people, I like having a mission. I like being on the altar guild at my church and doing the flowers at Easter, I like being on a PTA or a PTO and serving as president, or also serving as a silent auction chair, you know?
When I look at Lakeland as a city with the growth that it’s experiencing, I want to be in the room to make sure that we’re taking care of everyone…that we’re taking care of our residents, we’re taking care of families, we’re taking care of our neighbors
I want to make sure their garbage is picked up on time. I want to make sure that their water is working and coming into the house and going out of the house when it’s dirty. I want to make sure that when they flip the light switch that the lights come on. Doing that means I give up some time with my family and I visit with a lot of different constituents and a lot of different groups and listen to what they have to say and work really diligently behind the scenes to serve them well.
TL
in theory it’s still one of seven votes, and I really like that. I like being part of a collaborative group. I like facilitating, I think I have a strong background in facilitating through nonprofit management, through strategic planning for nonprofits as a consultant through Polk Vision—all of my experiences in those worlds really helped me be a good facilitator. I actually think that that’s part of the role of the mayor, is to facilitate not only the meetings that we have but to facilitate the dialogue between our constituents and between the staff.
For me it’s really using my skillset and my giftings of facilitation, accessibility and thoughtfulness, and listening to both sides, because the truth always lies in the middle. I think it’s really important to be a catalyst and a collaborator in the middle that can say, ‘Well, so this is going on in your neighborhood and this is going on at the city of Lakeland, and we have processes at the city of Lakeland and in public service that private sector doesn’t have.’ We have rules and [regulations] that are different, and you can’t just say we’re going to let you do X,Y,Z. We actually have state statute and law that dictates how we do business, so we have to marry those things together.
“When I look at Lakeland as a city with the growth that it’s experiencing, I want to be in the room to make sure that we’re taking care of everyone…that we’re taking care of our residents, we’re taking care of families, we’re taking care of our neighbors.”
The City has more than 2,800 employees. Why should people trust that you have the experience as well as the intangible skills that are incumbent whenever you’re working with a large diverse group of staff members, really ultimately pointing towards what’s best for Lakelanders? Why do you believe that you’re the person who can really take on that challenge?
SARA
I work hard to be accessible to people. A lot of people have my cell number and text me and they’ll say, ‘I’m sorry to bother you.’ And what I always say is, this is my job. I need to know what’s happening. I can’t work in a vacuum. None of us on the commission can. I think it’s important for people to understand that the mayor is one of seven votes. So although the title is bigger,
TL
Earlier this year, I was at a community breakfast at Dream Center of Lakeland, and the city manager was talking about what’s to come in the city. He specifically said that in the near future Lakelanders and the city commission and city staff are going to have to either create a larger tax base or consider cuts to existing services to balance the budget. What steps would you take if elected mayor to ensure Lakeland is operating at a balanced budget while also offering the types and levels of service that the residents deserve?
SARA
That’s a great question. I think that every elected body, whether it’s local, state, or federal, their only job is to balance the budget. Our only job is to take what comes in from a tax base or from a state or from wherever and put that up against the services that we provide.
The state legislature has done a good job of that the last several years. They’ve balanced their budget. Congress hasn’t, Congress hasn’t balanced a budget since President Clinton was in office. And it’s because you have to make a hard decision and you have to say, we’re gonna cut’ X.’ That’s hard to do when you’re trying to be elected every two years when you’re a United States congressman. You run out of time…you’ve got to play by the rules and both parties, right?
Here, as mayor, I think we need to have a really honest conversation of what those services are and what they look like. Currently, our property taxes, and this is everywhere in most municipalities, they barely touch public safety. We get other money through ad valorem that comes to the Property Appraisers, we get
“I feel like God has tasked me to serve where I am right now to use my gifts, and it’s finite, right? But after that’s finished, I cannot be apathetic about my community. After I finish serving, I still better be going and doing stuff because it’s only as good as what our neighbors do for one another.”
state funding for different things...we are on a pretty lean budget. We also have to be really honest about how the city is working in each and every department. So where you look at Public Works—which that’s roads, sidewalks, tree trimming, all the things that really impact everyday life—it’s really about the hardscape, you know, managing that and then water and wastewater, the infrastructure under the ground, whether it’s broadband or the water system or cable or anything like that.
That’s why I talk a lot in campaign speeches as well as just in my daily life about infrastructure. It’s not sexy…[but] we’ve gotta figure out how to manage the increased construction costs on those things and the reality of the market in which we live and measure that against, how do we balance the budget on that? Is a millage rate a great idea? I don’t think so. I think there’s a way we can tighten things up, but we have to communicate to our constituents what it’s going to be in place of…if we have to cut somewhere, we have to have those hard community conversations with our community. We can have a real serious conversation of, if you want to keep taxes low and you want to pay for growth, how are we going to do that?
TL
What do you see, if anything, as a potential threat to the quality and way of life of Lakelanders over the next five to 10 years? What would you suggest that the city does or
what leaders should explore to kind of preempt something that you see coming?
SARA
Apathy is the number one issue facing any community in the United States of America right now. If you want to sit on your phone in your own echo chamber and get fired up listening to the people who agree with you and not go out into your community and serve someone else, that is to the detriment of a society. We can have discourse and we can serve one another. It’s more important to get our hands dirty together and serve other people than it is to sit behind a screen and pontificate and post about how mad I am about X, Y, and Z.
The city commission is only as good as our constituencies. If you want to be involved, we have boards and committees that you can serve on at the City of Lakeland that we would love to have new faces and people who are willing to volunteer for a finite amount of time. We don’t need career politicians. I have absolutely no interest in doing this the rest of my life. I feel like God has tasked me to serve where I am right now to use my gifts, and it’s finite, right?
But after that’s finished, I cannot be apathetic about my community. After I finish serving, I still better be going and doing stuff because it’s only as good as what our neighbors do for one another, and we’re only as good as the people that we’re serving. So if we’re serving people who are apathetic that is going to make it really, really hard. And I
think that’s the most dangerous place we can be in as a community.
Now, do I think Lakelanders are apathetic? I don’t see it at all right now, but it can easily go awry if we’re not engaged. If we’re not engaged citizens, if we’re not civically engaged with the anchor institutions of our community, we’re gonna have problems. I want to continue to have accessibility. I want to go and talk to young students, college students, civic groups, church groups, Boy Scout groups…to talk about how you get involved in civics. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing either, there are pockets of service that are available to you.
For the full-length interview, scan the QR code.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SARA AND FOLLOW HER CAMPAIGN: saraforlakeland.com
INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK: sara4lakeland
CONTACT HER: sararrmccarley@gmail.com
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AGE: 42
PROFESSION: Professor of Practical Theology at Southeastern University
POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Republican Party of Florida
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: Board member at Church for the One, active member of the Florida Parents Education Association
FAMILY: Married to Sarah, father to four children
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
THE LAKELANDER
Let’s start with the basics. Tell me why we are sitting here talking about a November 4 election that has your name on the ballot. Why are you running for mayor?
CEDRICK VALRIE
I’m running for mayor because I love people. People are at the heart and core of whatever we do. I get the privilege of teaching 18 to 22 year-olds at Southeastern University, and it’s amazing to sit down and listen to them as they talk about their giftings, their talent, their passion, and the results they’d like to see, how it impacts the people that they’re working with now and want to work with in the future. Empowering people matters. It helps them to see that you care, you listen, and that you have a feel for where they are. I want to be that type of mayor with a personal touch—the type of mayor that says, ‘OK, yes, I can lead, but I realize I lead alongside and with the people and with the team of commissioners.’
I think that’s what sets Lakeland’s city leadership apart, that we’re not a strong mayor [system] but that we’re a team-driven leadership. And part of that team also involves the people that we serve; we can listen to them and understand their perspective, even if we disagree, even if we do agree. [The question is] can they walk away from that meeting, whether it’s one-on-one, or in a community setting saying, I felt heard and understood? I believe that given an opportunity to share where I’m coming from, that this team, this city leadership, will move toward the best interest that’s good for everyone, but with my perspective in mind as well. I’m running for the people to have that voice that says, ‘We hear you, we speak for you, we also lead alongside you, we lead together.’
CEDRICK
Having healthy dynamic relationships with all of them I think makes a difference with Lakeland overall. We realize the city manager at the end of the day is the CEO of the city. And I think continuing to empower, to encourage not only those who are making the decisions, but men and women who are in the downlines, we want them to feel good about where they work. We not only want them to live, learn, play and work here in Lakeland, but we want them to love coming to work because of a new culture and atmosphere where people do feel appreciated.
I think that translates into how they treat the citizens overall and their perspective to their work as they get up each morning. I want to create a place where the culture is healthy and vibrant and the citizens feel good about their interaction with city employees, whether it’s a lineman, whether it’s emailing a city clerk or emailing Lakeland electorate, that they feel good not only about the responses, but they feel like [they have] been heard, [they have] been seen, and that we care.
“I’m running for the people to have that voice that says, ‘We hear you, we speak for you, we also lead alongside you, we lead together.’”
Capacity leadership means a lot to me because it shows that I can validate someone’s humanity and at the same time still lead and get the job done. I think sometimes that’s where leadership experience can be blurred. It knows the system in the way that it’s always been and can be blind sometimes [to] the new opportunities that arise, given the current challenges, and sometimes in slowing down to listen to our constituents, they may spark something in us about a particular topic that we need to explore further, and it just may be the game-changing thought to help us move forward as a city.
TL
Our city has nearly 3,000 employees, and like you mentioned, Lakeland operates within a weak mayor system. Every vote on the commission counts and you’re working closely with the city manager, department heads, etc. to make our city run. What is it about your leadership abilities and style that you think fits well within that?
TL What, if anything, would you change about how the city engages with constituents to ensure that there is easy and open access to important information as the commission makes decisions?
CEDRICK
I think that our city is doing a good job as far as the current level of communication, whether you go into the website or whether you’re at one of the public commission meetings on a Monday. I’m just not sure how many citizens are actually able to attend those current commission meetings or are going to the website for such information. I think there would be an opportunity to explore how do we maximize that so that we have more informed citizens as far as how we’re growing, what our challenges are and our approach and to invite that feedback. I think that with the current communications department, who [is] doing a really good job, that we continue to create avenues to hear from our citizens directly.
TL
The City Manager said earlier this year at an event at the Dream Center that it’s inevitable that in the near future the City of Lakeland, in order to maintain a balanced budget, will need to put all options on the table. What steps would you take as mayor to ensure the city is operating at a balanced budget while also offering the types of and level of services that the residents deserve?
CEDRICK
Again, I think hearing from the citizens also impacts that discussion. You know, ‘What are the services that are vital?’, ‘Where are the greatest needs in our community?’ Currently…Lakeland has one of the lowest millage rates there is, and we want to do our
best to keep it that way. So I think it’s vital that we do our best to gather [input] from the citizens on what some of the greatest needs are and what are even some of the approaches that you think that we should look at. We have our everyday citizens who are retired, love [Lakeland], who have poured their lives into making a contribution—and this is home, we want them to speak.
We want to hear from the single mom or single father, we want to hear from the realtors, the businessmen, and businesswomen. We want to hear from those who call Lakeland home, but are still looking for affordable housing to say, ‘OK, here’s what we’re up against…and here’s some approaches that we’re thinking about. What do you say?’ Let’s not only be mindful of our challenges, but let’s work together on a common solution and figuring out the resolve to help us move forward that we feel good about now and for generations to come.
TL
If you’re the mayor and have a voice at the table, how do you look at meeting the needs of the transient and homeless population that is ever present and will always be here while also considering the revitalization of corridors like Memorial Blvd? How do you tackle that challenge and you provide the leadership that takes into account all the different factors?
CEDRICK
When it comes to services and when it comes to serving those who are in the homeless community— they’re a part of who
we are and we understand that there needs to be a level of support there. And I think that support also comes with accountability. There are nonprofits who are doing a really good job in helping to help the city even understand the needs among the homeless population. While there may be some in the homeless community who may not want a particular type of shelter or certain responsibilities to help support that I think for those who do want it that we do our best when it comes to funds that we’re allowed to allocate toward that to help support but make sure that accountability piece is there as well. It shows that Lakeland is for everyone— that place to live, work, and play—and that we all have a role in making that happen both with our with our giftings and our talent, as well as with the wages that we earn because these wages also have to pay for these services as well. So it’s both seeing the need and doing our best to meet the need, but realizing that it takes all of us to help make a contribution, including the ones who are in need.
TL
Anything else that we haven’t covered that you would like to say?
CEDRICK
I care about people. I care about their needs and what they’re facing. And while I understand that I can’t meet all those needs, the city can’t meet all those needs, we can genuinely listen and understand and do our best to target some of those needs, and the
ones that we can target immediately, we will, and the ones that we can target over time, we will. [We will let them] know that we respect the dignity of their humanity and that we will continue to do our best to fight for them, to speak up for them, to stand up for them. But most of all, we’ll think not only of making decisions for the moment, but also for generations to come so that some of the challenges, frustrations and worries that they’re facing now, that we can do our best to offset some of that for the next generation.
For the full-length interview, scan the QR code.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CEDRICK AND FOLLOW HIS CAMPAIGN: cedrickvalrie.com
FACEBOOK: cedrick4lkld
CONTACT HIM: campaign@cedrickvalrie.com
“We have our everyday citizens who are retired, love [Lakeland], who have poured their lives into making a contribution—and this is home, we want them to speak. We want to hear from the single mom or single father, we want to hear from the realtors, the businessmen, and businesswomen.”
AGE: 75
PROFESSION:
Retired professor and family nurse practitioner
POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Democratic Party
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT:
Active in a variety of women’s groups at First United Methodist Church, Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment (PEACE), Lakeland NAACP, board member of Democratic Women’s Club of Lakeland, board member and historian for the Lakeland chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution and many other involvements.
FAMILY:
Married to Dennis, mother to one daughter, and grandmother of two children
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
THE LAKELANDER
You have run for city commission and county commission seats in the past, and now you have stepped up to run for mayor. You mentioned to me earlier that you want to see the city commission go in a different direction, so talk to me about why you are running for mayor and what that different direction looks like.
KAY KLYMKO
[This is a] lifelong trajectory that has led to me running, and the focus of my running is not just a sudden focus on certain areas, this is built on a lot of evidence...[from years] of me working [in] indigent care as a nurse practitioner running a clinic in a very poor neighborhood for a number of years, and also it has to do with 15 years of intense doctoral research with older adults [learning about] what their needs were. [I found] out that what really helped them the most was the social support, the network, even when they were cognitively impaired.
That kind of led me to look at what we in Lakeland have done for our youth populations that are in trouble—they need services—and what we have done for our older adults…and our unhoused people. In those three areas I see a huge gap, and I don’t see the commission really making a commitment or moving at all in those last three years to address those problems. I do feel I have expertise in that area, and that’s why I’m jumping in now, and why I jumped into the last two races as well.
When I moved to Lakeland I became involved—I don’t want to say overly involved—but I’m on like 17 groups, and it may not be an advisory board in downtown Lakeland, but I’ve been a member of the First United Methodist Church, and I’m on like five or six groups there, and active with women’s clubs…helping with KidsPack, part of the book club, smaller circles, United Women of Faith [and] a Sunday School class called ‘Searchers.’ And my faith to me is so important. [Last year] I found out my name ‘Kay’ [means] rejoice and joy, and that’s me. I love, I am a joyful, optimistic, energetic, and motivated person.
TL
TL Yes, that’s a great option that’s available as well. How do you go to a city staff of our size who obviously have upgrades or maintenance or repairs they would love to see in their departments and help them understand how we could redistribute funding?
KAY
I understand the treasurer presented in January at the commission meeting…that we have a very large fund in reserves, and the interest that was earned the year before [was] $35 million plus, so there are funds that…should have liquidity…and be used for operations. Do you put the money back in there so it grows more and more or do you allocate within what the ordinances and the contract allows and divert fund to these other programs? Again, it’s the priority of what’s important. Is it building the wealth or is it taking care of some of the real important needs of our community?
“My faith to me is so important. [Last year] I found out my name ‘Kay’ [means] rejoice and joy, and that’s me. I love, I am a joyful, optimistic, energetic, and motivated person.”
I would first push for evaluating that and what is possible, because it seems I saw in the budget—I mean the budget was hundreds of pages—and the comprehensive plan too, which I read as much of that as I could as well, with the focus on preventing suburban sprawl and focusing on infill building on plats that are vacant that are less than half an acre. The fact we’re gonna run out of water in 15 years—that’s scary. We’re supposed to conserve [and] I bet most people don’t even know how much water they are using.
But back to the budget. There was some money and it just said very briefly, trust redistribution, and it had, I don’t know, maybe $2 million, to ‘parks’. Ok, so is it the [Parks and Recreation Department] that’s going to get it, is that the building of that huge park in [Southwest Lakeland] so more growth and development can occur down there? Or [can it be] redistributed to the senior center, the PAL (Police Athletic League), needed areas, the homeless?
There are pockets of groups that are doing [good] for the homeless, everybody has their own way, their own niche of what they’re doing. Are we filling the need for the individuals who don’t meet the criteria of those people? [Those] who are drunk, they’re high, they need an acute overnight stay in a facility somewhere?
In a piece published earlier this year by LkldNow you did a great job of articulating three projects you see as keystones that you would push for conversation about and try to get approved to benefit [underserved] groups. All of that takes funding, either through redistribution of funding or more funding. City leaders are going to have to start making tough decisions to either increase our tax base or cut some of the existing services to maintain a balanced budget. Let’s talk through that.
KAY
Or [we can] redistribute funds. There is a pendulum that swings back from so much economic growth to our people and some of their needs and the projects that I feel that have been neglected.
TL
In your perspective, when you look at servicing and meeting the needs of people who clearly need someone to come alongside them and show them the opportunities for a better life, how do you balance that with the economic revitalization of let’s say Memorial Blvd.?
KAY
You do have to balance it. That’s the whole key. It can’t be too much one-sided. You can’t stop economic growth, you don’t want to not revitalize, but you need to have balance, and that’s where I say it’s gone too far on one side.
“I’m not gonna be this person that’s just gonna sit back and [ask] ‘What do you want?’ I’m gonna see the problem and I’m going to creatively go out and find the people that I know have answers and bring it all together, bring it up to the table.”
TL
Do you have any other thoughts on when it comes specifically to either looking at the millage rate or considering reduction of some services that maybe are not considered as essential as they once were?
KAY
I am a person that is open to anything. I’m not going to have absolute opinions until I see the evidence of where the city’s at, where the people are at, take it all in, take a step back. Wisdom has taught me when you’re young, you think you know everything.
So I’m a person who listens, but I will actively go out and problem solve. It’s out there that people perceive me as energetic; people also perceive me as pushy. I’m not gonna be this person that’s just gonna sit back and [ask] ‘What do you want?’ I’m gonna see the problem and I’m going to creatively go out and find the people that I know have answers and bring it all together, bring it up to the table.
TL
It’s helpful to say, ‘I want everyone at the table,’ and ‘I want to hear all people’ so we can make good decisions. As the mayor, how would you help make decisions that at the very least take into consideration the many different diverse voices?
KAY
I think one of the problems—I’ll give you the example of [Lake] Bonnie. When I went out there [to visit residents whose homes had flooded due to a hurricane], because of course they asked me...what can I do, you know as a candidate. I said, well, because I’m a believer in chain of command and communications and systems are set up to respect those…that’s the first thing you have to do is go through those channels. Now, the Lake Bonnie people have developed their own informal system—group supports, group social media and that kind of thing. They do not have their neighborhood association…and that is their formalized mechanism that the city has created, and they have not used it, they have not developed it. So that was the first thing I said. You need to apply to be your own neighborhood association and have all of your people join that. And your sister ones that are also having problems that are next to you—you should be working together. As a group, that’s your vehicle, you follow those chains of command and then the commissioners can come and help support. There is a coordinator there
with the commission for the neighborhood associations so you’ve got to do your part. You have got to go through the channels that are developed for you to give feedback, you just can’t be out on your own.
TL
When you think about what the future looks like for the mayor and the commission for the next five to 10 years, what comes to mind in terms of the greatest threats to the way of life in Lakeland? And how do you help navigate that and try to help prevent that?
KAY
In the [city’s] comprehensive plan that goes to 2030 they’re saying we don’t want to do urban sprawl, we want to fill in the infields…and I can understand because if there’s urban sprawl, then utilities have to go out there, and that’s a costly thing. So the more that we can keep the growth in the area where we can manage it, which is difficult enough, we want to promote that. But I think that’s shortsighted. In five to 10 years—and I’ve talked with experts in our community that are looking 50 to a hundred years out and 50 to a hundred years out there is no room for what they’re talking about unless you’re going to build skyscrapers in Lakeland. I don’t think people are going to go for that.
So in the long term, I think we are going to have to look south of Bartow in some of those areas and east, and I worry about the Lakeland Ridge area, I worry about the water—the recharge of the aquifers especially. And trying to build the deep wells and how we assure the quality and hearing that our water’s going to run out in 15 years. People don’t even know what the comprehensive plan is. They haven’t read it, they don’t know about it.
I did a program for our party, taking all of the pieces and the data, synthesizing the comprehensive plan, and showing where we’re at. I carry it around in my little black folder, the blue little card that has all the categories of the comprehensive plan in it.
The comprehensive plan and the budget are a moral plan. Follow the money, [and] the budget tells what our priorities are. The input from the three surveys that they did to build the comprehensive plan— although a very small amount of data [with unspecified criteria of data collection and questions that may or may not have been close-ended questions]...fed into what the plan became. The item on the housing was ‘we want a variety of housings across all areas.’ Again, we have that balance and yeah there are
people that are highly skilled [and] wealthier who are going to want better housing developments, [and] we’ve got to meet the moderate [income population], we’ve got to meet the ALICE population, which is huge, 33% [of our population.] Amazon just raised [wages] to $23 per hour, so some of those people, that may push them above getting support they were getting before if they’re a single income. It’s always that balance of priorities and that value system.
For the full-length interview, scan the QR code.
LEARN MORE ABOUT KAY AND FOLLOW HER CAMPAIGN: kay-klymko.com
FACEBOOK: kayforlakeland
CONTACT HER: voteforkayklymko@gmail.com
AGE: 24
PROFESSION:
Bartender/Manager
POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Democratic Party
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT:
Donation drives for Toys for Tots, coordinate fundraising events to support breast cancer research
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
THE LAKELANDER
Let’s just start at the beginning, going into why Kaitlin Gracie Kramer is running for mayor.
KAITLIN GRACIE KRAMER
If there ever was a time for me to do it, it would be now. I’m in a position in my life where I’m so happy and so content with everything that I’ve built, and I feel like my next step would be to develop outreach into the community, help the people around me and give back to the city that has put so much into me.
I genuinely care so much about Lakeland. I love this place and I think that it is the most beautiful city in the entire world, so if I could give parts of myself to a place that has built me, I would love to do that for the next couple of years. I grew up here, want to raise my family here…and just bought a house in 2020.
I think that civic engagement is so important, and now that I’ve gotten past all the things that I needed to accomplish within myself, I feel more comfortable putting myself into the public and taking care of the public in a way that they need above anything. I definitely want to represent younger people and people who don’t feel like they currently have a voice in our government. It’s super important to me that young people feel like they have a spot in politics because it seems like that’s a general concern that a lot of people are facing where they feel like you have to be retired in order to get into anything.
I am a working class candidate. I’ve been a bartender for the last six years of my life…I think that it’s great and it’s taught me a lot of social skills, but then in the same way, it almost sets me apart because I am involved with the public actively every single day. I hear what people like, I hear what people don’t like, they come to me to confide in me, they come to me to resolve a couple of their own issues in their own ways.
TL
TL
What do you attribute that to? Obviously it’s just your opinion, but what do you attribute that of lack of knowledge and awareness about our local government to?
KAITLIN
I think that leads back to people not feeling represented…[which leads to them asking] ‘ Why should I care if I don’t feel like I’m a part of this to begin with?’ I think that genuinely, if people felt that they were more involved and more included in conversations they would be more likely to know who is having these conversations.
TL
That makes sense…but to your point, a lot of times people just stick with a hands-off approach unless it’s something that’s very personal to them or something that kind of gets them fired up. How do you create opportunities for better engagement if you’re elected?
“I am a working class candidate. I’ve been a bartender for the last six years of my life…I think that it’s great and it’s taught me a lot of social skills, but then in the same way, it almost sets me apart because I am involved with the public actively every single day.”
KAITLIN
You definitely develop different ways of outreach. Currently we’re having city meetings during business days, and a lot of people feel like they can’t go to those, whether it’s because they need afterschool care for their children, or they are preoccupied with structuring their small amount of free time into getting groceries, or taking care of themselves. Not just in Lakeland, but around the world…people have to keep fighting to fend for themselves and they aren’t putting a lot of thought into taking care of the people around them because of the struggles that they’re facing within their own world.
TL
How would you respond if someone were to say, ‘Why would Kaitlin be good in the role of mayor as a sounding board as well as a good leader for city staff?’
KAITLIN
How do you feel about the transparency of city government here in Lakeland and secondly, what would you change or are there things that you would do to make it more transparent if you think that’s something that’s a need?
KAITLIN
I appreciate the transparency that we have now. It seems like they are actively trying to get the public involved, but it seems like the efforts that they’re putting in aren’t being appreciated as much by the people that do need to get involved. I’ve been talking to a lot of people and they consistently tell me that they have no idea who our current mayor even is, and that’s sad. People need to know who leads them.
I may not be a businessman, but I certainly am good at managing money. I think that there have been some allocations within our last few years that have not necessarily been as beneficial to the public as they could have been. I would like to work toward putting that money back into the hands of the people and putting it into programs that will help develop our city in a way that we can see growth for the next few years.
TL
When it comes to planning for growth and meeting the needs of a diverse population, you have revitalization projects like the one happening on Memorial Blvd. where a developer is building out the old Sears Town Center and Talbot House is building a new headquarters. The reality is that Lakeland is home to many transient and homeless people who need services and need provision and government assistance. How do you navigate the need for continued economic development for the benefit of everyone, but also still serve
the needs of those who oftentimes are most easily forgotten?
KAITLIN
I am very appreciative of the programs that we have in place right now that are openly trying to help those people. I think genuinely we need to look more toward long-term solutions [like] long-term housing rehabilitation centers that help with mental health, that help with drug abuse and getting people rehabilitated toward becoming functioning citizens…nobody wants to be unhoused, right? Nobody wants to be homeless. That’s not something that’s your goal in your life, but it’s an unfortunate circumstance that people fall into.
But that’s also something like the saying [goes], ‘It takes a village.’ Yeah. It certainly takes a village sometimes even when you feel like you can’t help yourself, you need a village around you to help you get back into a place where you can be a functioning, happy, successful member of society.
TL
In your messaging you have talked a lot about infrastructure to support Lakeland’s growth, and a lot of times people’s first question regarding that is, ‘How much is that going to cost?’ How do you navigate the challenge of supporting a city where there is a need for more services and a need for more infrastructure but the tax rate has stayed the same for a long time?
KAITLIN
I think in our current economy we definitely need to look into reallocating [funding] into different spaces. Raising the taxes on people [who] can already barely afford to keep their homes does not seem like it would be a great idea long term, because that’s going to put us back in the position
of people who can’t afford to live, people can’t afford to eat, people can’t afford to send their kids to school and help with all of the funding that the schools need. You want people to be able to feel comfortable in the city that they’re in. You want them to feel comfortable paying their bills, paying their car payment, feeding their kids, taking care of their grandparents. If you don’t have the ability to do that, I almost feel like you’re asking people to lower their quality of life.
TL
You mention you would like to raise your own family in Lakeland one day. What are some things that you think in the next five to 10 years can or might threaten the quality of life of Lakelanders as we know it? And then what do you see yourself hopefully being able to cast a vision of that will hopefully prevent some of that?
KAITLIN
I think right now we’re having a big issue with infrastructure. Florida is pretty notorious for hurricanes, I think we can all agree. After the last one, I saw so many people displaced for days, if not weeks, if not months, because their houses flooded and they had nowhere to go.
When everything is concrete, there’s nowhere for the water to go, and you get into issues where it’s coming back into people’s neighborhoods, it’s coming back into our roadways and we develop sinkholes and potholes, and then you’re looking into other issues like, ‘Are our cars safe?’ [and] ‘Are community buildings safe?’ That matters a lot to me over the next few years.
TL
I think from generation to generation the way people look at politics continues to change, but you’re now part of the political
stratosphere. What does that feel like, just knowing where you’ve been and where you’d like to make an impact for your community?
KAITLIN
It’s been very interesting to be a politician. I’m 24 years old, so I think that being so young, people have a negative connotation of that a lot of the time. But I really don’t think that should be the case. I care just as much about this city as somebody that’s 75 [and] has lived here their entire life. I’ve lived here my entire life.
I want to build a better future for people who maybe even right now don’t even have a voice. Like, for instance, [my friend] Heath’s son, Hudson. He’s nine years old. I told him that I was running for mayor …and I was like, ‘Hudson, I’m gonna be Batman. I’m gonna be the Dark Knight and I’m gonna save the city.’ And he went home that night and he talked to Heath and he [said], ‘She’s gonna save the city.’ [Heath said], ‘Yeah, she’s going to save the city.’ But [Hudson] was like, ‘Can she stop the traffic?’ [and] ‘Can she make the water less smelly?’
For the full-length interview, scan the QR code.
LEARN MORE ABOUT KAITLIN AND FOLLOW HER CAMPAIGN: kramer4mayor.com
CONTACT HER: kramerformayor@gmail.com
“I think genuinely we need to look more toward long-term solutions [like] long-term housing rehabilitation centers that help with mental health, that help with drug abuse and getting people rehabilitated towards becoming functioning citizens…nobody wants to be unhoused, right?”
INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED
VIA EMAIL BY LAUREN LAWSON
AGE: 44
PROFESSION: Financial Advisor
POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Republican Party of Florida
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: He is the current Board Chair of Lighthouse Ministries, serves on the Lakeland Regional Health Foundation Board of Directors and was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Polk State College District Board of Trustees.
Learn more about Ashley and follow his campaign at voteactroutman.com
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
THE LAKELANDER
What’s a small, everyday part of Lakeland life that you love and want to preserve or enhance as a city leader?
ASHLEY TROUTMAN
I love the walkability of my neighborhood and the access to amenities that we have; I live in the Camphor Heights Neighborhood. I can walk to Publix Supermarkets, Starbucks, Concord Coffee, Born & Bread, Cob & Pen etc. I’m within walking distance from medical care as well. As attractive as some of the subdivisions are outside of city limits, my wife and I come back to the fact that our neighborhood gives us access to meaningful amenities, while using active forms of transportation. I’d like to see all Lakelanders in all neighborhoods with this same opportunity.
TL Can you share a story from your experience as a business owner that taught you a lesson you’d bring to the City Commission?
ASHLEY
As a business owner, I know every transaction matters and every person deserves your best effort—customer service is paramount. Sometimes you must go beyond normal processes to keep customers happy and projects on track, which in turn drives revenue. While I may not have direct influence on departments, I would like to see stronger customer service across all city departments, especially in supporting small businesses. If we do not improve, we risk losing opportunities. For example, a Lakelander opened a successful coffee shop in another city, believing it was more supportive.
TL
How do you hope residents will remember your time in office, not just as a leader, but as a neighbor and community member?
ASHLEY
I hope that my time in office is remembered for integrity. I hope that residents say that he did what he said he would do. What I promise is that I will be accountable, accessible and diligent. The same things I try to do as a husband to Kia, a father to my two boys and as a financial advisor to my clients.
TL Tell us about a challenge in the community that struck you personally— how would you approach it differently based on your experiences?
ASHLEY
A couple of things come to mind. First, how we handled the Kaitlin Bennett issue. (Reference is to an activist and social media personality who ended up in a dispute with the LDDA over free speech). From a customer service perspective, I would have met with her directly to understand her concerns and try to resolve matters before they reached the attorney general. My experience with disgruntled clients has taught me the value of early, personal engagement. Second, how we approach name changes of public spaces and roads. Too often these decisions are made without consulting historical staff, like LuAnn Mims. Storytelling tied to places should expand Lakeland’s shared narrative, not erase contributions.
TL If you could spend a day shadowing a local family, business, or community group in Lakeland, what would you hope to learn or take away?
ASHLEY
I would hope to learn the same thing I look to learn everyday as a financial advisor: their story, but with a slight twist. My goal with each new business prospect is to learn; where have you been, where are you today and where are you going? In this role, I would add the question: what outcomes would you like to see occur in the city to help give you life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
TL
If elected to the city commission, what would be at the top of your priority list to implement or accomplish in year one?
ASHLEY
The nuts and bolts of this job is to pass a budget and protect the citizens of Lakeland. That said, I would want to work alongside the Mayor, City Manager and our lobbyists to ensure the resources needed to open fire station eight on time. I’d also work with the Mayor, City Manager and finance team to identify opportunities to make the budget process even more transparent.
AGE: 46 DISTRICT: D
PROFESSION: Project Director Healthcare Construction
POLITICAL AFFILIATION:
No Party Affiliation
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: He serves as an Advisory Committee Member for the Construction Management Program at Everglades University (Tampa), a board member of the Lakeland Regional Health Foundation Board of Directors, and a member of the Lakeland Police Athletic League Board of Directors.
Learn more about Dennis and follow his campaign at dennisodisho.com
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
THE LAKELANDER
Looking back at your journey from a laborer to executive, what’s one moment that shaped how you approach leadership?
DENNIS ODISHO
Early in my career as a laborer, I watched a superintendent stop work to personally help a crew solve a difficult concrete pour. Instead of blaming anyone, he asked questions, listened and taught as we fixed it together. That moment stuck with me. Real leadership isn’t about authority, it’s about accountability, humility and empowering people to succeed. As I moved into management, I carried that lesson forward: stay approachable, listen first and lead by example. The best leaders earn respect not by giving orders but working alongside their teams and helping them grow.
TL
Lakeland captured your heart when you arrived—can you share a specific experience or place that made you feel at home here?
DENNIS
It’s always been about the people and their ability to engage you with a smile and start a random conversation. I felt a sense of community when I was here, and people were proud to call Lakeland home. I’ve worked in dozens of cities in Florida and could’ve chosen to live anywhere, but I selected Lakeland because of its people. I’m running to represent all of them, no matter their race, religion, sexual preference or social status. This is my home.
TL Tell us about a time you navigated a complex problem in your career or community work where listening to different perspectives made all the difference.
DENNIS
On a hospital project, the mechanical and ceiling trades clashed over limited overhead space. Instead of deciding alone, I brought both teams, the design engineer and the owner, together. By listening to each other’s perspective, we discovered the issue wasn’t just space, but long-term maintenance access. Collaboratively, we adjusted elevations and re-sequenced work, satisfying all parties and keeping the schedule intact. That meeting turned conflict into cooperation and
strengthened team trust. It reinforced that listening to every viewpoint in construction doesn’t slow progress, but drives better, lasting solutions and builds respect across all trades.
TL If a resident spent a day with you during your campaign or work as a commissioner, what would they notice about your approach to problem-solving or community engagement?
DENNIS
I am smart enough to know I don’t have all the answers, and I’m humble enough to admit it. We solve problems collectively, and the job of a commissioner is to listen and take action. I remove emotion, opinion and ego when making business decisions. I prefer to rely on facts, statistics, data and subject matter expert opinion. A great commissioner leads by listening to the community, making informed and transparent decisions and always putting people before politics.
TL Looking ahead, what’s one project or improvement in Lakeland that excites you most personally, and why?
DENNIS
I love what Lakeland Electric is doing with the new nitrogen generation facility. We will be the first in the country to pilot this type of energy producing project. This project will bring power to nearly 5,000 homes, and they are doing it on a half-acre site. To put this into perspective, it would take almost 25 acres of solar panels to accomplish the same feat. It’s this type of innovative, out-of-the-box thinking that will power us into the next generation.
TL
If elected to the city commission, what would be at the top of your priority list to implement or accomplish in year one?
DENNIS
We need to attract higher paying skilled jobs that are in the six-figure range with full benefits. We have five universities available, with some of the brightest students in the state, but currently nowhere for them to earn a livable wage. I’d like to redirect our efforts from warehousing into healthcare to support our two new healthcare systems, Orlando Health and AdventHealth, and bring innovation to our Innovation District at Florida Polytech by attracting Defense/AI/Tech.
ORTHOPEDIC CLINIC
Leader in anterior hip replacement in Central Florida since 1991
Less-invasive surgery for the active patient looking for a quick recovery and a quicker return to work
Leader in anterior hip replacement in Central Florida since 1991
Less-invasive surgery for the active patient looking for a quick recovery and a quicker return to work.
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863.419.9301
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863.471.9700
AGE: 47
PROFESSION: To-go specialist / Voice-over artist / Singer
POLITICAL AFFILIATION: No Party Affiliation
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: She is a member of the The Red Tent Initiative and has been an active volunteer at her son’s school for over four years.
Learn more about Kim-Marie and follow her campaign at kimmarieforlakeland.com
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
THE LAKELANDER
What’s a moment in Lakeland over the past 17 years that made you feel the community really came together—and why does it stick with you?
KIM-MARIE NOBLE
For me, it was the Black Lives Matter protest in 2020. To see and be part of people peacefully coming together, standing together with our grieving neighbors, I was moved to tears several times. My son and I walked together while I explained to him the importance of standing up for what you believe.
TL
You advocate for those often overlooked—can you share a story of a person or group that inspired you to take action?
KIM-MARIE
I haven’t been able to pinpoint one thing or person, but before I decided to run, I did visit some neighborhood associations to listen, and asked coworkers what their concerns were locally. I also witnessed what seemed to be a disconnect between many citizens and our local leaders. I want to help people feel seen and heard and encourage them to be involved.
TL If a resident spent a day following you in the community, what would they notice about the ways you connect with people and listen to their concerns?
KIM-MARIE
I am real, and truly want to connect and understand where someone is coming from. Although I take issues seriously, I do not take myself too seriously. I love to laugh loudly and make others laugh. I take other thoughts and viewpoints into heavy consideration because I seek balance. We all want a Lakeland that works for everyone.
TL What’s one small but meaningful change you’d love to see in Lakeland that could make a real difference for everyday residents?
KIM-MARIE
An up-to-date city website! It seems like an after thought, but for some, this is the first contact they may have with the city; seeing pages with two year old information is just not helpful. And maybe a few evening meetings per year so that our residents can see the commission face to face and feel like they are valued. I know they have tried it before, but again, if you’re not getting it out there publicly, no one is gonna show.
TL
Looking ahead, how do you hope your time on City Commission will impact the next generation of Lakeland residents, and what would make you feel you succeeded personally?
KIM-MARIE
I love seeing the youth of Lakeland being involved civically. I want to encourage more collaboration with our schools, colleges and universities. What a boon it would be if one of our students helped to solve an issue within the city when all of the “adults” can’t quite come up with a solution. And I would also encourage every student to be registered to vote! Their voices are important for taking control of their future.
TL
If elected to the city commission, what would be at the top of your priority list to implement or accomplish in year one?
KIM-MARIE
I would love to tackle the lack of home rule and our affordability issues. This will take time, and I will work tirelessly to help our most vulnerable residents find ways to make those ends meet.
Year one? Increase community engagement and increase voter turnout. I am out here now, and I will continue to be, encouraging everyone to know who their commissioners are, get involved in your neighborhood association—and if you don’t have one, start one. And get the website updated.
AGE: 53
PROFESSION: Owner of Musick Roofing
POLITICAL AFFILIATION: No Party Affiliation
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: He serves as a board member at Camp Gilead, a Deacon at Heritage Baptist Church, a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustments and Appeals for the City of Lakeland, and a member of the Lakeland Historic Board. He also leads the CWE Missions group and is the founder of Leverage Ministries.
Learn more about Mike and follow his campaign at linkedin.com/in/mikemusickjr
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
THE LAKELANDER
As a longtime Lakeland resident, what’s one tradition, place, or local experience you hope to preserve or strengthen in the community?
MIKE MUSICK
The city’s parks and recreation department has always been a huge part of my life. As a kid, I would run the lakes, play racquetball and fish in the lakes. When my kids were little, we would walk to Common Ground, and now I go with my grandkids. I look forward to continuing to utilize the City Of Lakeland‘s great parks and other recreational amenities.
TL You’ve coached youth in sports and led mission work—can you share a moment when mentoring or guiding someone left a lasting impression on you?
MIKE
Coaching has been such a great part of my adult life. For years, I was able to coach alongside my dad, which was a blessing. Having coached for about 20 years myself, it brings me such joy and fulfillment when a past student comes back into town and tells me how much my leadership and input in their life made a difference to them. That’s why we all do it.
TL
Running a business in Lakeland gives you a unique perspective—what’s one challenge or lesson from your work you think city leaders could benefit from?
MIKE
As a business owner for over 25 years, I understand the value of quality staff and employee retention. We are in a very competitive market and need to be creative and insightful with our city staff vacancies. When you make payroll each week, and have dozens of families relying on that, you understand the strain and struggle of economics better than most. My business experience has brought a solid practical perspective to the commission that is a great benefit to the citizens I represent.
TL If a resident spent a day with you volunteering, coaching, or working in your business, what would they notice about your approach to leadership and community?
MIKE
One of the things that I like to do, whether it’s in coaching, business, or the city, is to ask questions. Everybody comes from a different perspective and has different life experiences, so asking questions helps us all tap into the uniqueness of each person. My hope would be that a resident spending the day with me would say that I did a good job asking questions and listening to the responses of others.
TL Looking forward, what’s one project, initiative, or change in Southwest Lakeland that excites you most personally, and why?
MIKE
I’d like to circle back to our parks and recreation. With the acquisition of Holloway Park on the east side, and dedicated acreage for a new park on the west side, I believe it’s really going to help our citizens and youth sports. With the increase in technology in our daily life, I am excited to see the effort that the City of Lakeland puts into our outdoor parks and opportunities for all of our citizens to get outside and enjoy our beautiful town.
TL
If elected to the city commission, what would be at the top of your priority list to implement or accomplish in year one?
MIKE
In the upcoming term, I will continue to focus on the city budget and expenditures. With the economy weighing heavily on so many, and costs increasing, my focus will be to continue to make sure that the taxes and fees the city collects are scrutinized and justified. Things are more expensive, but our job is to make sure that any fee and tax is as low as possible while simultaneously working hard to maintain the same quality of service.
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President Jimmy Carter is greeted by Lakeland, Florida mayor Carrie Oldham as he arrives at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport for a campaign appearance in the city.
Courtesy of the Lakeland Public Library
Mayor Carrie Oldham Greet President Jimmy Carter
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