Frank Lloyd

Winners Board Retreat:

inside Small Business

The winners of Wright visits

Announced:
See who
of the Month:
this issue
received the the 19th Annual annual Board
plaque for this Lakeland Retreat
monthly award. Chamber
Scramble are
Page 17

announced.
Page 5

Page 16

FORUM FOR BUSINESS

Buy Lakeland. It makes good cents! • visit LakelandChamber.com

LAKELAND AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

monthly
Have we seen the end? Is the worst behind us? December 2009
Is the economy really rebounding? And what will Florida’s Vol. XIX, No.12

new, recovered economy look like once the dust settles?

Mark your calendars NOW because you us to offer his perspective on the future
don’t want to miss the opportunity to hear growth and economic potential of Polk

the latest economic
predictions for 2010.
The Lakeland Chamber
of Commerce and Allen
DATE
County and the Central
Florida region. Robert
DON’T MISS OUT - Lang has made a strong
RESERVE TICKETS NOW mark as one of America’s
SAVE THE
2010 ECONOMIC
pre-eminent experts on

FORECAST BREAKFAST
& Company will host the the many faces - urban,
23rd Annual Economic suburban and exurban –
Forecast Breakfast at the of physical and population
Lakeland Center on growth across North
Thursday, January 14, 2010
January 14th. America. An urban
7:00 – 9:00 AM planning and policy
Back by popular demand, The Lakeland Center expert, Dr. Lang focuses
Brian Wesbury will offer on suburban studies;
his perspective on the national economy. demographic and spatial analysis; metropolitan
Mr. Wesbury is one of America’s prominent governance; the “built environment”; and
economists and economic forecasters. He is other issues of environmental psychology. He
the Chief Economist at First Trust Advisors is a director of the Metropolitan Institute at
L.P., a financial services firm based in Lisle, the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
Illinois and serves on the Board of Advisors University and is research director for the
to First Trust Capital Partners, an affiliated Brookings Mountain West Initiative with Save the Date for the
private-equity firm. Brian is a monthly the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 64th Annual Tiger BBQ
contributor for the American Spectator February 25, 2010
magazine and regularly published in the Wall To reserve tickets, call (863/688-8551, x228) More information
Street Journal, and has been a CNBC or email Christine Murphy at
to follow online:
contributor since 2007. cmurphy@lakelandchamber.com. Tickets are
$25. You can also complete the ticket order www.lakelandchamber.com
New to our event, Dr. Robert Lang will join form found in this month’s FORUM insert. and in your January 2010
FORUM FOR BUSINESS!

ALSO INSIDE: Upcoming Events • Chamber Accreditation • Ribbon Cuttings • Members on the Move
City of Lakeland Thank You to Retiring Officers and Directors
runoff election set
for Tuesday, Dec. 8
The Chamber would like to recognize the Dr. Marshall Goodman
following members of the executive com- University of South Florida
mittee and board of directors as they retire Polytechnic
from service. Each has contributed un- Board of Directors,
selfishly of their time, leadership and com- 2006-2009
mitment to the Chamber and its members.
The City of Lakeland municipal

Keith Albritton
election was held Tuesday, November
3rd. Voters re-elected Commissioner
Howard Wiggs in the Lakeland At Allen & Company of Florida, Inc.

Andy Hernandez
Large Seat 1 race and elected Vice Chair – Membership
Don Selvage as a newly seated Development, 2005-2006
Vice Chair – MIDFLORIDA Real
Commissioner in the Lakeland
Communications, 2008 Estate Sales, LLC
Southwest District C seat. The
Board of Directors, Board of Directors,
Chamber extends our congratulations
2004-2009 2007-2009
to both Commissioner Wiggs and
soon-to-be Commissioner Selvage!

A runoff election is scheduled for

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 to decide Timothy F. Campbell
the Mayoral race and the Lakeland Clark, Campbell, Mawhin- Dr. Eileen Holden
Northwest District A seat. The ney Polk State College
ballot will also include the special & Lancaster, P.A. Board of Directors,
election for the Lakeland Southeast Vice Chair – Public 2007-2009
District D seat. Affairs, 2005
Vice Chair – Education &
The City of Lakeland Mayoral ballot Public Policy, 2006
includes Gow Fields and Jim Chair-elect, 2007
Verplanck. Clarence Grier, Sr. and Chairman of the Board, 2008
Phillip Walker will also compete in Immediate Past Chair, 2009
a runoff election to determine who Board of Directors, 2003-2009 Mark Miller
will represent the NW District A Chairman, Lakeland Area Chamber GrayRobinson, P.A.
seat on the Commission. Incumbent Foundation, Inc., 2009 General Counsel, 2006
Commissioner Edie Yates and
Mayor Ralph L. “Buddy” Fletcher
Board of Directors,
Patrick Jones will face each other in 2006-2009
a special election for the SE District
City of Lakeland
D seat scheduled for December 8th.
Board of Directors,
1997-2009
Please remember to stress the

Paul Noris
importance of the December 8th
elections to your friends, family and
colleagues. This is a crucial election Bank of Central Florida
that will determine the path our Vice Chair - Membership
City takes the next several years. Be Development, 2004
heard on December 8th, VOTE. Vice Chair – Internal
Infrastructure, 2005
The entire November 3, 2009 Chair-elect, 2006
Election Summary Report for the Chairman of the Board,
2007
Lakeland Municipal Election is
Immediate Past Chair, 2008
available on the Polk County Board of Directors, 2002-2009
Supervisor of Elections web site at Chairman, Lakeland Area Chamber
www.polkelections.com. Foundation, Inc., 2008
Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce
Forum For Business Monthly
Volume Information: December 2009 • Vol. XIX, No. 12

Anu Saxena Kathleen L. Munson Aaron Bates Kingston Partners

Chairman of the Board Publisher & President Managing Editor Design

No. 2
Lakeland Chamber Awarded Prestigious 5-Star Accreditation
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently
announced that the Lakeland Area Chamber
of Commerce has been awarded its 40-Year
Accreditation with a 5-Star rating. Less than
1% out of more than 7,000 chambers in the
country have achieved this highest level of
accreditation ranking.
“We are extremely proud to be awarded our 40-year accreditation
with Five-Star rating by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Accreditation is one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and offers an excellent
measurement tool for chambers of commerce to achieve the
highest standards of organizational excellence in representing
their member businesses and communities,” said Lakeland Cham-
ber President Kathleen Munson. “Achieving the highest level
of accreditation is a tribute to the outstanding leadership of our
Chamber volunteer leaders and professional staff, who unselfishly
contribute their time and talent to make Lakeland such a
tremendous place to live and work.”
The Accreditation program with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
defines organizational excellence in chamber planning and
recognizes chambers for outstanding contributions toward positive
change in their communities. In order to achieve accreditation
rating, chambers undergo a comprehensive evaluation in nine
areas: governance, finance, human resources, government affairs,
program development, communications, technology, facilities and
benchmarking.
To successfully complete the accreditation
application, Chairman of the Board Anu Saxena
(ASC geosciences, inc.) appointed an Accredita-
tion Review Task Force to lead the Chamber
through the evaluation process. The Chamber
would like to recognize the following leaders who
worked with staff for more than six months to successfully
complete the application:
Chair...................................Melinda Harrison (Watson Clinic LLP)
Governance .......................................................Timothy F. Campbell
(Clark, Campbell, Mawhinney and Lancaster, P.A.)
Finance ....................................................................Walker Wilkerson
(The NCT Group, CPAs, LLP)
Human Resources ............................................................Don Selvage
(SHR Human Resources, LLC)
Government Affairs ..................................................Mark E. Wilson
(Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.)
Program Development.............Maureen Shaw (Flower Cart Florist)
Communication ................................................................Sam Nimah
(Southern Wine and Spirits of Florida)
Technology...........................Todd Baylis (Cipher Integrations, Inc.)
Facilities............................................Joe L. Ruthven (The Ruthvens)
Benchmarking ........................Paul Noris (Bank of Central Florida)
The Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce represents more than
1,800 businesses in the Greater Lakeland area. The Chamber was
first accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1968, and has
successfully achieved its accreditation every five years since then.
POTENTIAL
INCREASE YOUR

Increase Your Business Potential in

the New Year!

Each year, the Chamber offers it’s

members the outstanding opportu-
nity to meet and greet up to 20
businesses! Hats Off to Chamber
Members has been scheduled for
January 26, 2010. Please volunteer
to deliver the 2010 Membership
Materials to 20+ companies… it’s a
perfect way to meet local business
owners and provide assistance to the
Chamber at the same time! Make
sure you reserve your spot- there are a
limited number of spaces available!

Please call Terry Ottinger at

863/688-8551, Ext 231 for more
details and to volunteer.

OFF
HATS

No. 4
Small Business of the Month Award presented
November winner
Creative Refinishing
Creative Refinishing has been serving their customers to continue to use and

Wayne Small
Lakeland and Central Florida area for enjoy their furniture for years to come.

1041 E. Rose Street

almost thirty years with the finest quality

Lakeland, FL 33801
antique restoration and wood refinishing. Lakeland is fortunate that Wayne Small
863/688-8400 Phone
Through hard work and dedication is committed to quality and pride in the
863/688-8404 Fax
Wayne Small has built a full service restoration of wood furniture and being
www.creativerefinishing.com
facility for furniture restoration. one of the best in our community. We
recognize his dedication by naming wayne@creativerefinishing.com
Wayne Small got started in the furniture Creative Refinishing Small Business of
restoration business in 1978. He came the Month for November.
to Lakeland to attend Southeastern
Bible College in 1977. After a year and
a half, he began praying about a career
and met a gentleman at church that
owned “The Craftsman” a furniture
restoration business and Wayne went to
work with him for $3/hour. It was evident
that Wayne was very talented, but
lacked business skills. In three months
he invested as a full partner and they
remained partners for three years before
he ventured out on his own starting
Creative Refinishing.

Located at 1041 East Rose Street,

Creative Refinishing is the only full
service antique restoration and wood
refinishing company in Lakeland. They
are able to provide just about any service
related to furniture restoration.
Small Business of the Month Award Committee Member, Tim Jackson (NuJak Companies)
presents the November Small Business of the Month Award to Wayne Small of Creative Refinishing.
Wayne and his five employees restore Also present to accept the award was (l-r) Abigail White, Ellery Cermeno, David Whitaker &
wood furniture which includes repairs, Wendell Harris.
refinishing, and fabrication of new

Apron’s Event ‘full-filling’ success

parts, color touch-up/matching, chair
caning and weaving. They also repair
water damaged furniture. Creative
Refinishing has superlative experience
in applying all types of finishes. They
use the best spray equipment in a dust
free environmentally safe spray booth.
Creative Refinishing believes in strong
ethics, honesty and quality. 70% of
Creative Refinishing customers are
referred and 75% are repeat customers.
When the final product is delivered or
picked up the customers typically praise
Wayne and his staff for the quality of
their workmanship.
Creative Refinishing believes in using
traditional woodworking techniques
and high quality finishing that will last
for generations. Their service allows
The United Way/EMERGE Apron’s Event on the evening
of October 22nd proved to be fun, informative, and full-filling (in more
ways than one). The event, held at Lone Palm, provided a wonderful opportunity
for networking by the over 70 individuals in attendance including many
EMERGE and United Way Young Leaders Society members.
Chef Mick Grimes of Publix Apron’s showed his expertise as he demonstrated
the preparation of the wonderful meal enjoyed by attendees. We owe our thanks
to Mike Larson and Mark Bailey of Constellation Wines U.S. for their amazing
selection of an accompanying Wine pared to each course. Lone Palm proved
once again to be a most excellent venue for this annual event with Wayne Rath
and his wonderful staff.
Voted as one of the most favored EMERGE events – It is sure to be a “Do Not
Miss Event” in 2010.
FOCUS ON MARKETING:
Plan a better marketing strategy for 2010
By Steve Madden
President of Madden
As 2009 comes to a close, now is a good
time to take an inventory of your sales and
marketing efforts. Review what you have
executed over the past year and summarize
the results. If your business is going to
grow through this period, you need to
adapt to the times. This means analyzing
your sales and marketing strategy to ensure
it still meets the needs of your market.
Consumers are more savvy than ever
before and to gain their attention, you
have to make sure you are speaking their
language when and where they want to
hear it.
Ask yourself these 8 questions and plan for
results…
1. What is causing sales to happen in my
organization? Identify these methods
and do more of it.
2. Who are my best customers? Recognize
your current customers and they will
reward you with continued loyalty.
3. What defines my ideal customer:
frequency, profitability, location,
industry? These customers may
represent a vertical market for your
company to pursue.
4. What am I currently doing to drive
traffic to my website? Simple activities
can produce greater site activity. Does
your site motivate the consumer to take
action?
5. Am I managing my online reputation?
With the soaring popularity of social
media, consumers are creating and
sharing their experiences, opinion and
content online. Make sure you are right
in the middle of these online
conversations.
6. Do I have a defined sales process?
When you do things in the correct
frequency and volume, results are
predictable and measurable.
7. What are my competitors doing? In
this economy, competitors may have
left the marketplace. Be prepared to
grab their market share with sound
strategies.
8.Does my brand do a good job of
portraying my company’s offering,
culture and personality? Keep your
brand in fighting shape – it may be time
for a facelift.
Start 2010 with a fresh commitment to
your organization and a comprehensive
marketing strategy that defines objectives
and guides decision-making.
Madden is a brand identity company specializ-
ing in strategic marketing, advertising, creative
services, promotional products and branded
apparel.

Texas Cattle Company hosts New Member Reception

The New Member Reception got off to a great start as host
sponsor Texas Cattle Company, located at 735 Main Street,
brought out the delicious appetizers! New members networked
and met with Chamber Champions to start them on the right
path with their new endeavor. Presenting Sponsor Riverside
Bank welcomed new members and offered a professional 30-
second commercial to help the new members create and deliver
their own. Each new member was introduced to the group and
business cards were exchanged. New Member Receptions are
often the start of long-lasting relationships between members,
and the crowd at Texas Cattle Company was eager to meet,
share and get involved. Thanks to Texas Cattle Company for
the warm and relaxed environment and the great food and
thanks to Presenting Sponsor Riverside Bank for their con-
tinued support of the event and their willingness to help
and serve new members.

New members listen as Chamber staff bring them up to date on programs Chrissy Schaff, Riverside National Bank and Liz Craven of Pro-Ad
and events available through their Chamber membership Media networking.

No. 6
No. 8
RENEWALS
The Chamber would like to recognize
and thank the following businesses for
their long-standing support and loyalty.

20+ Years Renewals

1952 -57 Years

Badcock Home Furniture & more
1970 - 39 Years
Gore's, Inc.
1971 - 38 Years
The Nissen Group, LLC
1973 - 36 Years
Straughn Trout Architects, LLC
1974 - 35 Years
McGee Tire Stores, Inc.
Florida Analytical, Inc.
1975 - 34 Years
Florida Baptist Childrens'' Homes, Inc.
1978 - 31 Years
Craig W. Valentine, D.M.D., P.A.
1980 - 29 Years
SCMH Architects, Inc.
Atlantic Filter of Polk County, Inc.
1983 - 26 Years
Clark & Daughtrey Medical Group, P.A.
1985 - 24 Years
Bella Vista Manor & Vista Villas
1986 - 23 Years
Lakeland Downtown Development Authority
American Cancer Society
Daryl A. Johnson, CPA
R. Cline, Inc.
Fun Bike Center Motorsports
1988 - 21 Years
Town & Country Termite & Pest Control, Inc.
1989 - 20 Years
Imperial Symphony Orchestra
Mail Processing Associates, Inc.
Action Home Care, Inc.
Radio Training Network, Inc.
Cannon's Appliance Service
Jeffrey Reese Coffman, C.P.A.
Wal-Mart Super Center #01-1245
Keller Williams Realty-Carolinas

15-Year Renewals
Hickman Homes, Inc.
Tapatios Restaurante Mexicano, Inc.
Stinson's Home Design Center
Comfort Inn & Suites
Highland Park Church of the Nazarene

10-Year Renewals
Carlton Arms of North Lakeland
John Hancock Financial Network
Southland Suites of Lakeland
Madden
Alternative Business Solutions
Mobility America
Save-A-Lot Food Stores

5-Year Renewals
Superior Business Technologies, Inc
Maid By Elizabeth
NEW MEMBERS
e Chamber is proud to welcome 15 new members for October 2009
Through their membership in the Chamber, businesses invest in themselves and their community. We urge you to to “Buy Lakeland. It makes good
cents!” by doing business with these new Chamber members. For the most up-to-date list of members, visit our on-line Preferred Business Directory
at LakelandChamber.com!

1st Priority Staffing LLC

Chiropractic Center of Lakeland
4100 Frontage Road S Ste 111
- South
Lakeland, FL 33815-3203
(863) 937-9170
Mid Florida Villas
5227 US Highway 98 S Lakeland FL
www.1stprioritystaffing.com
Fax: (863) 614-0054
33812
Cathy Ward-Bolger PO Box 1417 14344 Evans Ranch Rd
Employment Contractors Highland City, FL 33846-1417 Lakeland, FL 33809-9769

AFLAC/Les Middleton www.cclchiro.com

(863) 709-1600 (863) 816-2574
(866) 387-4435

www.midfloridavillas.com
5133 S Lakeland Dr Ste 3 Dr. Michael Stratton Fax: (863) 816-2639
Lakeland, FL 33813-2622 Chiropractic Physicians

Darby Law Group, P.A.

Andrew & Bernadette Gilchrist
www.aflac.com
(863) 899-8458
Property Management

Richard Pahucki
Edward L. Middleton 500 S Florida Ave Ste 30 Lakeland 33801
Insurance PO Box 2971

Anston-Greenlees, Inc.
Lakeland, FL 33806-2971 4469 Fairway Oaks Dr
(863) 683-7400 Mulberry, FL 33860-8598

www.darbylawgroup.com
1315 W Fletcher Ave Fax: (863) 683-7445 (863) 425-2868
Tampa, FL 33612-3310 Richard L. Pahucki
(813) 963-1919 Ben Darby Consulting Services

Ricky Lee Insurance

Attorneys
www.agi-engineers.com
Fax: (813) 963-2815

Rob Anston, P.E. Elite Pursuit Investigations 2031 E Edgewood Dr Ste 1 Lakeland
Bill Greenlees, P.E. PO Box 92415 33803
Engineers - Electrical/Mechanical Lakeland, FL 33804-2415 PO Box 2956

Body & Soul Massage Therapy

(863) 904-5936 Lakeland, FL 33806-2956

& Wellness Center www.elitepursuit.com

Fax: (863) 904-5936 (863) 816-5828
Ricky Lee
5131 S Florida Ave Ste 7 & 8 L. C. Jones Insurance

TLC Engineering for

Lakeland, FL Investigative Services

The FALLS Adventure, Inc. Architecture

(863) 797-6107
(863) 248-4161
Barbara Beasley 4798 S Florida Ave PMB 184 874 Dixon Blvd
Ian McIntosh, LMT Lakeland, FL 33813-2181 Cocoa, FL 32922-5809

www.thefallsadventure.org
Kathleen Nowak (863) 521-4164 (321) 636-0274

www.tlc-engineers.com
Massage Therapy Fax: (321) 639-8986

CD Communications
Elizabeth Willers
Jock R. Willers Matthew Craig
Lakeland, FL 33810-2678 Leadership/Team Building Engineers - Structural

Indian Summer Farms Truly Nolen of America

(863) 660-5373
Fax: (863) 853-2766
Cynthia Cavanah 3010 Knights Station Rd 1023 S Florida Ave
Dave Wakefield Lakeland, FL 33810-2515 Lakeland, FL 33803-1117
Telecommunications (863) 937-3645 (863) 683-7378

www.indiansummerfarms.com www.trulynolen.com
Fax: (863) 937-9262 Fax: (863) 686-8197

Neil Combee Ted Horton

Lewis King Pest Control
Produce

No. 10
The SPCA’s Campus of Kindness
is visited by hundreds of animal
lovers every day – adopting orphaned
animals and utilizing our full-service
animal medical center. Over 8,000
dogs and cats enter our adoption
center every year, and the animal
medical center serves the pets in
our care and public pet owners, too.
You can get involved by adopting,
volunteering, fostering animals,
inviting us to your next event or even
using our animal medical center for
your next veterinary visit. The SPCA
is not funded by any national parent
organization, such as the ASPCA. Our
pets rely on your generosity every day.

m
t o t h e t o us .
e g i ve
gi v
We n yo u
e
wh

www.lovemyspca.com • 863.646.7722

No. 12
OCTOBER TOURISM INQUIRIES

CALENDAR
During the month of October, our Visitor Information Center assisted hundreds MARK YOUR
of individuals, answering questions pertaining to Chamber member businesses
and the Lakeland community.
Walk-in Visitors..................................333 Winter Accommodations .......................3
Relocation Response Mailings................9 Visitor Information Mailings ................ 36 EVENTS
Relocation Response (Walk In).............17 Visitor Center E-mail Inquiries.............122
Accommodations...................................1 Thursday, December 10
Business & Breakfast, 7:30 AM
Estates at Carpenters
1001 Carpenters Way

Thursday, December 17
Business After Hours, 5:30 PM
Fifth Third Bank & Stone Center
2205 E. Edgewood Dr.

Thursday, December 24 and

Friday, December 25
Chamber Closed in Observance of
Christmas Holidays

Thursday, December 31
Chamber Closed for
New Year’s Eve holiday
Noon

Friday, January 1
Chamber Closed for New Year’s Day

MEETINGS
Wednesday, December 9
Government Affairs, 8:00 AM

BusinessVoice, 9:00 AM

Executive Committee Meeting

4:00 PM
Lakeland Yacht and Country Club
929 Lake Hollingsworth Drive

Thursday, December 10
Leadership Lakeland XXVII
County Government Day

Tuesday, December 15
EMERGE Lakeland Steering
Committee Meeting, 3:45 PM

Wednesday, December 16
Board of Directors Meeting
Noon
Lakeland Yacht and Country Club
929 Lake Hollingsworth Drive
Catalyst Campaign Closes with $291,268…
On October 6, the Catalyst Volunteers, led by Chair Nancy Cattarius (WONN/WPCV/WLKF/WWRZ Radio) celebrated a victorious
10 week campaign by announcing a total of $291, 268 in Chamber sponsorship and advertising support. Congratulations to our volunteers!

Nancy Cattarius, WONN/WPCV/WLKF/WWRZ Radio....$37,205 And for the support of corporate teams:
Phil Wegman, Furr & Wegman Architects, PA ..............$32,645 Watson Clinic....................................................................$22,360
Mary McQueen, McQueen Marketing, LLC....................$29,565 Catalyst Campaign Staff....................................................$19,270
Victor Rodriguez, Lakeland Regional Medical Center .....$24,853 Publix Super Markets, Inc .................................................$10,000
Kathy Wallen, The NCT Group CPAs ............................$20,425 GEICO.................................................................................$7,000
Cindy Green, Furr & Wegman Architects, PA ................$17,045 Riverside Bank.....................................................................$1,750
Sarah Case, JSK Consulting, Inc. .....................................$13,250
Brian Yates, CenterState Bank .........................................$12,780
Tom Eleazer, Florida Lifestyle Communities.....................$10,320
Jennifer Vaughn, Bank of Central Florida ..........................$7,380
Kathryn Koch O'Malley, Lanier Upshaw............................$7,295
Faye Sanders, Allen & Company of Florida .......................$6,100
Johnathan Crain, Two Men and a Truck ............................$5,045
Bryan Mau, CPS Investment Advisors ...............................$3,750
Thomas Lee, Allen & Company of Florida ........................$1,810
Krista Gospodinova, SunTrust Bank...................................$1,000
Steve Brechue, Lakeland Regional Medical Center..............$420

The Catalyst Campaign, the relationships that are formed, the opportunities to build business, and the progress for our
community would not be possible without the support of the following companies:

No. 14
 DATE
Trees Planted at Lake Mirror SAVE THE
This year, Catalyst Volunteers and Staff worked hard to design a green campaign.
From organic foods and biodegradable party ware to the elimination of paper corre-
spondence, everyone was in on the “Growing Green” initiative. In support of con-
tinued green space efforts at the City, 11 Chamber members also joined in by
supporting the new Florida-friendly maples planted at Lake Mirror. Those Chamber

• 2010 Chamber Board Chair Joe L. Ruthven•

members are:

2009 Chamber
Annual Meeting
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
5:30 pm
The Lakeland Center
•
Your invitation will be
mailed this month!

NEW LAKELAND MAP

Stop by the Chamber to see the renewable bamboo OPPORTUNITY
plaque that was created in honor of these
fabulous sponsors! The Lakeland Chamber of Commerce
will be working with Target Marketing
to produce a 2010 Lakeland Map this
month, which will offer multiple
affordable advertising opportunities
for our members.

No. 15
19th Annual Bright House Chamber Scramble

1st Place Net Winner - Bank of Central Florida/Allen & Company Team
L to R, Jimmy Waller, Guy Hill, Paul Noris, Mike Ryan, Sam Nimah, not
pictured Fred Lopez
1st Place Gross Winner - Bright House Team
L to R, Teddy Koukoulis, Dr. Richard
Radocha, MD, Brian Bierwagen, Jack
Myers, Drew Gillan and Jim Elswick.

Chairman Mike LaPan—having fun emceeing

the Mid-Florida Awards Reception for the
Bright House Scramble!

No. 16
Chamber holds board planning retreat
The Chamber’s Board of Directors took part in a very productive
strategic planning retreat on October 2-3, at Florida Southern
College (FSC). Directors voted to hold their retreat in Lakeland
this year to support the “Buy Lakeland” campaign and to patronize
local restaurants. Special thanks to FSC President Anne Kerr for
generously allowing the Chamber to host our retreat on the FSC
campus and for providing directors a unique opportunity to
experience firsthand the exciting growth and restoration that is
taking place there.
As Chair-elect, Joe L. Ruthven (The Ruthvens) presided over the
two-day planning session.
On Friday morning, Maria Brous (Publix Super Markets, Inc.)
presented highlights from the Florida Chamber of Commerce
Foundation’s recent cornerstone report, “A Vision for Florida in
2030”. The report outlines six economic drivers that will position
Florida as a global market leader. The presentation served as an
excellent foundation for the strategic planning discussions during
the retreat.
On Friday evening, board members and their guests boarded buses
and headed to four member restaurants located throughout the
city. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed patronizing some of the
excellent restaurants we have in Lakeland.
On Saturday, directors worked in breakout sessions to prioritize KSI
goals to implement in the Chamber’s strategic plan. Chair-elect
Ruthven will now work with 2010 KSI Vice Chairs and staff to
form strategy groups made up of board members to develop
measurable goals to carry out the Chamber’s vision and mission.
The Chamber would like to extend special thanks to the following
sponsors for hosting this year’s retreat:
Chairman’s Circle – Retreat Sponsor
The Ruthvens – Luncheon Host
Bank of Central Florida – Reception Host

During the Friday retreat session, Board members heard from the
following Vice Chairs of the Chamber’s KSI (Key Strategic Issues)
strategy groups that have met over the past six months to develop
long-term goals tied to the Chamber’s strategic plan:
Communications ..............................................................Sam Nimah
(Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida)
Education............................................................................Alice Hunt
(Hunt Construction of Central Florida, Inc.)
Organization Advancement..................................Melinda Harrison
(Watson Clinic LLP)
Public Policy....................................................................Mark Wilson
(Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.)
Smart Community ...........................................................Hugh Autry
(Lakeland Regional Medical Center) Chamber Directors Don Bosko, Tony Martinez, Mark Wilson, Gary Cassard,
Patrick Fagan and Stacy Campbell-Domineck participate in one of the several
breakout sessions held in the McKay Archives Center during the retreat.

Pictured above: Chair-elect Joe L. Ruthven leads retreat discussion.

Pictured le: e famous architect “Frank Lloyd Wright” (wonderfully
portrayed by a FSC theater student) welcomes retreat attendees to Florida
Southern College. e campus has the largest collection of Frank Lloyd
Wright designed buildings in the world.
 DECEMBER MEMBERS ON THE MOVE
Boys & Girls Clubs of Lone Palm Golf Club Shield Security Systems, Inc.
Lakeland & Mulberry Lone Palm is proud to announce new We've changed our company name to
Pleased to honor with Boys & Girls Executive Chef, David Jelenc. David 24/7 Shield Security & More since we
Clubs of America National Service to joins us from the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota offer more than just security systems, and
Youth Awards: where he served briefly after a 15 year we wanted to provide piece of mind to our
• Senator Paula Dockery - Outstanding tenure at the former El Conquistador customers knowing they are protected 24
Public Service; Country Club in Bradenton. hours a day and 7 days a week.
• Tim McCausland, City of Lakeland
- 20 years;
• Don Barclay, Rib Crib - 30 years;
• Gene Strickland, Retired City of
Lakeland - 40 years.

Merit Awards:
• John Burton, Sun-N-Fun
• Leonard Mass, Drummond Company,
Inc.

Alliance for Independence

Proud to announce that Ashley Hall, AFI
Communications Coordinator, has been
elected to serve as Vice President of the
North Lakeland Kiwanis Club for the
2009 – 2010 year. Ashley will also serve as
the Public Relations Chair during this year.

St. Joseph’s Academy

St. Joseph’s School is now St. Joseph’s
Academy (Preschool - 8th grade) and is
located at 310 McDonald Street in the
Historic Lake Morton District (former
Southside Baptist facility). The new
campus sits on 4.5 acres and has more
than 66,000 square feet.

The Mahoney Group, Inc.

Maria Mahoney, President of The
Mahoney Group, Inc. a Lakeland, Florida
commercial real estate brokerage company
recently attended the National Economic
Summit for Women Business Owners and
the WIPP (Women Impacting Public
Policy) Annual Legislative Meeting in
Washington DC.

Coldwell Banker
Residential Real Estate
Presents the launch of the first-ever
international home search application for
iPhoneTM and AndroidTM-powered
devices. The application literally puts
homes in the hands of potential buyers
and brings up instant information and
property photos on the spot.

Lanier Upshaw, Inc.

Proud to announce that Mark J. (Josh)
Szponar has joined the agency as
Commercial Lines Risk Consultant.

No. 18
 The Lakeland Chamber prints business announcements each month as space permits. Please mail
your announcements to the Chamber or e-mail: membersonthemove@LakelandChamber.com

CPS Investment Advisors Achievement Academy Watson Clinic LLP

Bryan Mau, Regional Director of
Retirement Services for CPS Investment
Advisors was selected 2009 New Resident
“Who’s Who of Central Florida”. Bryan
was selected for his numerous hours
volunteering for many different not-for-
profit organizations and serves on several
boards in the area.
2009 – 2011 Board members were in-
stalled: Randy Hollen, Bank of Central
Florida-President, Adam Airth, Putnam,
Creighton & Airth, PA-1st Vice
President, Michael Peeples, Southern
Homes- 2nd Vice President, Gilit Kontny,
GG Graphic Designs-Member, Lynette
Mitchell-Parent Representative.
Cardiologist John G. Canto, MD, MSPH,
FACC, FACP, FAHA, FASE, was the
senior author of a recent study published
in the Archives of Internal Medicine,
which has received national recognition
by renowned news outlets, including the
Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street
Journal.

Central Florida Eye Associates/ Bright House Networks

Jay Mulaney, MD
Pleased to announce that Jorge Rivera has
joined the firm as Staff Accountant. For the second year in a row, J.D. Power

Rubber & Accessories, Inc.

Pleased and proud to announce the
appointment of Bradford Merkel to its
Outside Sales Staff.
Dr. Jay Mulaney published a paper in the
European Journal of Ophthalmology (Vol.
18) titled "Comparison of daytime efficacy
and safety of dorzolamide / timolol
maleate fixed combination versus
and Associates announced that Bright
House Networks ranked highest in
customer satisfaction in the South region
as a result of the 2009 Internet Service
Provider Residential Customer Satisfac-

Senior Helpers
latanoprost". J.Mulaney, S. Sonty, J.A. tion StudySM . The results of the study
Stewart, W.C. Stewart. showed Bright House Networks Road

Straughn Trout Architects, LLC

Jorge Giraldo, MBA, CSA and CEO of
Senior Helpers of Polk County recently
joined the Board of Directors for Polk
Family Caregivers. Polk Family
Caregivers connects caregivers to the
vital information and resources in the
Polk County community.
Runner service having the highest overall
performance in cost of service; customer
Is pleased to announce that Tim Hoeft service; and billing.
and Aaron Banks were recognized in the
AIA Tampa Bay’s “40 Under 40”
exhibition. This event features forty
images of built and theoretical projects
from those 40 years of age or under.

BUSINESS
AND BREAKFAST
ESTATES AT CARPENTERS
101 CARPENTERS WAY

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10
7:30 A.M. ~ 9:00 A.M.

$5 Chamber Member ~ $15 Non-Member

Please R.S.V.P. by 5:00 p.m. the day prior to the event.
You may register and pay online by using this link:
LakelandChamber.com or by E-mailing: tottinger@lakelandchamber.com
Members gather for October Business After Hours
Arbor Glen and Two Men and a Truck teamed up to host the
October Business After Hours. It was a showcase of Chamber
members, as Fresco’s Bakery & Bistro, Southside Package &
Lounge, Outback Steakhouse, Tapatio’s Restaurante Mexicano,
Chili’s, Hooter’s, Beef O Brady’s, Ciao Bella, Moe's Southwest
Grill, Pipo’s Café, Subway, Smokey Bones, Regal Automotive
Group and Dillard’s offered food, drink and door prizes for
guests. Arbor Glen staff took members on a tour of the models
available and encouraged everyone to register to win an
e staff of Arbor Glen accepts the Plaque of Appreciation.
Door prizes always bring the crowd to attention.
Members network and exchange business cards
No. 20
autographed Derrick Brooks football or fragrance gift basket
from Dillard’s. The weather was warm, but the networking was
hot, as members shared prospects and learned about fellow
members. The Chamber’s “on call” sound guy, Ken Williams
of Center Door Productions, provided a wonderful sound
system, despite a little rain and preparations for Friday’s Lake
Mirror Classic concert. Congratulations to Arbor Glen &
Two Men and a Truck – small businesses working together!
Jonathon Crain accepts the Plaque of Appreciation for Two Men and a Truck
Habitat for Humanity hosts October Business & Breakfast
The October Business & Breakfast made its annual trip to
Lakeland Habitat for Humanity ReStore located at 1317
George Jenkins Blvd. Claudia Tritton, Business Development
Director at the Lakeland Economic Development Council
brought members up to date on the economic growth of Lake-
land and the surrounding area. The LEDC’s attention to at-
tracting diverse businesses and high-skill high-wage jobs has
lessened the impact of the recent economic conditions for the
City. Showcasing new buildings and relocating businesses,
Claudia’s presentation offered a positive look at Lakeland and
Becky Bywater welcomes everyone to Lakeland Habitat for Humanity
Chamber wishes fond farewell to Mary Stevenson
the commitment of local companies to building strong busi-
nesses and supporting a strong community. Statistical trends
show promise as Lakeland and Polk county look to a brighter
future and hopefully, a quick recovery. Lakeland Habitat for
Humanity Executive Director, Claire Twomey shared informa-
tion on new partnerships and opportunities for the community
to get involved in building safe, affordable homes. Many
thanks to Lakeland Habitat for Humanity, its staff and
board of directors, for a wonderful breakfast, and a
beautiful event setting!
Claudia Tritton, Lakeland Economic Development Council, brings everyone
up to date on Lakeland’s business community.
On November 24th, after 19 years of service, the
Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce said a fond
farewell to one of its longest tenured staff members,
Mary Stevenson.
If you have joined the Chamber during the last 19
years, Mary has probably processed your membership
application, made updates to your membership account, or
answered your membership questions. You’ve seen her
smiling face at Business After Hours, the Luau and a
host of other Chamber events.
A loyal and tireless employee, Mary epitomizes the
dedication that makes the Lakeland Chamber so great.
Congratulations and Best Wishes to Mary and her
husband John, who is also retiring, as they fulfill their
plans to travel and spend time with their family and
especially grandchildren. Thanks, Mary, from all of
the Chamber members and especially the staff for a
job well done.
 RIBBON CUTTINGS
The following companies recently celebrated their ribbon cuttings in the month of October.
See the photos on our Web site at LakelandChamber.com.

Flooring America of Lakeland DC’S Sports Bar

5729 S Florida Ave • Lakeland, FL 33813 1015 S Florida Ave • Lakeland, FL 33803
863/701-9411 • www.flooringamericaoflakeland.com 863/682-2300 • www.dcssportsbar.com

Navesys Incorporated Property Management &

3730 Cleveland Heights Blvd, Suite 2
Lakeland, FL 33803
Realty Innovations, Inc.
5925 Imperial Parkway, Suite 102 •Mulberry, FL 33860
863/395-4815 • www.navesys.com 863/647-1679 • www.pmriflorida.com

RIBBON CUTTING THANK YOU

Special thanks to Mayor Buddy Fletcher, Commissioner Glenn Higgins, Commissioner Jim Verplanck, Commissioner Justin Troller and all of the board members
and Chamber Champions who truly make these ceremonies a special event.

No. 22
 AT&T Mobility U.S. Security Associates
4310 US Hwy 98 N • Lakeland, FL 33809 3710 DMG Drive • Lakeland, FL 33811
863/253-2050 • www.att.com 863/860-0491 • www.ussecurityassociates.com

Trinity Medical Center/Nite Owl Urgent Care

3242 S Florida Ave • Lakeland, FL 33803
863/646-4000 • www.niteowlpediatrics.com

Harrison School for the Arts

750 Hollingsworth Road • Lakeland, FL 33801-5818
863/499-2855 • www.harrisonarts.com
 Return Service
Requested
PERMIT # 31
US POSTAGE
PRSRT STD

LAKELAND
FLORIDA
PAID
Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 3607 • Lakeland, FL 33802-3607

FIFTH THIRD BANK &

STONE CENTER, INC

EVENT LOCATION:
STONE CENTER, 2205 E. EDGEWATER DR.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17 • 5:30 TO 7:30 P.M.

$10 Chamber Member ~ $30 Non-Chamber member

Your R.S.V.P. is appreciated! Visit BAH.LakelandChamber.com to register and pay using your credit card
or email tottinger@lakelandchamber.com to register and pay at the door.