Leadership Lake Wales Kicks Off 24th Year with Class Retreat

Leadership Lake Wales Class 24 kicked off its 10-month program Wednesday, Sept. 18 with a class retreat at Bok Tower.

The program is coordinated by the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and EDC through its nonprofit Lake Wales Area Foundation. Class 24 has 20 members, representing various businesses, nonprofits and government agencies in the area.

Alumni from some of the previous 23 groups came to meet the new class, reflect on their participation and offer suggestions on how to make the most of the program. The opening retreat, facilitated by Bill Redmon of Wild Creek Adventures with the assistance of Julie Diaz from The Vanguard School, included a variety of teambuilding exercises to help prepare the class for their year.

Denise Moss from Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary said she was especially pleased to be attending the leadership program since her late husband, former American Bank and Trust President Greg Moss, was in Class One.

In addition to opening and closing retreats, a trip to Tallahassee during the Florida legislative session and a graduation dinner, the leadership program includes seven full-day sessions, each devoted to a specific focus. Day topics include the City of Lake Wales, education, business and industry, arts and tourism, agribusiness, health and human services and Polk County.

The goals of Leadership Lake Wales are to identify existing and emerging leadership from various occupational and economic segments of the Lake Wales area community, to familiarize participants with a wide range of issues facing the Lake Wales area and to provide a resource pool of community leaders who can make a difference in the Lake Wales area community as they become engaged in elected and/or volunteer service.

David Vanlerberg of the Lake Wales Care Center, a member of Leadership Class 23, is the class coordinator this year. Members of Leadership Lake Wales Class 24 include:

• Kyle Barker, Florida's Natural Growers

• Lori Beyer, Lake Wales Area Chamber & EDC

• Steve Bornemann, Lake Aurora Christian Camp

• Naomi Dalton, AdventHealth Lake Wales

• Jennifer D'hollander, Lake Wales History Museum

• Calvin Ferrier, AdventHealth Lake Wales

• LaQuitta Ghent, Duke Energy

• Greg Goreck, Polk County Sheriff's Office

• Sara Kirkland, City of Lake Wales

• Rebecca Klepacki, Webber International University

• Jennifer Lopez, Citizens Bank & Trust Chalet Office

• Cynthia Monk, Polk State College

• Denise Moss, Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary

• Kaitlyn Nelson, Lake Wales Care Center

• Michael Smith, Lake Wales Police Department

• Tonya Stewart, Tonya Stewart Law

• Amilee Stuckey, Law Offices of A.M. Stuckey

• Stephen Webber, Grace Healthcare of Lake Wales

• Tamara West, Polk County

• Michelle Yodonis, Polk County Clerk of the Courts