A Special Legacy Honored, Distinguished Polk Businesses Recognized at Island-Inspired CFDC Annual Meeting
Two longtime companies that keep our residents healthy and employed received the Central Florida Development Council’s top awards at its 2025 Annual Meeting.
Lakeland Regional Health earned the 2025 George W. Harris Jr. Economic Development Award for Success in Large Business. CareerSource Polk received the 2025 Jim Brantley Economic Development Award for Success in Small Business.
“The honorees showcase the impeccable work going on right here in Polk County,” said CFDC President & CEO Sean Malott. “There are so many amazing companies within the region, and they excel at everything they do. We could not be prouder of their success and their commitment to improving Polk County.”
In addition to the awards, CFDC Chair David Shepp of The Southern Group honored the late Cindy Price with the Chair’s Award. The meeting was held at Camp Margaritaville Auburndale.
Malott said the county “continues to lead the way across Florida and beyond – and that momentum shows no signs of slowing. Our focus remains clear: attracting and retaining quality jobs and investment is essential to building lasting economic prosperity for all who call Polk home.”
The county continues to see growth in key sectors, including Manufacturing, Cold Storage and Supply Chain, Information Technology and others, he said. “Collectively, Polk County has seen a 14% growth in employment over the last five years.”
The CFDC remains committed to its mission to promote “Polk as Florida’s best place for business,” Malott said. “Our mission is fueled by collaboration, and tonight is a reminder of what’s possible when public and private partners come together with a shared vision.”
Success in Large Business Award
The Success in Large Business Award is given to companies with at least 100 employees. The award is named for George Harris, a former CFDC chairman and president of Citrus and Chemical Bank. Nominations were based on the businesses’ community service, commitment to growth in business, economic stability and promotion of free enterprise.
“We are so proud to be the recipient of the George W. Harris Jr. Economic Development Award for Success in Large Business and to be included in such elite company with the other nominees for this prestigious award,” said Danielle Drummond, President & CEO of Lakeland Regional Health. LRH is a three-time finalist with more than 8,000 employees.
“It is such a privilege to lead the extraordinary team at Lakeland Regional Health. Every day, our team provides exceptional care to help our community live healthier, fuller lives, and to continue to earn the trust they have placed in us,” she said.
LRH continues growth, providing top-notch service where it’s needed.
“We like to say we are ‘community grown and nationally known’ for good reason,” Drummond said. “We have served Lakeland and the surrounding areas honorably for 110 years. Today, we are attracting world-class team members and medical staff, embracing cutting-edge medical advancements and setting new standards of excellence. I could not be prouder of the Lakeland Regional Health team, which works every day to care for our community.”
Other finalists were:
Last year, Camp Margaritaville Auburndale received the award.
Success in Small Business Award
Jim Brantley Economic Development Award for Success in Small Business is named after Brantley, the first director of the agency now known as the CFDC. It’s given to a business, institution or organization with fewer than 100 employees. The recipient champions growth, free enterprise, economic stability and community service.
Stacy Campbell-Domineck, President and CEO of CareerSource Polk, said she and her team “are incredibly honored to receive the Success in Business award, and it truly reflects the dedication and passion of the entire CareerSource Polk team. This recognition is a testament to our commitment to empowering individuals, supporting businesses and driving workforce innovation across Polk County.”
Winning this award means a lot to the private, nonprofit administrator of workforce funds. “It validates the impact of our work and the strength of our partnerships throughout the community. It also energizes us to continue pushing boundaries and finding new ways to connect talent with opportunity,” she said.
Being in a category with “so many outstanding companies in Polk County highlights the collaborative spirit that fuels economic development here,” Campbell-Domineck said. “We’re proud to be part of a business ecosystem that values growth, resilience and shared success. This award isn’t just a win for CareerSource Polk – it’s a win for the entire county and a reflection of what we can achieve together.”
Other finalists were:
Last year, Straughn Trout, a Grace Design Studio received the honor.
Chair’s Award
Shepp presented one of the CFDC’s most prestigious awards to Cindy Price, 72, who passed away in May. The award honors someone whose work improves Polk County’s economic prosperity.
Price was a Polk County native who spent more than 50 years working for Tampa Electric (TECO). She served the community in a variety of ways, including on the board of the CFDC, United Way, Read Polk and many more.
Shepp said Price was “a remarkable leader, a champion for economic development in our county and a dear friend. Selecting this year’s recipient was not a difficult decision. The only difficulty is that she is not here to accept the award.”
Price “dedicated her career to identifying and seizing opportunities to attract businesses and convince them to plant their flags in Polk County. Through her charming demeanor, dynamic powers of persuasion and steely determination, she had the ability to convince visitors to Polk County that this was exactly where they needed to be.”
As an early CFDC board member, Shepp said, Price “championed some of the largest projects in Polk County, including WalMart’s food distribution center in Winter Haven and Coca-Cola’s Main Street juice plant in Auburndale. Through her involvement with the CFDC and numerous other chambers of commerce and economic development organizations, she was often the face of the community.”
Cindy’s family accepted the award on her behalf to a standing ovation.
Keynote Speaker
Keynote speaker Brad Schwaeble has helped build the Margaritaville brand for 26 years, and speaking at Camp Margaritaville Auburndale brought him full circle. Schwaeble is Chief Operating Officer of the Margaritaville Hospitality division. He said some of the last words of Jimmy Buffett, who started the brand, were “Keep the Party Going,” which is what they try to do every day through the brand. Their core mission includes creating “fun and escapism.”
Schwaeble spoke about Camp Margaritaville Auburndale’s success. “There are currently five Camp Margaritaville RV resorts across the U.S. with more in the pipeline, but the Auburndale location is the highest-rated Camp Margaritaville in the portfolio, as well as one of the highest per-site revenues in the industry. They have won many awards that back this up and they give back to the Polk County Community in many ways.”
The brand extends beyond the RV parks, including restaurants and bars, lodging, gaming, newer cruise lines and even a college ambassador program, Margaritaville University, he said. And they plan to expand internationally.
Passing the Torch
At the meeting, Shepp turned over the chairmanship to Emery Smith of Ben Hill Griffin Inc. Joining Smith are:
- Vice Chair Brandon Clark of The Ruthvens
- Secretary/Treasurer Kyle Story of The Story Companies
- County Commissioner Rick Wilson
- County Manager Designee Jeff Kincart of A-C-T Environmental & Infrastructure
Committee chairs are:
- Aviation, Rick Garcia, Gulf Coast Avionics
- Community Stakeholders, Peveeta Devi Samuel, Duke Energy
- Competitiveness & Advocacy, Brad Lunz, The Lunz Group
- Investor Relations, Jeremy Voss, SpringerVoss Construction
- Talent Pipeline, Dr. Amy Bratten, Polk State College
Other board members include:
- Corey Allain, Nucor Steel Florida
- Steve Crisman, Citizens Bank & Trust
- Dr. Jeremy Martin, Florida Southern College
- Patrick Phillips, Lakeland Regional Health
2025 Annual Meeting Sponsors
Lastly, the CDFC lends a huge thank you to all of the 2025 Annual Meeting Sponsors. The following companies sponsored the event:
- Presenting Sponsor: Cyndeo Wealth Partners
- Catalyst Sponsor: Citizens Bank & Trust, bar host
- AV Sponsor: MABE
- Innovation Sponsors:
AdventHealth, Bank of Central Florida, Ben Hill Griffin Inc., Camp Margaritaville RV Resort, Duke Energy, Florida Polytechnic University, Florida Southern College, Intersect Development Group, Keiser University Lakeland, Lakeland Regional Health, The Lunz Group, Marcobay Construction, Orlando Health, Polk State College, Register Construction, The Ruthvens, Saunders Real Estate, Southeastern University, SpringerVoss Construction, The Southern Group, Straughn Trout Architects (a Grace Design Studio), TECO, Winter Haven Hospital - Enterprise Sponsors:
A.O. Wagner Construction, BakerTilly, Lakeland Linder International Airport, Tracy Mouncey & Associates, Visit Central Florida - Meeting Sponsors:
Central Florida Business Expo, CPS Investment Advisors, EcoStat LLC, FG+M Architecture, PulteGroup, The Story Companies, Summit Broadband, Two Blue Aces
