Polk Vision, Inc.

Leadership Polk Class XVIII had a blast exploring the City of Winter Haven last week! 🤩 Class members spent a chilly day visiting Peppa Pig Theme Park Florida, LEGOLAND Florida Resort, the AdventHealth Fieldhouse & Conference Center, CSX, the Intermodal Logistics Park and The Historic Ritz Theatre, learning about the major investments being made over the next several years to make Winter Haven a vibrant place for all its residents and visitors. While class members had fun braving the cold to ride rides and take a boat ride through the Chain of Lakes system, they were also exposed to the challenges City and community leaders are facing, specifically when it comes to housing development. Thank you to our Day Chairs Betsy Cleveland (Class VII), President & CEO for the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce, and MJ Carnevale (Class IX), Deputy City Manager for the City of Winter Haven, and to all of the presenters who took the time to engage with our group! We'd also like to give a special thank you to our contributing partner, AT&T, and lunch sponsor, the City of Winter Haven.

🚨 There's only TWO WEEKS left to apply for the 2025 public Service Leadership Course! 🚨 If you or someone you know is looking to run for elected office, serve on government boards and commissions or get into civic, public or nonprofit leadership roles, apply for this FREE program today! Have any questions? Click here to learn more about this program: https://lnkd.in/ew_XvW2S

Last week, Leadership Polk Class XVIII enjoyed a day exploring the City of Lakeland! With stops at Bonnet Springs Park, Florida Children's Museum, IDEA Lakeland, Florida Southern College, Catapult Lakeland, Inc.,Peace River Center for Personal Development, Inc.' Club Success and Lakeland International Airport, class members were able to engage in thoughtful conversations about how we, as a community, can plan for growth while addressing the educational and mental health needs of our residents. A special thank you goes to our Day Chairs, Amy Wiggins, President & CEO of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, and Jason Willey (Class IX), Assistant Director of Economic Development for the City of Lakeland, along with all of the presenters who shared their time and insights with the class. We'd also like to thank our Contributing Partner, AT&T, and breakfast and lunch sponsors, Bonnet Springs Park and Florida Southern College. We can't wait to see what the next class day has in store!

Meet the facilitator for our 2025 Public Service Leadership Course: Mark R. Mills! 🤩 Mark R. Mills is a collaborative developer and trainer of impact-focused leadership engagement programs in diverse markets whose graduates-turned-community and public leaders have collectively impacted the lives of nearly 36 million people. His experience has included serving as a long-time communications director and media spokesperson for a United States Senator and now teaching leaders proprietary and proven strategies for how they can elevate their experience to accelerate their difference in reading and communicating great ideas that impact communities and improve lives. ✔️ Learn more about Mark and the 2025 Public Service Leadership Course here: https://lnkd.in/ew_XvW2S. Or, click here to apply today: https://lnkd.in/epCc3k8U!

Inside Polk County Public Schools Class III gathered for Day #3 on Wednesday! 🎉 They visited Denison Middle School, Winter Haven High School, and Pinewood Elementary to learn about PCPS Public Relations, family and student engagement initiatives, the Polk Education Foundation, and library media services. In between presentations, class members had the opportunity to tour Winter Haven High School's BDTV and agriculture programs, where they met some pigs and goats housed on campus. At the end of the day, class members read to kindergarten students at Pinewood Elementary! We'd like to give a special thank you to Winter Haven High School's Cafe Bleu for catering lunch and to Central Florida Health Care, Inc. for their sponsorship! We can't wait to see what the next class day has in store!

📣 Applications are now open for the 2025 Public Service Leadership Course! The Public Service Leadership Course is designed to carry forward the legacy of exceptional leadership that has made Polk County a distinctive, prosperous and vibrant community. This FREE course, facilitated by Mark R. Mills, equips leaders interested in advancing to a deeper level of public service with the necessary tools to impact public policy and enhance their effectiveness as engaged citizens. If you or someone you know is looking to run for elected office, serve on government boards and commissions or get into civic, public or nonprofit leadership roles, apply today! https://lnkd.in/epCc3k8U

Inside Polk County Public Schools Class III gathered for Day #2 last week! 🎉 They visited Clarence Boswell Elementary, Stambaugh Middle, and Auburndale High School to learn about the HEARTH and Polk Schools Tassel Project, School Counseling, Polk RISE!, behavioral and mental health supports and Safe Schools. During the day, class members had the opportunity to give back to students by putting together hygiene kits for HEARTH and TASSEL! We'd like to give a special thank you to Auburndale Senior High School's Culinary Academy for catering lunch and to Tampa Electric for their sponsorship! We can't wait to see what the next class day has in store!

Last week, Leadership Polk Class XVIII had their official first class day in the City Of Auburndale! 🤩 The class was exposed to Auburndale's abundant and unique economic development, higher education, and arts, culture and recreation opportunities, making stops at the Visit Central Florida office, Lake Myrtle Sports Complex, SunTrax, Florida Polytechnic University, Circuit Florida, Coca-Cola Auburndale and Downtown Auburndale. Several class members even took a thrilling ride around the race track at Circuit Florida! Thank you to our Day Chair Amy Palmer (Class IX), Assistant City Manager for the City of Auburndale, and all of the presenters and businesses who took the time to engage with our group. We'd also like to give a special thank you to our Contributing Partner, AT&T, and breakfast and lunch sponsors, Visit Central Florida and Circuit Florida. We can't wait to see what the next class day has in store!

Last week, we were honored to host the Polk County Board of County Commissioners Chair, Bill Braswell, and thirteen mayors from across Polk County for the 14th Annual Mayors Roundtable! It was a great event full of insightful discussion about storm recovery, growth management, arts, culture, & recreation, and so much more. We'd like to thank our moderator Matt Mucci with AT&T and our sponsors, AdventHealth, Citizens Bank & Trust, and Tampa Electric! Special thanks to Polk State College for hosting us at the Center for Public Safety. 💡 If you weren't able to attend in person, you can find a recording on PGTV's YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/dcc2eRHm. Featured Municipalities: City Of Auburndale City of Bartow, FL City of Davenport City Of Frostproof City of Haines City City of Lake Alfred City of Lake Wales City of Lakeland MULBERRY, CITY OF City of Polk City City of Winter Haven DUNDEE, TOWN OF LAKE HAMILTON, TOWN OF

What an incredible first class day for Inside Polk County Public Schools Class III! 🤩 We kicked things off by visiting Carlton Palmore Elementary School, Oscar J. Pope Elementary School, and Southwest Middle School, diving deep into district funding and finance, site-based budgeting, school grades, facilities, and information technology. We wrapped up our day with a tour of Southwest Middle's brand-new campus! We'd like to say a huge thank you to The Lay Group with EXP Realty and Lay Legacy for sponsoring lunch and sharing their incredible experience adopting Southwest Elementary School and launching the first Elementary Digital Media Academy. We can't wait to see what the next class day has in store!