EDITORIAL
NOTE FROM THE EDITORS
Alice V. Koehler
Tina Sargeant
THE GEORGE EFFECT
Lakeland’s Premier COFFEE HOUSE & CASUAL EATERY
Breakfast Wine
Drink
Friends
Panini CoffeeLocalRelax
Invite Art Lunch Conversations Dinner Espresso
Catering
Eat
Community Dessert Connect Fun
Salads
Flats
Downtown
Uplift
Frappé
F
or Lakelanders, Publix is a symbol of home, of community, and of pride. We all have happy memories of Publix: eating cookies from the bakery as a child; sampling Aprons recipes in the aisles on a Saturday afternoon; special ordering our child’s first birthday cake; picking up a rotisserie chicken on the way home from work; selling Girl Scout cookies or ringing the Salvation Army bell in front of our neighborhood stores. Publix is much more than a grocery store; it’s a gathering space. And, no other grocery store incites such a sense of loyalty and happiness; it’s magical. The magic of Publix, however, is not in the boxes of pasta, the gallons of milk, or the slices of deli meat. It’s not in the sparkling clean floors, the bakery cookies, or the selection of cheeses. No, the magic of Publix is in its culture, a culture that has become synonymous with our city’s culture. George W. Jenkins built the Publix empire from the ground up. All the while, perhaps by accident but to our great advantage, he managed to build a community as well. Mr. George fostered a spirit of philanthropy matched by few companies and inspired a sense of loyalty that many businesses only hope to achieve. His legacy of leadership, commitment to community, and dedication to innovation, entrepreneurship, and craftsmanship are ever present in the community Publix calls home. We at The Lakelander are moved by the profound impact Jenkins had, and continues to have, on our city. Around every corner, his legacy lives: in our public spaces, at our schools, in our philanthropic work, and in our businesses. It is our hope that the stories, history, and photographs in these pages inspire you to look around, notice something new about our city, and appreciate the legacy of the man who made “shopping a pleasure,” the same man who made great contributions to making life in Lakeland a pleasure. We would be remiss if we didn’t thank the many people who contributed to this issue. To the photographers, guest writers, and contributors, thank you. To the many friends of Publix who contributed insight and wisdom, thank you. Specific thanks go to two Publix team members: Maria Brous, director of media and public relations, and Jennifer Bush, manager of special projects. We thank them for the invaluable resources and guidance they provided on the journey to creating this tribute to a great man. With gratitude, Alice and Tina
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THE LAKELANDER