LoveLakeland’s May 2023 CityMakers

LoveLakeland’s
May 2023 CityMakers

This month, we celebrate Kristina & Jeremy Mockabee, two captains of The Salvation Army who are driven by a devout passion to do good, fight homelessness and create generational change in our community. Learn more about our May 2023 #LoveLakeland CityMakers!

About Us

LoveLakeland is a non-profit organization dedicated to highlighting the energetic contributors in our community and taking action to improve our city and continue to encourage innovative thinking. It is LoveLakeland’s goal to shine a light on our community’s creative minds, inspirational leaders, activists, students and other engaged citizens in order to share our cities most brilliant resource–the people–with others. Because of these “CityMakers”, we live in a place that we are so lucky to call home.

CityMaker Award

Past CityMakers

Nominate CityMaker

About Us

LoveLakeland is a non-profit organization dedicated to highlighting the energetic contributors in our community and taking action to improve our city and continue to encourage innovative thinking. It is LoveLakeland’s goal to shine a light on our community’s creative minds, inspirational leaders, activists, students and other engaged citizens in order to share our cities most brilliant resource–the people–with others. Because of these “CityMakers”, we live in a place that we are so lucky to call home.

CityMaker Award

Past CityMakers

Nominate CityMaker

Where It All Began

Where It All Began

For the Love of Lakeland

“Every community has the opportunity to create meaning. Smart communities should recognize that beyond the official actors, there are a significant number of citizen actors who make up an untapped resource for community change.

Some are already fully engaged, while many others just need some encouragement, a push towards love, to turn their emotional connections to the city – and their intrinsic desire to make their work, their place and their lives meaningful – into tangible action.” Peter Kageyama For the Love of Cities

Former Mayor Howard Wiggs shares this vision with Peter, and together, with community partners and other passionate members of the city, he has endeavored to share a new kind of love with Lakeland – the kind that acknowledges those “co-creators” who give their energy simply because they truly #LoveLakeland

CityMaker Stories

Teresa Martinez

Amid cups of horchata and plates of Southern-smoked brisket, it’s hard not to feel lucky to live where we live.

Read More.

Patricia Starr

It seems that the holiday season never fails to bring out the best in our community.

Read More.

“As a city, Lakeland’s greatest resource is the citizens who champion community initiatives and who ultimately inspire others to Love Lakeland. They are passionate about Lakeland, they seek to improve the quality of life for all of our residents, and their daily actions and attitudes reflect their love for the community. Their focus is often outward, toward the world, rather than inward, and as a result, every rock is hidden, every tree is planted, and every kindness is extended, inspiring others to be a little better and to “be part of the solution, not part of the problem.” These folks are City Makers. I salute these typically “unsung heroes” and thank you for recognizing that a simple act can have long and lasting impact.”

— Former Mayor Howard Wiggs

“As a city, Lakeland’s greatest resource is the citizens who champion community initiatives and who ultimately inspire others to Love Lakeland. They are passionate about Lakeland, they seek to improve the quality of life for all of our residents, and their daily actions and attitudes reflect their love for the community. Their focus is often outward, toward the world, rather than inward, and as a result, every rock is hidden, every tree is planted, and every kindness is extended, inspiring others to be a little better and to “be part of the solution, not part of the problem.” These folks are City Makers. I salute these typically “unsung heroes” and thank you for recognizing that a simple act can have long and lasting impact.”

— Former Mayor Howard Wiggs