May 07, 2007

Emerge Meets Submerge Re-Cap & Pictures

History happens and it happened again this past Tuesday, April 24th at The Club at Eaglebrooke. Two groups of people that many would think have nothing in common came together to learn that the long-standing divide serves only to weaken our community and that they do, in fact, have a lot in common. EMERGE Lakeland, an organization that nurtures the growth of young professionals in the Lakeland area, hosted the event with the hopes of initiating a dialogue between young professionals and established leaders in the community. What those in attendance learned is that the thread that ties them together is the desire to make Lakeland the best place in which to live and to work.

EMERGE invited a handful of Lakeland’s leaders to share their experiences and wisdom with a group of professionals who aspire to continue the improvement of the quality of life in Lakeland. In return, those leaders were exposed to the vibrant energy and enthusiasm that emerging professionals exude. Those leaders who agreed to offer their advice (who, incidentally, have been affectionately been referred to as “Submergers” – a playful nod at their submersion in the Lakeland community) were: Sylvia Blackmon-Roberts, Hunt Berryman, Ron Clark, Tony Delgado, Gow Fields, John Fitzwater, Anne Furr, Maggie Lazarre, Kathleen Munson, Bill Mutz, Maureen Shaw, and Terry Worthington. “I am excited about what many of the Emerge members were saying. Their perspectives are some I have not yet encountered and I am actually setting an appointment with one of the members to continue a conversation I may not have otherwise had.” said Anne Furr, Executive Director of the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority and “Submerger.” That became the theme of the evening. Submergers and Emergers embraced the opportunity to hear and learn from individuals that they don’t generally take the time to understand. This event has opened the door to more conversations from an untapped cross section of the community.

“This is an event that EMERGE has been looking forward to since our inception. We knew in our hearts that this would be a positive experience for all of the participants but did not predict the tremendous amount of positive feedback we have received.” stated Cauney Bamberg, Executive Director of the Watson Clinic Foundation and EMERGE Lakeland Chair. It is thanks to the supportive responses that EMERGE has decided to make “Emerge Meets Submerge” an annual event.

Adam Spafford, Steve Madden.jpg