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More than 150 of Lakeland’s community leaders packed the ballroom at the SpringHill Suites on Wednesday, Jan. 14, for the Leadership Lakeland Alumni annual celebration.
The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the Dr. Jere Annis Leadership Award. The award recognizes the outstanding service and achievements of a graduate of the Leadership Lakeland program.
This year’s committee selected Kay Fields for her community leadership as president and CEO of Girls Inc. of Lakeland, her 24-year tenure on the Polk County School Board and her service on the PigFest board, the Lakeland Optimist Club, the United Way Women’s Leadership Council and the Polk Vision board of directors.
“Kay stands among a distinguished group of leaders who have not only shaped our city but have also uplifted others along the way. Her impact is generational, and this award is a testament to the lives she’s touched through both action and heart.” said Bill Langston, incoming president of the Leadership Lakeland Alumni Association (LLAA).
The announcement of the award was preceded by a short video reflecting on the life of Dr. Jere Annis, co-founder of Watson Clinic and the Watson Clinic Foundation.
Outgoing LLAA president Chrissanne Long reflected on this year’s award, saying “The legacy of Dr. Jere Annis continues to shape the heart of leadership in Lakeland. This year, surrounded by past recipients and his family, we honored his visionary contributions with deep gratitude and pride. His influence endures in leaders like Kay Fields who carry his example forward – one life, one impact at a time.”
Who was Dr. Jere Annis?
Fields’ ‘Very humble beginnings’
Flanked by 15 past honorees, Joe Tedder, last year’s winner, gave a moving tribute designed to slowly reveal the recipient’s identity.
Tedder traced Fields’ journey growing up in Jim Crow-era Mississippi as the youngest of six children, to living in Alaska and, ultimately, settling in Lakeland.
“This year’s recipient had very humble beginnings. They lived in a supportive and loving family, but at a time and place of their youth, it brought several challenges. Those challenges established a heart of service, compassion and determination that drives their approach to life and faith,” Tedder said.
As she recognized her own story, Fields was visibly surprised, removing her glasses and wiping away a tear.
Upon reaching the podium, a composed Fields was embraced by the past winners including Barney Barnett, former Mayor Bill Mutz and Fields’ husband and former Mayor, Gow Fields.
Faith and Family
Fields’ humbly insisted she was not worthy, preferring to credit Jesus, her faith and her family for their support.
“God gets the glory,” she said. “It’s all because I am, not that I deserve anything. But thank God for Jesus, thank God for my family, my father, who was a pastor, my mom, who passed away when I was 12, siblings looking out for me.”
Fields specifically cited her eldest sister, Barbara who was in attendance for helping to raise her. She asked her grandchildren, Ari, Avery, Ella and Joy, to stand beside her, quipping, “We should have had grandbabies first.”
She also remembered her community in Alaska for judging her ‘not for the color of her skin but for the content of her character’ in a timely reference to Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous speech.
Of Lakeland, Fields went on to say, “I want to thank you all for allowing me to be a part of such an amazing community, and if I had to go any place else to do what God has allowed me to do, I wouldn’t even know what that would be. So I’m just thankful.”
Fields received a standing-ovation as her speech came to a close. However, realizing she had almost forgotten to thank her husband, Fields joked, “I need to be able to go home tonight, and if I don’t acknowledge my husband, I won’t. So I want to acknowledge my husband. Gow, thank you for always being there, even sometimes when you didn’t really want to be.”
A legacy of community leadership
Established in 1983 by the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Lakeland has been shaping leaders with a deep commitment to community impact for over 40 years. The program unites leaders from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to improve their ability to lead effectively, offering its members a broad range of experiences and insights about the community, its people, its needs and its services.
In 1989, under the visionary leadership of Dr. Jere Annis, the Leadership Lakeland Alumni Association was formally established to extend that mission beyond the program year, fostering long-term connection, service, and growth among graduates.
Today, LLAA connects alumni through ongoing events, professional development, and collaborative service opportunities. It also serves as the steward of the Jere Annis Leadership Award, which is awarded annually to an LLAA member nominated by fellow alumni members and selected by a committee of past honorees. This process honors and preserves the legacy of servant leadership that Dr. Annis embodied.
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