For more information, visit our New Member Informational Page.

Registration will be open from March 1, 2024 – June 17, 2024.

What an absolute honor it is for me to serve as the League’s President! I have some big and beautiful shoes to fill considering the many amazing and accomplished women that have come before me. Some of the strongest and most passionate women I know have served the Junior League of Greater Lakeland as President, and to be counted among them is the privilege of a lifetime. I hope to bring a fraction of the dignity and compassion they have brought to this position.

As we begin the new year, I have challenged our board and leadership to help each member uncover her passion and individual contribution to the community we serve. Together, we will strive to cultivate positive influence through empathy, partnership and recognizing the utmost needs of the women and children within our community. We will unite, building efficient committees to maximize the volunteer hours while making the most in-depth results possible. As a force, we will work on updating our bylaws, policies and procedures to help overcome challenges while confronting shortfalls faced in the past with the best interest of our organization, members and community in mind. I will work to shorten League meetings while bringing back meet and greets that each board member will divide to attend throughout Lakeland to help cultivate social engagement.

Together in 2023, we will…..Thrive ….. and uncover your why!

Like never before, we must live up to our mission which is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.

If you have any questions or would like to connect, please email President@jlgl.org.

• President-Elect: Katherine Fitzwater
• Nominating Chair: Courtenay Fulmer

Highlights included:

The Junior League of Greater Lakeland thanks outgoing President, Lauren Albaum, for her leadership and commitment to improving our community for the 2022-23 League year.

Past President and Sustaining Member, Cecelia Wilhite, announced the fourth recipient of the Sarah D. McKay Award, Lu Fitzwater.

Sustaining Vice President Peggy McKeel the naming of the Carol Jenkins Barnett Sustainer of the Year, Rachel Cashdollar.

After a year of leadership development and community service opportunities, 23 women graduated from Provisional to Active membership.

Barb Cadiz was installed as Junior League of Greater Lakeland’s President for 2023-2024. Outgoing President, Maggie Briggs, welcomed Cadiz to the role in front of the audience including more than a dozen past presidents of the organization and nearly 150 members.

We celebrated raising more than $263,000.00 for the League through our Fundraising Initiatives this year.

The 2023-2024 Officers of the Board of Directors of the Junior League of Greater Lakeland were installed.

• Barb Cadiz, President
• Tiffany Hawks, Sustaining Vice President
• Julia Huerta, Corresponding Secretary
• Tracy DeCesary, Recording Secretary
• Ashley Madden, Communications Vice President
• Vicki Russell, Finance Vice President
• Amy Bermudez, Community Vice President
• Jayde Coleman, Membership Vice President
• Nicole Minott, Treasurer

We also recognized several members for their service and dedication to the League, including:

Sarah D. McKay Award: Lu Fitzwater

Carol Jenkins Barnett Sustainer of the Year: Rachel Cashdollar

Provisional of the Year: Vanessa Valencia

Heart of the League: Angel Davis

Spirit of the League: Sheryl Rogers

Volunteer of the Year: Nicole Summers

Bridge to the Community: Jayde Coleman

Even more than the wonderful memories from happily-ever-after bridal and anniversary receptions.

More than the joy of graduation and birthday parties.

Or the success of corporate events and antique shows.

When it gets right down to it, the rental of our facility helps defray the costs of maintaining one of Lakeland’s most historic buildings, a classically beautiful Italian Renaissance structure originally built as a clubhouse for women because, in the 1920s women were not allowed to meet in some of the buildings where men’s clubs met.

As a matter of fact, our building was Lakeland’s first clubhouse and was originally home to a women’s group called the Sorosis Club.  Over 75 years later and having changed hands several times, the building was purchased by another women’s group, the members of the Junior League.

Yet, the rental of our facility is more than preserving a historical women’s clubhouse.

Your rental is an actual investment in our community at large.

Our agency, the Junior League of Greater Lakeland, as a charitable group of committed women volunteers, has added and continues to add to the quality of life in Lakeland for what will be 90 years in March of 2023!

Look around you. Our fingerprints are everywhere.

From the Lakeland Christmas Parade to the World of Reading Festival.

From the new Lake Bonnet Springs Park to the clothes closet at Tenneroc High School.

From the Polk Museum of Art to the Learning Resource Center, both of which we founded.

From the Polk Theatre outer lobby/kiosk restoration to the lobbying for and rebuilding the promenade around Lake Mirror.

From project after project after project:

A preambulator donated to the hospital in early years to help keep premature babies alive,  Lakeland Public Library’s first bookmobile and book-drop,  Reading is FUNdamental, Explorations Five displays, Baptist Children’s Home projects, and the Salvation Army’s original Halo Child Enrichment Center on Massachusetts Avenue…

Gifts to agency after agency.

Tackling tough problems with compassion and determination.

We help make it happen!

We have made it happen with over one million free books given to thousands upon thousands of vulnerable children in our community and so much more.

We make the difference in many lives, and your rental of our building is a gift that allows us to keep on being the difference by giving and giving some more.

In 2005, our members bought and paid for this building out of our own pockets, and we want to share it as our gift to the community.

That’s where you can help.

By renting the JLGL Building for your event, your story becomes part of our story.  And your story has even further ranging effects for good than the happy memories of a special day in your life. It becomes a special part of the lives of those less fortunate and in the lives of our community’s children of all walks.

Please take a look around, and let us know if you need something.  We will be happy to answer your questions and would love for you to visit in person.

And above all, please consider investing in our building with the rental costs and becoming an important part of our community’s story for years to come.

By Sheila Lotterhos

Remembering Past President and Sustainer Emeritus Patricia Cosby Blalock…

On September 16, 2022, members of the Junior League heard the sad news of the death of Past President and Sustainer Emeritus Patricia Cosby Blalock (83).  Born in Kentucky on May 10, 1939, Pat grew up in Danville and graduated from high school there where she cheered on her high school football team and served as their homecoming queen.  College had something even more special for Pat when, during her first week at Western Kentucky University, she met her future husband — Ralph Blalock.  After Pat and Ralph were married, they moved to Lakeland where they raised their children and became an integral part of the community.

A loyal and devoted League member, Pat continued to faithfully attend League events even when illness and mobility issues surfaced.  Her positive, can-do attitude was always present as evidenced during her year as president when the League’s Thrift Sale made a strategic move to the civic center and significantly increased our net gains.  Under Pat’s leadership, the League also  helped launch a successful project that became The Learning Resource Center on whose board Pat would serve.  During her active years, Pat served on numerous League committees including the Lakeland Day Nursery and the Cerebral Palsy Clinic as well as serving as treasurer, vice president, and president.

The community further benefited from Pat serving on the Boys Club Board, Citizens Police Academy, and the Florida Bar Grievance Committee. And she thoroughly enjoyed memberships in Dresden Antique Club, PEO, and All Saints Episcopal Church.

Bearing all of this in mind, there is little wonder that Pat would transfer her valuable skill set along with her winning personality (she never knew a stranger) to become one of Lakeland’s most successful realtors.  Nor is it surprising that Pat would thoroughly enjoy her stellar career for several decades.

Pat’s greatest success, however, was as a wife, mother, and grandmother, and it is to her family that we offer our heartfelt condolences.  Those left to cherish her memory are Pat’s husband of 64 years and the love of her life, Ralph Blalock, along with daughter and fellow Sustainer Jil Blalock Bevis and Jil’s husband Rob, son Paul and his wife Sustainer Randy Blalock, and her beloved grandchildren.  We are so grateful for Pat’s many years of selfless service, and we will always remember her fondly and with great respect.

Highlights included:

The Junior League of Greater Lakeland thanks outgoing President, Lauren Albaum, for her leadership and commitment to improving our community for the 2021-22 League year.

Communications Vice President Katherine Fitzwater announced the third recipient of the Sarah D. McKay Award, Cecelia Wilhite.

Sustaining Vice President Alice O’Reilly announced the naming of the Sustainer of the Year Award in honor of the late Carol Jenkins Barnett.

After a year of leadership development and community service opportunities, 40 women graduated from Provisional to Active membership.

Maggie Briggs was installed as the Junior League of Greater Lakeland’s President for 2022-2023. Outgoing President, Albaum, welcomed Briggs to the role in front of the audience including more than a dozen past presidents of the organization.

More than 60 members received certificates for completing our first Leadership Development Series.

We celebrated raising more than $254,000.00 for the League through our Fundraising Initiatives this year.

The 2022-2023 Board of Directors of the Junior League of Greater Lakeland was installed.

• Maggie Briggs, President
• Barb Cadiz, President-Elect
• Peggy McKeel, Sustaining Vice President
• Sara Scoynes, Corresponding Secretary
• Nicole Bradham, Communications Vice President
• Heather Jones, Finance Vice President
• Sheena McKenzie, Community Vice Presdient
• Tracy DiCesare, Membership Vice President
• Melania Chromy, Funding Director
• Sadie Molinet, Treasurer

We also recognized several members for their service and dedication to the League, including:

Sarah D. McKay Award: Cecelia Wilhite

Carol Jenkins Barnett Sustainer of the Year: Lu Fitzwater

Provisional of the Year: Shoma Shelly

Heart of the League: Jessica Brown

Spirit of the League: Kate Wallace

Volunteer of the Year: Callie Miller

Bridge to the Community: Jayde Coleman