COVERSTORY
Introducing Sanford’s Good Neighbor,
ALEXIA EMERSON,
STATE FARM AGENT
Living the Logo and Embracing Life’s Teachable Moments. BY S A M A N T H A M O N TG O M E RY
M
eet one of Sanford’s newest neighbors, Alexia Emerson, State Farm agent. Alexia knew Sanford would be the perfect location for her new business when she attended a car show at Henry’s Depot during the height of the pandemic. Despite the situation that was going on in the world, Alexia saw that 1st Street was alive with people shopping, vendors selling and an overall energy that made her feel at home. She related to the city’s resilience and perseverance—no matter what, Alexia finds a way.
Raised by her single father Ferman Lopez II with the help of her paternal grandparents, Ferman and Susie Lopez, who are of Afro-Cuban descent, Alexia has felt like her path was a clear one to becoming a State Farm agent, because she knew she wanted to help people. The Lopez family live by a simple mantra instilled by her grandmother: Our service to others is our prosperity in this life. With that message in her heart, Alexia’s career took all the right turns to lead her to where she is today, and she couldn’t be happier. While attending UCF, Alexia took on an internship as a private investigator at J. Mike Kelley Investigations. This was a family-owned business, and they welcomed her with open arms. The owner Mike was a retired homicide detective for the Orlando Police Department and quickly became her mentor. Alexia refers to this decade-long career as her dream job. She 2 M Y S A N F O R D M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R 2 0 21 - 2 2
Alexia Emerson
KELLY ANDREW CLORE VAN WITHTILBORGH, KABIKI STUDIOS CHARMING SANFORD
Alexia and her husband Shawn have two children, Isabella who is 15, Liam who is 9, and Glacier, who is a two-year-old Siberian Husky fur baby. Shawn is a surgical tech in neurosurgery with AdventHealth. He is also a published artist and illustrator. Alexia and her family have been enjoying life in Seminole County for over 15 years and especially like trying new things, which Sanford always has to offer.
