Education, Inspiration and Celebration

FLC honors the past and plans for the future

by Kelli Gemmer, Florida League of Cities

For 100 years, the Florida League of Cities (FLC) has been a resource and advocate for Florida’s cities, towns and villages. The 2022 FLC Annual Conference in Hollywood honored the League’s success in serving Florida’s municipalities through advocacy, training and programs for a century.

Phillip E. Walker, outgoing FLC President, said, “The League isn’t just the united voice for Florida’s cities. It also provides a forum where officials can come together to share ideas that shape our future.”

Walker presided over the three-day conference, which included educational workshops, general sessions, legislative policy committee meetings, local and regional league breakfast meetings and opportunities for attendees to network. In addition, the main exhibit hall provided access to information about municipal products and services. The conference concluded with a 100th Anniversary Gala.

Paying homage to the past, a History Hub centrally located next to registration and the exhibit hall showcased notable occasions in the League’s history through mementos, scrapbooks and a video. Participants who visited the hub received a special History Hub ribbon and FLC’s 100th-year commemorative pin.

Florida League of Cities History Hub booth.

Photo courtesy of Florida League of Cities

The 2022-2023 FLC officers were selected during the conference. At the business session, League members elected Port St. Lucie Vice Mayor Jolien Caraballo to serve as President, Cooper City Mayor Greg Ross as First Vice President and Cocoa Mayor Michael Blake as Second Vice President. (See the profile of Blake on p. 33.) At the past presidents’ luncheon, incoming President Caraballo shared her focus for the year: to foster and build relationships with legislators through an initiative she calls “Finding #commongrounds.” (For more on Caraballo’s vision, see p. 28.)

2022-2023 FLC Officers Second Vice President Michael Blake (from left), President Jolien Caraballo and First Vice President Greg Ross.

Photo courtesy of Florida League of Cities

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Conference workshops focused on timely topics such as broadband, Florida’s growth and infrastructure, how cities implement new laws, how to promote local and regional economic development and solutions for small cities. Many of the workshop presentations are available for free at flcities.com/annualconference. At the annual conference, the Florida League of Cities University (FLCU) launched the Elected

Municipal Officials Certificate Program to reward officials for their time commitment and dedication to education and training. This new program, offered at no cost to members, recognizes elected officials who participate in the League’s many training and continuing education opportunities. Officials may earn a bronze, silver or gold level achievement through educational programs from August to July each year.

FLCU staff members were available at the conference to provide more information and register members on-site. Members can also visit flcities.com/certificate to register and start earning points for the activities they participate in, such as annual conference.

OUTSTANDING WORK RECOGNIZED

Local officials were recognized at the conference for their dedication and hard work. The League’s highest honor, the E. Harris Drew Municipal Official Lifetime Achievement Award, went to City of Bartow Vice Mayor Leo E. Longworth. (See article, p. 30.) FLC honored local elected officials for their tenure of municipal service ranging from 20 years to 40 years. The League will present more than 30 city officials with the John Land Years of Service Award, named in honor of John Land, who served as the Mayor of the City of Apopka for more than 60 years. (Their names and years of service are listed in the third quarter issue of Quality Cities magazine at bit.ly/3JNMmM9.)

Outgoing FLC President Phillip E. Walker (center) with President Jolien Caraballo and First Vice President Greg Ross.

Photo courtesy of Florida League of Cities

The League also highlighted the winners of the Florida Municipal Achievement Awards for their innovations and excellence in municipal government. The City of Gainesville received the City Spirit Award, Miami Shores Village received the Florida Citizenship Award and the City of Orlando received the Environmental Stewardship Award. (See pages 14, 16 and 18 for stories about each of the award winners.)

Senator Ed Hooper, District 16, received the League’s Defender of Home Rule Award, given to legislators who go above and beyond to support the principle of decision-making at the local level. Hooper was recognized for his tireless efforts to defend and protect municipal Home Rule. With a strong background in solving problems at the local level, Hooper understands the important role of city government and has been a champion for local issues in the Legislature. This past session, he helped the League communicate its message and address concerns on tough bills, including the business damages bill and the sovereign immunity bill.

In his acceptance speech, Hooper emphasized that local government knows best what is good for their communities and shared his support for Home Rule. “I’m a big believer in if you need Tallahassee to do something for you, you will come ask us; we don’t need to tell you what’s best for you,” he said. Hooper was joined on stage by the Suncoast League of Cities.

Senator Ed Hooper (second from left) receives the Defender of Home Rule Award.

Photo courtesy of Florida League of Cities

HOME RULE HEROES CELEBRATED

The conference also celebrated the contributions of more than 150 Home Rule Heroes for their work during the 2022 Legislative Session. Recipients of the Home Rule Hero Award are local government officials, elected and nonelected, who consistently responded to the League’s requests to reach out to members of the Legislature and give a local perspective on an issue. (See the 2022 Home Rule Hero Award recipients in the third quarter issue of Quality Cities magazine at bit.ly/3Jwv6e2.)

SPEAKERS INSPIRED AND ENTERTAINED

The general sessions featured dynamic addresses from several presenters. Opening keynote presenter Ben Nemtin, the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of “What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?” and star of MTV’s “The Buried Life,” shared his experiences and an inspiring message.

Keynote presenter Ben Nemtin.

Photo courtesy of Florida League of Cities

“By doing what you love, you inspire other people to do what they love,” he said. “There’s a ripple effect when you help someone. You don’t just help that one person; you help the people around them. This idea of a ripple effect is very powerful because it’s proof that one person can create an incredible impact through this exponential, sometimes invisible, ripple.”

National League of Cities President Vince Williams spoke about the challenges city leaders have recently faced and the aid that cities across Florida and the nation are receiving through the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He said, “If you are a Mayor, a Council Member, a Commissioner or a City Manager, you should be empowered to lift up your community with direct dollars and support, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do: direct relief to you, as the leaders of your communities, because you know better than anyone else what your community’s needs are.”

National League of Cities President Vince Williams.

Photo courtesy of Florida League of Cities

In his keynote address, “educa-tainer” Mickey Smith Jr., a Grammy Music Educator Award recipient, dazzled the audience by entering the stage playing the saxophone. Smith’s motivational mixture of music and messages encouraged attendees to “see the sound” inside them. According to Smith, everyone has a “sound” (a significance) that has the power to resonate with others and create a shift in thoughts and perspectives. “We have to make the sound that brings the change,” he said.

Keynote presenter Mickey Smith Jr.

Photo courtesy of Florida League of Cities

The conference concluded with the 100th Anniversary Gala. Dressed in suits, tuxes and evening gowns, attendees celebrated the League’s centennial anniversary with a reception, dinner, entertainment, dessert and dancing. Magician/comedian Justin Willman wowed attendees with magic tricks after the sit-down dinner. Willman’s theme of the night was to “live in the moment.” He closed his show with a spectacular trick involving incoming President Caraballo, which demonstrated that theme by revealing the date and time of that very moment by using a seemingly random set of numbers added on her phone’s calculator.

Justin Willman reveals the number from his magic trick, 81,322,911, which translates to 8/13/22 9:11 p.m. – that very moment in time.

Photo courtesy of Florida League of Cities

Being unified, both now and in the future, will guide the League’s next 100 years, said Walker. “We can continue to shape history by advocating for our future, together.”

Kelli Gemmer is the Assistant Editor for the Florida League of Cities.

FLC Hosts 2022 Research Symposium

The Florida League of Cities (FLC) Center for Municipal Research’s Symposium explored the landscape of broadband and cybersecurity in Florida, funding opportunities and best practices for municipal governments handling digital infrastructure.

More than 130 attendees heard from industry experts and key stakeholders including:

▸ Doug Kinkoph, Associate Administrator, Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

▸ Jamie Grant, Chief Information Officer, State of Florida

▸ Katie Smith, Director, Office of Broadband, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO).

During the keynote presentations, Grant discussed cybersecurity operations in Florida including recent legislation. Kinkoph presented on digital infrastructure pertaining to key federal programs and resources. Smith shared Florida’s strategic plan for broadband and its implementation.

Presentations from the symposium are available online at flcities.com/annualconference.

Florida League of Cities Center for Municipal Research Symposium: Digital Infrastructure – Broadband and Cybersecurity.

Photo courtesy of Florida League of Cities