Member Darryl Owens, Director of Communications for the Office of Institutional Development & Communications at Beacon College, and Dr. George J. Hagerty, won a Golden Image Award for the 2020 EASE Grant Booklet in the Collateral Tools of Public Relations – Brochure category. The Golden Image Award is presented to the top-scoring entry in each category if the entry meets predetermined criteria of excellence set by the judges.

President of the FPRA Lake Chapter and Administrative Services and Communications Director for the Town of Oakland Elisha Pappacoda, along with team members Ashlynn Webb and Valerie Gibbons, took home an Award of Distinction for the Town of Oakland’s “Santa’s Lane Drive Through Christmas” in the category of Public Relations Programs – Special Event. The award is presented to entries that meet the standards of excellence set by a panel of judges.

Additionally, Pappacoda received the honor of being named Chapter President of the Year for the state, while the Lake County Chapter earned the President’s Awards for “Transform” and Accreditation & Certification.

As part of FPRA’s 82^nd Annual Conference, which coincided with the Golden Image Awards, chapter member Levar Cooper, Lake County Office of Communications Director, graduated from Class V of LeadershipFPRA, a program that provides members with the tools needed to become stronger leaders in their organizations, their communities and FPRA.

Melanie Melvin, incoming FPRA Lake Chapter President-Elect and Director of Marketing & Public Relations for Akers Media Group, was accepted into the Joe Curley Rising Leader Class of 2021. She was nominated by her chapter and recognized alongside her peers for personal dedication and engagement in FPRA.

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FPRA Lake members represent diverse backgrounds – private and public corporations, government entities, non-profit organizations and counseling firms – sharing the common goal of enhancing the public relations profession through ethical and standardized practices. Founded in 2016, the Lake County Chapter is the proud recipient of the following FPRA President’s Awards: 2021 “Transform,” Accreditation & Certification and Chapter President of the Year; 2020 Digital Communications and Professional Development; 2019 Momentum and 2018 Chapter Achievement. Information about the Lake County FPRA chapter can be found at www.Facebook.com/FPRALake or www.twitter.com/FPRALake.

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The Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) recognized the town with an Award of Distinction at FPRA’s 63^rd Golden Image Awards at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando this week. The award is presented to entries that meet the standards of excellence set by a panel of judges. The entry was also recognized on the local level earlier this year.

The Golden Image Awards competition is conducted annually by FPRA to recognize outstanding public relations programs in Florida. The Golden Image Awards have become a standard of excellence in the state with winners demonstrating the very best examples of innovation, planning and design.

Town staff honored for their work on the event included Administrative Services and Communications Director and FPRA Lake County Chapter President Elisha Pappacoda, Public Arts and Heritage Coordinator and FPRA Orlando Chapter Image Awards Chair Ashlynn Webb and Event Coordinator/Permit Tech Valerie Gibbons.

Oakland’s annual holiday event was reimagined in 2020 due to COVID-19. With a new drive-through format, the event offered residents the same spirit of joy without the risk associated with a physical gathering. It attracted over 50 percent more children than the previous year due to an outpouring of community support.

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The cemetery, located at 16798 W. Colonial Drive, was established in 1882 with burials continuing through the 1940s. Oakland founder James Gamble Speer gave the original deed to three Black trustees in 1917. The property was later deeded to the Town of Oakland in 2014.

The cemetery is the resting place of emancipated persons and families who migrated to West Orange County. It contains archaeologically significant African American seashell and folk grave markers. Research surrounding the residents buried in the cemetery, including family genealogy, migration to Florida, participation in the citrus industry, and economic, spiritual and social life, are of great interest not only to Oakland’s residents but also to the West Orange and regional Central Florida communities. The site was saved from development in the area thanks to combined efforts by the Town and a group of descendants who rallied to raise awareness, clear underbrush, and conduct archaeological work.

The grant will assist the Town in planning for perpetual protection of this integral part of Oakland’s heritage with proper surveying and a long-term maintenance plan. The funding will also aid in addressing vegetative overgrowth, wayfinding signs, walking paths, identification of graves and protection of early monuments. The Town is now seeking a professional assessment of the property as the first step in the process toward its long-term restoration.

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The purpose of the Tri-County League of Cities is to bring local governments in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties closer together for the purpose of mutual assistance in the solution of local government problems.

“All politics start local, and we need to have a linear relationship on all levels starting from the local, county, state and through our federal elected officials to have meaningful and impactful outcomes for our region,” said Commissioner McMullen. “In my year as President, I am seeking more collaboration on all levels of our government.”

Commissioner McMullen has served the Town in Seat 4 since 2006. He is the founder of HAPCO Music Foundation, a non-profit organization that connects young people with arts and music programs to help them succeed in life. A Miami native, he played baritone horn throughout his primary and secondary education years and attended college on a marching band scholarship.

He attended Florida A&M University and graduated with his B.S. in Pharmacy and Master Health Administration from Florida International University. For over 25 years, he has been a licensed Florida-registered and consultant pharmacist. At Centene HMO, he works as a Senior Clinical Account Manager. He served in the military for the Air Force Reserves from 1989-95, attaining the rank of staff sergeant.

He is a member of the Florida League of Cities Growth Management and Economic Develop Committee, a board member of Matthew’s Hope and a member of the West Orange Chamber of Commerce. He volunteers his time to several other community and civic organizations.

“We are thrilled for Commissioner McMullen’s election as President of the Tri-County League of Cities,” said Mayor Kathy Stark. “His years of service to the Town and passionate dedication to the community make him a great leader for this organization. He will represent the Town proudly on a regional level.”

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The Tri-County League of Cities consists of city and county members within Orange, Seminole, and Osceola county areas. According to the Florida League of Cities, county or regionalized local leagues, developed by city officials to resolve localized municipal issues, cover a majority of the state. Local leagues have an independent affiliation with the Florida League of Cities. For more information, visit www.tricountyleagueofcities.com.

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