South Lake Business Awards
Clermont, FL (March 27th, 2025) - The South Lake Chamber of Commerce was pleased to bring together 530 local community members for the 2025 Best of South Lake. Prior to the ceremony, the 2025 Best of South Lake ballot tallied nearly 40,000 votes and allowed the Chamber to facilitate high engagement from our community while promoting our members.
The Chamber provided awards to the winners at the 8th Annual South Lake Business Awards presented by APC Roofing. This event was held at the Clermont Performing Arts Center on Thursday, March 27th, 2025. In addition to the 91 Best of South Lake awards, the Chamber also awarded the prestigious Heritage, Oakley Seaver Special Service, and Citizen of the Year Awards. The signature recognition awards are presented to outstanding businesses and individuals.
The Heritage Award recognizes businesses or organizations that have shown continued contribution s to the business community. APC Roofing presented Kim E’s Flowers with this prestigious award on Thursday night. Kim Jemison, owner of Kim E’s Flowers, has been flourishing for 30 years and has been consistently committed to supporting the community. Through their warmth and care, Kim E’s Flowers has been uplifting spirits and transforming moments of our local community.
Figure 1 (Left to Right) Kim Jemison, Heritage Award Recipient, Adrian Bustamante, Regionals Sales Manager for APC Roofing
The Oakley Seaver Special Service Award recognizes a nonprofit business, club, organization, educational institution, or healthcare facility that has contributed significantly to the community and created a lasting impact or benefit. The 2025 Oakley Seaver Award was presented to Lake-Sumter State College in recognition of their outstanding contributions to education and the development of the South Lake community. Donna Kirtland, from the Live Well Foundation of South Lake, and Nancy Cummings, from Cummings Collaborative, had the honor of presenting this award to an institution dedicated to shaping the future of its students, fostering a culture of academic excellence, and creating an environment where all are encouraged to thrive.
Figure 2 (Left to Right) Nancy Cummings, CEO & Founder of Cummings Collaborative, Dr. Laura Byrd, Interim President of Lake Sumter State College and recipient of the Oakley Seaver Award, Donna Kirtland, Executive Director of Live Well Foundation of South Lake
The event ended with the South Lake Chamber’s Citizen of the Year Award. This annual award celebrates a South Lake resident who goes above and beyond to enrich the lives of those around them. The evening’s most highly anticipated award, Citizen of the Year, was presented to Kalena Meyers, whose tireless work with local nonprofits has touched countless lives. Kalena’s selflessness and commitment to making the community a better place have truly set her apart as an extraordinary ordinary individual—someone who embodies the spirit of giving and always puts others before herself. Lance Sewell of Orlando Health had the honor of presenting the award and spoke with deep admiration of Kalena’s ability to be a constant source of support and inspiration for those in need.
Figure 3 Kalena Meyers (Middle) recipient of the Citizen of the Year Award with her sister (Left) and son (Right)
