Lake Economic Area Development Partnership - LEAD

10/12/2026

Did You Get It Right?

The answer is B) About 70%.

One of Lake County’s greatest economic assets is already here: our workforce.

FloridaCommerce’s labor-shed analysis found that approximately 98,000 Lake County residents work outside the county, representing about 67% of resident workers in the dataset. At the same time, approximately 54,000 workers from other counties travel into Lake County for work.

These numbers describe where people live and work. They don’t necessarily mean everyone crosses the county line every day.

The opportunity is to create more local careers that match residents’ skills while helping businesses find the talent they need. That takes business recruitment, business expansion, and workforce preparation working together.

For LEAD, success means more residents can build rewarding careers in Lake County while more businesses can grow with the workforce already here.

10/09/2026

Did You Know?

What percentage of Lake County’s workforce has a job located outside of Lake County?

A) About 30%
B) About 70%

Comment your vote below and check back Monday to see if you got it right!

10/08/2026

ONE WEEK AWAY! REGISTER TODAY

Don’t miss Connecting Lake, an opportunity to hear from and network with construction industry leaders in Lake County. LEAD and ABC Central Florida are bringing the industry together for a conversation about the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping construction and development in our community.

A special thank you to our event sponsors, JamesCo Builders, LLC and Kelley Painting Services, for supporting this event and helping bring local industry leaders together.

📅 October 15 | 5:30 p.m.
📍 Crooked Can, Minneola

Register today: https://associatedbuildersandcontractorscentralflorida.growthzoneapp.com/maincalendar/Details/connecting-lake-1933497?sourceTypeId=Hub

10/07/2026

LEAD’s Director of Business Attraction, Mason Henson, attended the first-ever SelectFlorida Consular Corps Meeting, bringing together economic development leaders, state agencies, and representatives from consulates around the world.

The meeting focused on strengthening connections between Florida’s economic development community and international partners, with discussions around trade, foreign direct investment, commercial diplomacy, and global engagement.

For Lake County, opportunities to connect with international economic development networks help LEAD stay informed on global investment trends and build relationships that can support future business attraction efforts.

10/06/2026

10/05/2026

LEAD was honored to attend CareerSource Central Florida’s Rise & Thrive event, celebrating the people and organizations helping strengthen our region’s workforce and communities.

It was great to connect with Yolanda Green, Rose DiDonato, Stephen Nguyen, and Marcela DeFaria from CareerSource Central Florida, as well as Roseanne Brandeburg with Insight Credit Union.

A special shoutout to Lake County Government for receiving the Rise & Thrive Community Impact Award. This recognition highlights the continued work happening across Lake County to support residents, businesses, and the broader community.

Events like Rise & Thrive are a great reminder of what can happen when organizations across the region come together around workforce development and community impact.

10/02/2026

LEAD recently toured the Amazon facility in Groveland, gaining a closer look at the operations, workforce, and logistics behind one of the major employers and economic contributors in Lake County.

A special thank you to Sam Blatt, CEcD, Senior Manager, Economic Development Policy at Amazon, for hosting us and providing the opportunity to see the facility firsthand, and to Leadership Florida for letting us tag along.

Understanding how large-scale employers operate within the county is an important part of economic development. These insights help LEAD better understand workforce needs, infrastructure demands, business operations, and the factors that support continued investment in Lake County.

Economic development is about more than attracting new companies. It also means understanding the businesses and employers already contributing to our economy and identifying ways the community can support a strong environment for continued growth.

Getting out into the community and seeing these operations firsthand gives LEAD a better perspective on the opportunities and needs shaping Lake County’s economy.

09/30/2026

The 2026 LEAD Annual Dinner brought business and community leaders together at Bella Collina for an evening centered on the people, partnerships, and ideas shaping Lake County’s future.

With the theme “The Future Is NOW,” the evening included remarks from LEAD leadership and the passing of the gavel from 2025–26 Board Chair Brad Weber to 2026–27 Board Chair Lance Sewell. The program also featured conversations with education partners and municipalities, followed by an update on Florida’s manufacturing industry and the trends shaping its future.

These discussions offered perspectives on Lake County’s continued growth, workforce and education needs, and the industries helping shape the region’s future. The evening also provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress made over the past year and look ahead to the opportunities across Lake County.

As LEAD begins a new year of leadership and engagement, LEAD remains focused on supporting economic development, strengthening the local workforce, and helping businesses and communities thrive.

A special thank you to our speakers, DeAnna Thomas of Lake Technical College, Diane Kornegay, former Superintendent of Lake County Schools, Dr. Laura Byrd of Lake-Sumter State College, Chris Creech, Mayor of Umatilla, Aaron Mercer, City Manager of Umatilla, and Destin Wells of FloridaMakes, for sharing their time, insights, and perspectives during the evening.

09/28/2026

Betsy Sorg, LEAD’s Director of Business Retention & Expansion, recently attended the Florida SBDC at UCF - Lake County’s “Navigating Business Funding: Expert Leaders Panel” in Clermont.

The panel brought together business owners, financial institutions and business support organizations for a conversation about funding options, loan criteria, common challenges and what businesses should know when preparing for financing.

Panelists included Ed Ramos, SBA; Amanda Miller, Seacoast Bank; Naresh Dipnarine, Bank of America; Juan Guevara, Fifth Third Bank; Justin Allender, First National Bank of Mount Dora; and Michael Medina, Regions.

Opportunities like this highlight the power of partnership. Working alongside organizations like the SBDC and local financial institutions helps connect Lake County businesses with the knowledge, resources and relationships they need to grow and expand.

09/25/2026

Did You Know?

Starting this month, we’re trying something new on the LEAD socials!

Every other Friday, we’ll share a quick question for you to answer. Some will be about Lake County’s economy, workforce, and business community, while others will give you a little more insight into what LEAD does and the work happening behind the scenes.

You’ll be able to vote on your answer, and then on the following Monday, we’ll share the results and reveal the correct answer.

So, how much do you know about Lake County and LEAD?