Jere Annis Winners
The Jere Annis Leadership Award was established in 1989 by the Leadership Alumni Association to honor the late Dr. Jere Annis, an organizer of the Leadership Lakeland Program, past president of the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce, and Chairman of Leadership Lakeland I and II. Dr. Annis, who died in 1989, was the founder of Watson Clinic.
Any member in good standing may nominate a current Alumnus for the Jere Annis Leadership Award. Nominations are reviewed by past recipients of this award and select a winner who is announced at the Leadership Lakeland Annual Meeting. The Leadership Lakeland Alumni Association gives $1000 annually to a local charity selected by the Jere Annis recipient.
The recipient of this award must meet the following criteria:
- Graduated from the Leadership Lakeland Program
- Contributed significant community service within the Lakeland area with an emphasis on government, civic, and social service.
- Created a definite positive impact on the community
- Involved in the community on a continuous basis.
Recipients by Year
| Year | Recipient |
| 1989 | John T. Cannon III |
| 1990 | Hunt Berryman |
| 1991 | Terry S. Wilson |
| 1992 | T. Lynn Craven |
| 1993 | Barney Barnett |
| 1994 | Darlene Eanett |
| 1995 | Ralph Weeks |
| 1996 | Lyonal B. Lindsey Jr. |
| 1997 | Carol Jenkins Barnett |
| 1998 | John A. Attaway, Jr. |
| 1999 | Frank O’Reilly |
| 2000 | Ronald L. Clark |
| 2001 | Ralph “Buddy” Fletcher |
| 2002 | Alice O’Reilly |
| 2003 | R. Howard Wiggs |
| 2004 | Clayton Hollis |
| 2005 | Anne Furr |
| 2006 | Bill Mutz |
| 2007 | Hollis Hooks |
| 2008 | Nancy Cattarius |
| 2009 | Jack Stephens |
| 2010 | Edie Yates |
| 2011 | Ed Crenshaw |
| 2012 | John Rodda |
| 2013 | Steve Bissonnette |
| 2014 | Larry Durrence |
| 2015 | Gene Strickland |
| 2016 | Ihla Sloman |
| 2017 | Frank Kendrick |
| 2018 | Denise Crenshaw |
2019 Steve Madden
2020 Bill Tinsley
2021 Tim Mitchell