It's Happenin' In the Haven

On Episode 136: Collaboration with a Heart, we speak to Ann Claussen, Dr. Cara Nelson-James and Dr. Karen McKenzie with Central Florida Health Care. We chat about the incredible services they offer Winter Haven, as well as the impact they have made on Polk County during their 50 years in healthcare.

On Episode 135: Collaboration in Downtown, we speak with Chris & Amy Sexson, Owners of Destroyer Media. Chris and Amy share about their journey to Winter Haven and all of the ways they are collaborating to make Winter Haven the best place to play, stay, work and live. 

On Episode 134: Collaborating Through Entertainment , we speak to Thom Bly, Owner of Triviousity Live Events. Thom shares about bringing people together through trivia, collaborating with local organizations to make Winter Haven a better place and even tests some trivia on the Chamber team!

On Episode 133: Winter Haven's Future Board Members , we speak to Tracy Kimbrough with CPS Investment Advisors. Tracy and I chat about our collaborative efforts with CPS Investment Advisors to expand the pipeline of future board members through Endeavor Serves.

On Episode 132: Winter Haven's Good Neighbor we speak to Jennifer, Nina and Chelsea with State Farm. Jennifer, Nina and Chelsea share about the collaborative initiatives they have been spearheading to make Winter Haven the best place to play, stay, work and live.

On Episode 131: Collaborating to Grow Polk County, we speak to Peyton & Raelyn with Visit Central Florida. Peyton and Raelyn share about the collaborative efforts of Visit Central Florida to bring people to Winter Haven and how those efforts are making a difference locally. 

On Episode 130: Access to Whole-Person Care , we speak to the President & CEO of AdventHealth Polk Market, Tim Clark and the President & CEO of Bond Clinic, Dr. Iakovidis. They share about their incredible partnership and how it's creating a bright future for healthcare in Winter Haven and Polk County. Stay tuned until the end of this episode for an exciting Chamber announcement. We have b...

On Episode 129: Life-Saving Collaboration, we speak to Charlie Bird, the City of Winter Haven's Director of Public Safety. Charlie shares about the collaborative approach that the Public Safety team is taking and the amazing impact it's having on Winter Haven.

On Episode 128: Winter Haven's Collaborative Community Bank , we chat with Greg Littleton, Tiffani Gozdur and Robert Loftin with Citizens Bank & Trust. This dynamic team shares more about how Citizens continues to be a collaborative pillar in Winter Haven and how they have created a team culture of giving back.

On Episode 127: Christmas Trivia & What's Coming in 2023 , the entire Chamber team gets together for a fun game of Christmas trivia and to share the exciting things coming in 2023. You won't want to miss the holiday fun and all that you should look forward to in the new year!

On Episode 126: Journey from Germany, we speak to Inga Stettler, Business Manager here at the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce. Inga shares the story of how her family moved from Germany to the United States, her experience growing up in Winter Haven and more.

On Episode 125: Getting to Know Our Chamber Board Chairwoman, we speak to Dr. Falconetti, President of Polk State College. Dr. Falconetti is our 2022-2023 Chamber Chairwoman. On this episode, you'll get the inside scoop on all things Dr. Falconetti! 

On Episode 124: Making Winter Haven Home, we speak to Hannah Spivey, Events & Programs Manager here at the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce. Hannah shares about how she came to Winter Haven, her experience with events like the Kentucky Derby and the College World Series and everything you need to know as she heads out on maternity leave. 

On Episode 123: Lakes Management & Hurricane Prep, we speak to MJ Carnevale, Director of Public Works for the City of Winter Haven. MJ shares about lakes management, hurricane preparation and more. 

On Episode 122: Water Ski Hall of Fame, we speak to Justin Laferriere with Visit Central Florida! Justin shares more about all that the Welcome Center offers, the inside scoop on the incredible Water Ski Hall of Fame and much more. 

On Episode 121: Life on the Lakes, we speak with Rue Denton, Owner of Living Water Boat Cruises. Rue tells us about growing up on the Chain of Lakes, the amazing offerings they have at Living Water Boat Cruises, the incredible wildlife on the lakes and more. 

On Episode 120: A Week of Water Ski, some of the Chamber team gets together to talk about the International Water Ski Show coming to Winter Haven THIS week, all the incredible festivities in store and more. 

On Episode 119: Leaving a Legacy on the Lakes, we speak with Tricia Gurr with Marine Supply The Boating Center. Tricia shares about growing up in Winter Haven, what it's like operating a 70-year-old family business, the benefits of being on the Chain of Lakes and more. 

On Episode 118: No Place Like Home, we speak to Zane Schwenk, a former Professional Wakeboarder who got his start in Winter Haven. Zane tells us some wild stories about traveling, the X-games and more. He also tells us why Winter Haven is truly the best place for water recreation. 

On Episode 117: Winter Haven: A Little Slice of Heaven, we speak to Eddie, Waylon and Gigi with Freedom Boat Club. They share all about the perks of the club, the amazing stories from their members and why people come from all over to enjoy the Chain of Lakes. 

On Episode 116: Reimagining Treasures of Cypress Gardens, we speak with Nick Miller, Director of Operations at LEGOLAND Florida Resort. Nick shares the exciting details of the newest attraction coming to LEOGLAND, Pirate River Quest. This ride will combine the history of Cypress Gardens and the excitement of LEGOLAND Florida Resort. 

On Episode 115: Paddling the Chain of Lakes, I speak with Kami Rickert, Owner of Paddleboard Winter Haven. Kami shares how Paddleboard Winter Haven is enhancing our lakeside lifestyle, the community that has grown from it and all they have coming this year. 

On Episode 114: Diving In to Natural Resources, we speak to Dustin Everitt with the City of Winter Haven & Shannon Carnevale with UF IFAS Extension Polk County. They share about all things natural resources, including taking a deep dive into our Chain of Lakes and even fun stories about opossum c-sections and more. 

On today's episode, we speak with Ryan Buckley with Polk County Sports Marketing. Ryan shares about the incredible things coming this fall to celebrate the 100 Years of Water Ski, how it will impact Winter Haven and much more.

Season 5 of It's Happenin' In the Haven podcast launches next week! This season's theme is: Lakeside Lifestyle. 2022 has been a big year for our lakes as we celebrate the 100 Years of Water Ski! It's been great to reminisce on the history of the lakes, while also getting to celebrate all that lakeside lifestyle is today!  Tune in every week to hear all about one of Winter Haven's biggest asse...