Here in Swan City, we have influential female figures in spades. Get to know some of the game-changing women who have made history + are paving the way for the future in Lakeland.
Carol Jenkins Barnett
A lifelong Lakelander, Carol Jenkins Barnett’s claim to fame might have been her lineage as the daughter of Publix founder George Jenkins, but her contributions to Lakeland culture are felt far beyond the grocery store aisles.
Jenkins Barnett served as the president of Publix Super Markets Charities, earning acclaim as a philanthropist not only in Lakeland, but all across Florida. Her accolades include the Florida Arts Recognition Award, Women in Philanthropy Award, Chiles Advocacy Award, and Champion for Literacy Award — just to name a few.
Dr. Anne B. Kerr
Dr. Anne B. Kerr came to Lakeland in 2004 when she took on the role of Florida Southern College’s 17th president. Throughout her 20 — yes, 20 — year tenure, Dr. Kerr led the college through a significant expansion, including 22 new buildings + the creation of programs such as The Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise, The Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing, and The Roberts Academy, Florida’s only transitional school for students with dyslexia.
Ida Fields Dodd
Ida Fields Dodd grew up in the Kathleen area of Lakeland before going on to join the Women’s Army Corps in 1943. During her time in the Army in World War II, Fields Dodd achieved the rank of tech sergeant, where she skillfully worked alongside American code breakers near the Pentagon.
Ruth Elder
Ruth Elder came to Lakeland with her husband in the 1920s to pursue careers in aviation. On Oct. 11, 1927, Elder attempted to become the first woman to fly across the ocean. While Elder did not make it all the way across the Atlantic due to a ruptured oil line, her over-water, 36-hour course of 2,623 miles still set a new distance record.
Christina Criser Jackson
Christina Criser Jackson has played a key role in the greater Lakeland community since 2008, when she began her career with United Way of Central Florida. Today, she serves as President and CEO of the organization, where she oversees thousands of volunteers + donors across Polk, Highlands, and Hardee counties. She also serves a board member for GiveWell Community Foundation and Polk Vision, and is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Greater Lakeland.
Kris Hallstrand
Since becoming the director of Lakeland International Airport in 2022, Kris Hallstrand has flown LAL to new heights — most notably by restoring passenger airline service to the airport in 2024. Most recently, Hallstrand was recognized as one of “25 People to Watch in Business in 2025" by Tampa Bay Business Journal.
Ayecia Bryant
World champion weightlifter Ayecia Bryant is best known in Lakeland for when she broke the Guinness World Record for the heaviest deadlift in a minute by a female. After breaking the record at Simpson Park Community Center in April 2024, she also received a key to the city from Mayor Mutz.
Lois Quinn Searl
Lois Quinn Searl was the first woman to be elected to the Lakeland City Commission + to serve as Lakeland’s mayor. During her time as mayor, she also became the first female mayor in Florida to a city of more than 50,000 residents. Searl served on the commission for six years, focusing on transparency in city finances. As a result, she won the Jaycee’s Good Government Award.
Danielle Drummond
Since joining the team at Lakeland Regional Health in 2013, Danielle Drummond has quickly made a name for herself as a trailblazer in healthcare leadership. She’s played key roles in overseeing the design and construction process for the Carol Jenkins Barnett Pavilion for Women and Children, as well as the expansion of the Hollis Cancer Center. As a result, she made Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Power 100 list of influential business leaders for 2024 and 2025.
Carrie R. Oldham
Carrie R. Oldham was elected Lakeland’s first Black female mayor in 1980 after serving for three years on the Lakeland City Commission. She also served as a civics professor, administrator, and district official with Polk State College and Polk County Public Schools.
Ashley Gibson Barnett
Following in her mother-in-law Carol Jenkins Barnett’s footsteps, Ashley Gibson Barnett is making an indelible impact on both Lakeland and the state of Florida through her business + philanthropic efforts. Some of her board member appointments include the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the Florida Southern College Board of Advisors, the Florida Chamber Foundation, and the Friends of Bonnet Springs Park Advisory Board. Plus, the AGB Museum now bears her name.
Sarah McKay
A pioneering Lakeland civic leader and philanthropist, Sarah McKay served as the first female head for the boards of Lakeland Regional Health, Florida Southern College, and the Polk Museum of Art. Throughout her illustrious 98 years, she was earned recognition as a Florida Department of State Great Floridian and a Polk County Historical Association Polk Pioneer.
