By Patty D’Alessandro, Government and Community Relations Manager – North Central Florida, Duke Energy
Having lived and worked in North Central Florida for more than 40 years, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing how strong communities are built – through partnership, service and a commitment to caring for our neighbors.
And while there are so many groups deserving of our care, it’s especially important that it extends to the men and women who have already served and sacrificed so much for us: veterans.
At Duke Energy, we have a long history of providing career opportunities for veterans, so we know the loyalty, integrity and high-tech skills they bring to any team. That’s why we’re proud to support Seminole State College’s Mission Finish Line program and empower veterans as they transition from military service to the classroom and, ultimately, new, meaningful professions.
Through a $15,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation – part of our America250 initiative recognizing the country’s Semiquincentennial – we’re contributing to Seminole State’s efforts to connect student veterans and facilitate networking, leadership development and specialized job training. This includes giving participants access to employment fairs, internship opportunities and relevant seminars and conferences all across the country.
With this grant, the college will also be able to establish a Veterans Advisory Board – comprised of faculty members and representatives from local partner organizations who are veterans – to offer mentorship and enhanced services for veterans on campus.
Overall, the goal is to create an engaged network of student veterans, encouraging them to find their passion, reach their full potential and continue to succeed in civilian life.
As we look ahead to America’s 250th anniversary, I hope you keep this important work in mind and find more ways to show up for the veterans who have helped make our communities, and our country, what they are today.
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Rural Florida is Disappearing: A Letter from a Concerned Florida Native
Florida is known for three famous Henrys: Henry Flagler (East Coast), Henry Plant (West Coast), and Henry Sanford. Sanford was many things: President Lincoln's first diplomatic appointee to spy on the international Confederate movement, an anti-salvery activist for DRC, and the founder of the Bel Air Grove and Tropical Garden citrus research station. But most
importantly to me, he founded the 13,000-odd acres of land that hold Sanford, Florida. The land before sale was partly territory lost to the US Army during the Second Seminole War, purchased and developed in part by the Florida Land and Colonization Company Ltd. (Seminole County Historical Commission, 1984). Colonialism aside, the city was also known for its immense opportunities for agriculture, as a major growth and production region for celery, melons, and citrus- thus its nickname "Celery City.”
"As evidence of the intensity of the agricultural products this produced, figures for 1923-24 show
shipments out of Sanford of 8,363 cars of lettuce, oranges, grapefruit, cabbage, peppers, and miscellaneous vegetables, including 5,822 cars of celery"
But the Sanford I was raised in from 2009 to the present day has come a long way. The port is still here, though mainly as a historical marker and home to hundreds of liveaboards (folks who live on their boats docked along Lake Monroe), and celery is no longer a major export with minimal data to reveal any significant market in the area today- though I know a few local
produce farmers keeping the tradition alive and well for local buyers. Today, urban sprawl and housing development have taken over much of the rural land surrounding Sanford. The farms and land used for grazing and easement I drove past on the way to school are now, for the most part, 4-story apartment buildings or shopping plazas. Yet zoning issues remain a huge barrier for families, farmers, and policymakers alike.
The municipal zoning map, housed on the City of Sanford's resource page, pulls up an error code whenever a resident tries to open and see what their area is zoned for and future land use planning, so we have to rely on county data which reveals that the Lake Jesup Conservation and Black Bear Wilderness areas are both up for planned development (teal blue in first map below, both maps are from Seminole County’s portal for zoning, Sanford’s was inaccessible as it only pulled up error codes)The maps also show that the Cross Seminole Trail will soon be sandwiched by housing development. Public trails and wilderness areas are not only wonderful for keeping local populations active and appreciative of the outdoors, but they also provide much-needed respite
for critters and mitigate overheating roadways for those commuting from Sanford to the Greater Orlando area. Overall, they help keep Sanford and Florida a natural place. Sanford can and has benefited from better rural land zoning and conservation policy, but a host of companion bills through the state government have slowed progress. Rural Florida has a list
of bills coming through both the Florida House and Senate that are delaying progress:
● SB 354/HB299 creates the Blue Ribbon Project, allowing minimal government oversight
over 10,000 acres of FL land, with only 60% of that land required to be reserved for
conservation and the remaining 40% for housing developments.
● SB686/HB691 supports "agricultural enclaves, which allow for single-family housing over cooperative community planning
● SB840 exposes local governments to developer lawsuits and limits local control, offering only a minor, temporary change and a narrow storm-related provision.
Read the rest here if you're interested:
https://defendingruralflorida.org/2026-policy-agenda
Ultimately, there is far too much housing development and urban sprawl in all of Florida, but Sanford is falling victim to poor housing security within the UCF/Orlando area, particularly for students and recent graduates seeking stable work. If Seminole and Orange County policymakers could find a mutual footing on their shared constituencies, I feel consistency in zoning rules and transparency to the public would be their first step.
Sources
• Celery · Origins of the Celery City (1877-1913) · RICHES. (2023b). UCF-Riches; Omika.
https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/exhibits/show/origins_of_the_celery_city/the_buildin
g_the_celery_city/celery
GIS (Geographic Information Systems). (2023b). Seminolecountyfl.gov.
https://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/departments-services/information-technology/gis-geo
graphic-information-systems
History and Historic Preservation | Sanford, FL. (2024b, January 31). City of Sanford
Florida. https://sanfordfl.gov/visitors/history-and-historic-preservation/
Snitker , D. (2026b). Defending Rural Florida. Defending Rural Florida.
https://defendingruralflorida.org/2026-policy-agenda
