Officers & Directors

Blake Augsburger serves as Lead Director of Lakeland Financial and Lake City Bank. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of LEA Professional, which designs and manufactures audio amplifiers for the commercial, residential, and professional audio markets. He is the former Executive Vice President and America’s Country Manager of Harman International Industries Incorporated, a Fortune 500 company that designs and manufactures audio and infotainment products and systems. He also served for ten years as the President of the Harman Professional Division, which is based in Northridge, California.

Rob Bartels is a Partner at Incedo LLC, a family office and real estate management company. He is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Martin’s Super Markets Inc., a regional supermarket chain headquartered in South Bend, Indiana.

Darrianne Christian is currently involved with leading strategic initiatives for BCforward, a global information technology consulting and workforce fulfillment firm founded by Ms. Christian and her husband, Justin Christian, in 1998. Previously, Ms. Christian was a program manager and an IT consultant from 1995-2003, and was an officer with the Central Intelligence Agency from 1990-1995. In addition, she is a board member of Newfields (formerly the Indianapolis Museum of Art), the Central Indiana Community Foundation, IMPACT Central Indiana, and the Eskenazi Foundation. Ms. Christian also works closely with the Justin and Darrianne Christian Center for Diversity and Inclusion at DePauw University.

Mindy Creighton Truex is President of Creighton Brothers Farms LLC, a Warsaw-based family-owned farm founded in 1925. With extensive experience in the agricultural sector, she has been instrumental in developing innovative initiatives with Creighton Brothers Farms, including educational and farm-to-table experiences. She has served in leadership roles with national and local agricultural advocacy organizations, including the American Egg Board, United Egg Producers, Indiana State Poultry Association and Purdue University Animal Science Department Dean’s Advisory Committee.

David Findlay serves as the Chairman of the boards of directors and Chief Executive Officer of Lakeland Financial and Lake City Bank. Mr. Findlay also served as President and Chief Executive Officer from 2014-2023, President and Chief Financial Officer from 2010-2014 and Chief Financial Officer from 2000-2010. Prior to joining Lakeland Financial in September 2000, Mr. Findlay served as the Chief Financial Officer of Quality Dining Inc., a publicly traded company with its headquarters in South Bend, Indiana. Prior to that, he served in various capacities with The Northern Trust Company in Chicago, Illinois.

Emily Pichon is the Chairman of ETP Asset Holdings, Inc., formerly known as  ExTech Plastics Inc. & ETP, Inc., a former extruder of plastic sheet, and an officer and director of the Olive B. Cole Foundation and the M E Raker Foundation, the Questa Educational Foundation, Inc. and the Howard P. Arnold Foundation, Inc., each a private charitable foundation focused on northeast Indiana education, economic development and conservation based in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Kristin Pruitt serves as President of Lakeland Financial and Lake City Bank, a position she has held since 2023. She joined Lakeland Financial in 2008 as Senior Vice President and General Counsel and was promoted to Executive Vice President and General Counsel in 2014 and to Chief Administrative Officer in in 2019. Before joining Lake City Bank, she served as Assistant General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for 1st Source Bank in South Bend, Indiana. Previously she practiced law with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in Washington, DC and with Baker and Daniels in South Bend, Indiana.

Steve Ross is former owner of Ross and Associates, a real estate management company. Previously, he was President of Heartland Coffee Company, a regional coffee and beverage service company, based in Warsaw, Indiana. Mr. Ross is also the former President of Bertsch Services, Inc., a regional food service and vending company, that was based in Warsaw, Indiana prior to its sale.

Brian Smith is co-Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Financial Group Inc., a real estate investment and management and consumer finance company based in Elkhart, Indiana.

Dan Starr is CEO of Do it Best Corp., a Fort Wayne-based member-owned hardware, lumber and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry with thousands of member-owned locations across the United States and in more than 60 countries. He has been with Do it Best Corp. for two decades and held several leadership roles prior to becoming President and CEO in 2016. Before joining Do it Best Corp., Starr was a partner with Barnes & Thornburg LLP and served as the firm’s Business, Tax & Real Estate departmental administrator in Fort Wayne.

Brad Toothaker is the Executive Chairman of the Bradley Company, a large Midwest-based, full-service real estate company.

Scott Welch is the Chief Executive Officer of Welch Packaging Group Inc., which is primarily engaged in producing industrial and point-of-purchase packaging and is headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana. In addition, Mr. Welch is a member of the board of Patrick Industries, Inc.