The Tom Fellows Event Center in Davenport played host to the Ridge League of Cites June Membership Dinner on Thursday June 12, 2025.  It was an exciting night as the Ridge League welcomed and congratulated the 2025 Vocational/Trade and 2025 Academic Scholarship recipients and guests.  Davenport Commissioner Donna Fellows-Coffey welcomed the 228 attendees.   Our Associate Members were well represented with Chastain Skillman | DCCM winning the Associate Traveling Trophy with twelve team members in attendance.   Secretary Brain Yates thanked all our Associate Members for their continued support and noted that we would not be able to have a scholarship program if it was not for their support. 

Nineteen (19) of our twenty-four (24) member cities were represented by 145 municipal officials and guests.  Those cities in double digits were Mulberry (10), Dundee (15), Lake Hamilton (18), and Haines City won the City Traveling Trophy with twenty (20) attendees.  Mayor Morris West accepted the trophy on behalf of Haines City. 

Five students from various high schools within the six counties of the Ridge League were each presented with a $1,250 Vocational/Trade Scholarship. Five other high school graduates were each awarded with a $2,500 Academic Scholarship.  Paige Malykhin from the Harrison School for the Arts was presented an additional $500 and awarded the 2025 Ruthanne Stonewall Scholarship.  The award is presented to the student receiving the highest number of points from the selection committee and is named after the former Ridge League of Cities Executive Director who was also in attendance. 

It was announced that there will be no meetings in July, and the next RLC event will be our breakfast meeting at the Florida League of Cities Annual Conference in Orlando.

PHOTO #3 – RLC President Rod Cannon presents the City Member Traveling Trophy to Haines City Mayor Morris West

PHOTO #2 – Greg Recker, COO with Chastain Skillman | DCCM accepts the Associate Member Traveling Trophy from RLC President Rod Cannon