Featured Guest Speaker – May 8, 2026
CITRUS CONNECTION CEO TOM PHILLIPS
Tom Phillips, Executive Director for the Citrus Connection, Lakeland Area Mass Transit System and Polk County’s Transit Authority will be the guest speaker Friday May 8th at Temple Emanuel Lakeland. Before moving to Florida in 2011, Tom worked at PACE Suburban Bus Agency in Arlington Heights, Illinois. PACE is the largest Paratransit service in the nation.
Under Tom’s leadership at the Citrus Connection, all of Polk County’s transit operations were merged, resulting in a 27% increase in ridership, an 8.6% reduction in operating costs and a savings of more than $900,000 to the city. Transportation within the county includes Lakeland, Winter Haven, rural routes in Bartow, Frostproof and Fort Meade, as well as paratransit services. In addition, the Citrus Connection’s ‘Universal Access Program’ allows High School and Polk State College students, as well as employees of Legoland free public transportation. Tom also initiated the” Squeeze”. Learn more when Tom joins us on May 8th!
