Florida Senate - 2011 (NP) SR 1576 By Senator Bennett 21-02076-11 20111576__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution honoring Mayor John Land, the longest 3 serving mayor in the State of Florida and the longest 4 serving full-time mayor in the United States of 5 America. 6 7 WHEREAS, John Land was born in Plant City, moved to Apopka 8 at a young age, and attended the University of Florida, and 9 WHEREAS, John Land served in the United States Army during 10 World War II and was a participant in two campaigns in the 11 European Theater of Operations, and 12 WHEREAS, upon his return from the military, John Land 13 returned to Apopka, where he went into the manufacturing 14 business before being elected as Mayor of the City of Apopka in 15 1949, a position he held from January 1, 1950, to January 1, 16 1968, and 17 WHEREAS, Mayor John Land was again elected to serve as the 18 Mayor of the City of Apopka in 1970 and he has continued to 19 serve the citizens of Apopka ever since, and 20 WHEREAS, among his many honors during his 58 years as the 21 Mayor of the City of Apopka, Mayor John Land was the recipient 22 of the 1978 Florida League of Cities’ E. Harris Drew Municipal 23 Officer of the Year award and was declared to be a “State of 24 Florida Treasure,” and 25 WHEREAS, Mayor John Land, the longest-serving mayor in the 26 State of Florida and the longest-serving full-time mayor in the 27 United States of America, holds the honor of being the only 28 elected official in the state who serves on the Board of 29 Directors of the Florida League of Cities without appointment or 30 election, NOW, THEREFORE, 31 32 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 33 34 That the Florida Senate honors Mayor John Land for his many 35 years of public service and for his outstanding contributions to 36 the citizens of the City of Apopka. 37 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with 38 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to Mayor John Land 39 as a tangible token of the sentiments of the Florida Senate.