TALLAHASSEE — During the week of July 17, winners of the Secretary of State’s 2023 Florida Main Street Awards were announced during the Preservation on Main Street Conference in Ocala. Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd was at the ceremony to present awards to this year’s winners who achieved outstanding results in historic preservation and commercial activity through the Florida Main Street program.

“This year’s winners have shown a remarkable commitment to preserving the distinct heritage, traditions, and culture that make their historic downtowns attractive places for commerce,” said Secretary Byrd. “The Department of State is proud to showcase these success stories in the preservation and revitalization of Florida’s historic downtowns.”

Local Leader of the Year

• Jim Dean, City Manager, City of Marianna on behalf of Main Street Marianna
• Mayor Paul Alfrey, City of Melbourne on behalf of Melbourne Main Street
• Mayor Nate Kilton, Plant City on behalf of Historic Plant City Main Street

Board Member of the Year

• Tony Lombardo, Havana Main Street
• Theresa Proverbs, Labelle Downtown Revitalization Corporation
• Corey Runte, Melbourne Main Street

Business Owner of the Year

• Nathalie Wu, Wicked Bao, Fernandina Beach Main Street

Distinctive Preservation Award

• Downtown Mixed-use Design Standards, Lake Wales Main Street (Category A)
• Preservation Month, MainStreet DeLand Association (Category B)

Landmark Preservation Project

• Historic Stuart Building Restoration, Main Street Bartow (Category A)

Budget Hawk

• Beautify Brooksville, Brooksville Main Street (Category A)
• Oktoberfest, Historic Plant City Main Street (Category B)
• Poemville, Audubon Park Garden District (Category C)

Sunshine Booster

• Downtown Florida Panther Mural, Main Street Bartow (Category A)
• City of St. Cloud, St. Cloud Main Street (Category B)

Telling Your Story

• 2022 Annual Report, Main Street DeFuniak Springs (Category A)
• DTMB Branding, Melbourne Main Street (Category B)

Celebrating Main Street

• Bartow In Bloom, Main Street Bartow (Category A)
• Last Friday Food Truck Rally, Historic Plant City Main Street (Category B)
• Storybook Adventures, St. Cloud Main Street (Category B)

Four Point Warrior

• Southern Craft Creamery Market, Marianna Main Street

For more information on the MainStreet Ocala Association, visit OcalaMainStreet.org/ or Facebook.com/OcalaMainStreet. To learn more about the Florida Main Street program, visit FloridaMainStreet.com or Facebook.com/FloridaMainStreet.