Prior to being elected, Poppell served for 15 years as an associate director.
The Florida Strawberry Festival elected its newest member to the board of directors Tuesday, Sept. 13.
Jon Poppell, the vice president of personal lines at Poppell Insurance, was elected to the board of directors after serving as an associate director for 15 years. He was elected from a field of 13 fellow associate directors.
“It’s quite an honor to be selected to join such an esteemed group,” Poppell said. “I have always enjoyed the festival and the work here, and I hope to contribute to the betterment of the association.”
Poppell additionally serves as chairman of the festival’s steer committee. He has previously served as chairman of the swine committee. Before becoming associate director, he worked as a festival volunteer for many years.
“Jon (Poppell) has a great passion for the festival,” Florida Strawberry Festival President Dan Walden said. “I look forward to working with him in the future on upcoming projects.”
A position on the board of directors became vacant in June with the death of longtime director Terry Ballard.
“It’s very bittersweet knowing that I’m filling his shoes,” Poppell said. “If I can do half as well as he did, I’ll be doing well.”
With Poppell’s election comes a vacancy in the group of associate directors. The board of directors plans to elect a new associate director before the end of the year, according to Walden.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
