For 15 years, Paul Davis has prepared and orchestrated the operations for the annual Florida Strawberry Festival as its president, but now he’s ready to pass the mantle on to Kyle Robinson.
Robinson has been selected to become the new president, a role he said he has been auditioning for.
He will officially take the job in August.
Davis felt it was time to leave his post and allow someone else to have the privilege to head the festival.
“It was a great ride,” he said. “I’ve loved the festival. I still do. It’s just a younger man’s game out here.”
Robinson is a retired colonel from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, an agency he began working for 27 years ago. What’s more, he has led the security team at each festival since 2015.
“Honestly, how often does a person get to have two dream jobs in one lifetime,” Robinson said. “I’m very fortunate to follow the path that Paul has paved. It’s a little intimidating because he set the bar so high.”
Davis initially approached the festival vice president of operations, Tim Lovett for the role, but Lovett decided to remain in his current position.
Davis immediately thought of Robinson next for the title after seeing how he’s conducted the daily security operations at each festival. After Robinson accepted the position as president, Davis went before his board members and made a case for why his hand-picked successor is competent for the job.
“He’s exceled better at almost every area that he’s followed me in, and that’s a big deal,” he said. “With Kyle Robinson, you know what you get. He’s a Plant City native. He loves the festival. He’s got character. He’s got the ability to lead.”
Davis could also speak of Robinson’s character, having met him 23 years ago and working along with him at the sheriff’s office.
With that, the board unanimously voted for Robinson to become the new president.
Davis was originally selected after being in a candidate pool of roughly 85 people. However, his successor had no opposition this year.
Robinson’s ties to the festival go back to when he was just a kid.
“I love the Strawberry Festival,” he said. “I grew up in this community. My family is from this community, and I too, have some of my fondest childhood memories out here in the Strawberry Festival.”
Also, he and his sister were entered into the baby parade, and he has done the same with his children.
The Florida Strawberry Festival began in 1930 and has continued to grow in prominence over the years.
This year, the 11-day event had 80 different rides, games and attractions. It also drew in 543,129 visitors, a stark change from last year, which had a lower number of attendees due to COVID-19.
There was a host of live performances from music groups and artists such as TESLA, Gene Watson, Nelly, Sam Hunt, and the Bellamy Brothers.
The festival had been known for country music for years, but there was a need for more variety, Davis said. Today, genres range from not only country, but pop, rock, Hip Hop, R&B, and Latin music.
“I said, ‘You know I want to go after John Legend,’” Davis recalled. “’I don’t know who that is, but get him.’ We try to have music for everybody.”
The live entertainment and festivities have appealed to many patrons and vendors from other states – even Canada.
Throughout the country, Plant City has become known as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World and Hillsborough County grows about 15% of the nation’s strawberries.
Plant City has approximately 10,000 acres of strawberry crops.
With all this in mind, Robinson said he will continue to keep the Florida Strawberry Festival as one of the most popular attractions around the country.
As a security officer, he has also taken measures to make sure the event is a safe one. Robinson worked along with volunteers, the fire chief, and the festival staff to plan an emergency evacuation plan. Also, a fire truck and an ambulance are on standby during the festival.
“I’ve always viewed the deputy’s job as more than just security,” he said. “That deputy sheriff is an information booth. It’s one who reunites children with their families. It’s (helping) somebody that maybe overdid it, and is physically exhausted. We get them back to their car.”
Robinson will start to oversee projects that are already in the works such as building more restrooms. It was a suggestion brought to Davis’ attention from patrons. He has always kept in mind the feedback from visitors, even if it all hasn’t been positive, to see where the festival can improve.
Parking is the number one agenda in handling the daily operations of the festival, Davis and Robinson said.
The festival receives assistance from several churches and the local YMCA in helping to properly organize the dense parking lot.
Davis said that he will work with Kyle for a year, and will volunteer his time at the festival.
“I’m excited to see where Kyle’s going to go,” Davis said.