Waldron’s term has just begun and he plans to use his time as chairman to help bring the festival back to an even greater level than it had been before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Phil Waldron, like so many in Plant City, has a long and layered history with the Florida Strawberry Festival.
Waldron has been with the festival since 1986. He served as a volunteer for 12 years and then in 1998 was an associate director. His years of service elevated him to a director in 2014 where he has served as treasurer, secretary, vice-chairman and now as chairman. It’s an honor he said he doesn’t take lightly and he is ready to put in the work to overcome the many hurdles COVID-19 brought to the festival.
“Mr. (Dub) McGinnes is a hard act to follow,” Waldron said. “He did some great things as chairman and I hope that in my term I can really focus on bringing the festival back to an even greater level than what we were before the pandemic. I want us to work hard to bring us not just back to where we were, but to exceed that. The festival is always changing and growing, that’s part of why it continues to be one of the greatest festivals in the country. Change can be hard, but you have to have the vision and be willing to work to keep things moving forward.”
Waldron was a graduate of Plant City High School and the University of South Florida where he earned a master’s degree in urban planning. His career also included attaining the rank of captain while serving in the United States Coast Guard. In the City of Plant City, Waldron started as planning director and ultimately became City Manager. Upon retirement from the city, he developed his own consulting business and has long been praised for using his knack for planning to bring long term visions to life within the community.
That talent has been utilized time and again at the festival and Waldron has been a part of many important projects including the construction of the new stadium, the Grimes Agricultural Building, the Neighborhood Village and the TECO Expo Hall. There are few areas of the festival Waldron hasn’t been a part of in one way or another. He said, “No matter how long you’ve been at the festival there’s always something new to uncover.”
“It’s a very large festival, but in a sense, it still has and hopefully will always have that small hometown character,” Waldron said. “People want to volunteer their time there. It’s not a corporate thing, it’s a small-town welcoming environment. I’ve never regretted taking the time to volunteer or be a part of it. It’s been fascinating, a great experience and I’ve really enjoyed it. We have so many talented people that give of their time to making the festival a memorable experience for the community.”
Waldron’s forward-thinking mindset means he, along with the other directors, festival staff and volunteers, are thinking ahead not just for the upcoming festival, but for the festival in years to come. Things like making sure the entertainment stage is up-to-date so entertainers have access to the highest quality equipment they need for their shows and making sure additions are planned for well before they are needed.
Waldron said his military background heavily influences the way he approaches this job. He’s very much a “chain of command person” and believes strongly in letting people do the job assigned. “Our responsibility as directors is to set policy. Implementation of policy is then the responsibility of our festival president.
“Everyone’s leadership style is different,” Waldron said. “Some are the more outgoing type whereas I’m more of a quiet, get it done type person. I pride myself on the fact that given a project, I get it done. Even though I am a planner and a vision person when we get right down to it, I make sure I’m also in the moment. Let’s take for example the construction of the new stadium. I was out there every morning checking it out and seeing what was going on when it was being built. During the festival, even with my business, I am out there every day. The more you go out there the more you realize you really don’t know everything. We should always strive to learn more; we should always be curious. This is the pride of our community and I am honored to be chairman. That’s not something I take lightly.”
It’s a group effort to bring the festival to life every year and Waldron praised not only the dedication of the staff and volunteers, but also the quality of the people that give their time to work with the festival. Their passion toward constantly improving the quality of the event makes the festival something few ever forget.
He’s always thrilled at the fact that when he travels, he meets people who have been to the Florida Strawberry Festival. He said it never fails that in conversation someone will recognize where he’s from and share their fond memories of the festival. He said he believes that’s why everyone puts in so much time and effort. “They’re not just throwing an event; they’re making memories for hundreds of thousands of people every single year.”
“The festival is a unique and quality experience for our visitors,” Waldron said. “We stay ahead of the curve and our volunteers and the festival’s staff all go above and beyond to make sure the experience is one people will want to return to year after year. You hear that when you talk to people about their memories of the festival. We blend our forward thinking, our vision, with our dedication to making moments matter. I hope that we continue to do that over the years. That’s what I want to focus on as chairman: making sure we are putting policies in place that will make the festival successful for years to come.”
