Former Haines City Commissioner Joanna Wilkinson made a lasting impact on her community and on Oct. 19, the city where she served will be commemorating her service.

A dedication ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. as the dining and banquet area at Lake Eva Event Center, 799 Johns Ave., officially becomes the Joanna Wilkinson Banquet Hall. 

Wilkinson served as City Commissioner from 1997 to 2014, which included four stints as mayor. Over her tenure that spanned nearly two decades, Wilkinson served with honor and distinction. During that time, Haines City grew substantially and made tremendous progress in a number of areas.

The renaming was authorized by resolution passed by the City Commission earlier this year.  The dedication ceremony at Lake Eva Event Center is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.

“Over the years, we’ve had numerous individuals play a role in making our city the wonderful community that it is today,” Mayor Morris West said. “It’s important to recognize those figures and Commissioner Wilkinson is certainly deserving. I’m proud to have been the mayor when we as a City Commission made the decision to commemorate her service and contributions to our city.”