Community Corner

It's Time to Say Goodbye, and Thank You

It's my last day as editor of Land O' Lakes Patch. The experiences over the last 11 months have made me love my hometown even more.

What a wild ride!

When exactly 11 months ago, I had no real idea what I was getting into. The mission was clear and honestly pretty simple: introduce this little website to the community and make sure it contained the news you cared about.

What I didn’t know was just how active my hometown had truly become. Since Day One, Land O’ Lakes has kept me hopping with incredible stories about students doing great things, crazy crimes, government, business and more. You have welcomed me into your homes and your lives and shared your stories both good and bad.

Find out what's happening in Land O' Lakeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As an almost-native Laker, it’s been my pleasure to spend the last 11 months getting to know you better. I can honestly say the experiences we’ve been through together will stick with me always.

In our time together, I’ve been able to witness the , see dazzle an entire school of students, parents and teachers, about your concerns and more. We’ve rallied together to and we’ve .

Find out what's happening in Land O' Lakeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Now, it’s time for me to say goodbye. Today is my last day as editor of Land O’ Lakes Patch – but I won’t be going too far away. I’ll still be living here, raising my children here and enjoying everything that makes this community so darn special. I’ll still be working for Patch, too, just in a new role helping with this site and a few others that have made a splash in the Tampa Bay area over the past year.

It is my pleasure to hand the keys over to Keli Sipperley, the new editor of Land O’ Lakes Patch. She’ll introduce herself to you tomorrow, but in the meantime, I am pleased to say she has the same passion and drive for local news that makes me tick. She’s also left-handed like me, has a quick wit and is horrible when it comes to eating with chopsticks, but that’s another story.

It is my sincere hope that you welcome Keli with open arms – just like you did me. I know she’s going to do an amazing job making Land O’ Lakes Patch an even more relevant and integral part of your life. You can reach her at Keli.Sipperley@patch.com with your story ideas, questions, ideas and concerns.

No matter who’s at the helm, Land O’ Lakes Patch isn’t about us – it’s about you. This site belongs to the Land O’ Lakes community as much as it does any of us here at Patch.

With that in mind, I know I’m leaving this site in very capable hands – yours!

Thank you again for an amazing 11 months. I’ve been honored and humbled to serve this community I’ve called home just about my entire life.


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