Jeff Bartel Receives Leadership Florida`s Distinguished Member Award

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.--(Business Wire)--
Jeff Bartel, vice president of corporate compliance at FPL Group, Inc. based in
Juno Beach and Miami, has been honored with Leadership Florida`s highest
distinction bestowed on members - the Distinguished Member Award - at the
group`s annual meeting this month. The award is presented to a Leadership
Florida member whose exceptional examples of character and leadership exemplify
the highest standards of the organization and whose activities set an example of
meaningful statewide influence.

Wendy Abberger, president of Leadership Florida, said that Bartel received the
honor because of his "many diverse, significant and ongoing contributions" to
the organization and to the quality of life in Florida.

"Jeff Bartel is recognized as one of Florida`s great thought leaders and he is
highly respected among other leaders in business, government, non-profits and
communities across our state," said Abberger. "He is sought out by many for his
creative vision, service orientation and dynamic leadership - all of which he
has channeled into helping to build a better Florida by forging stronger
cooperative relationships among the sectors of businesses, government, education
and many others."

Since going through the Leadership Florida program as one of the organization`s
youngest participants in his mid-20's, Bartel has demonstrated a commitment to a
statewide community of leadership and has a proven track record of success in
doing so. Bartel is recognized across Florida as a genuine, passionate, dynamic
leader and influencer, and someone whose strategic mindset, business savvy,
financial acumen, personal character and mentorship of others have made a
profound difference wherever he is involved. He has served in many leadership
roles in statewide and local business, educational, humanitarian and arts
organizations -- from the Florida Chamber of Commerce and United Way to utility
industry associations, university and company boards. Within Leadership Florida,
he served on Leadership Florida`s board of directors for seven of his first ten
years as a class graduate, with roles of increasing responsibility. He was
selected as chair of Leadership Florida for the organization`s 25th Anniversary
year, and through his personal leadership directed the most fruitful year the
organization had in terms of financial performance, governance, membership
participation, and programs -- including development and execution of the
Florida Governor and U.S. Senate debates, the Presidential Debates, the Sunshine
State Survey, College Leadership Florida, Connect Florida, the organization`s
branding campaign, and its Annual Meeting.

In reacting to the award, Bartel, 42, said: "I am so deeply honored to be even
considered in the same category with past award recipients and to work with the
hundreds of members of this organization who are, individually and collectively,
leading our state across business and industry, government, education and
non-profit entities.

About Leadership Florida

Leadership Florida is a statewide community of leaders actively engaged in
understanding and serving Florida.By developing a reputation as a builder of a
stronger, diverse statewide sense of community, Leadership Florida has become a
respected non-partisan convener, taking the lead in training and developing
leaders with a statewide, rather than parochial, view of our state`s needs.

Leadership Florida
Wendy Abberger, 850-521-1221

Copyright Business Wire 2009