8-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

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FORM 8-K

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CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) September 14, 2010

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Lakeland Financial Corporation

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

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Indiana	0-11487	35-1559596
(State or other jurisdiction	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer
Of incorporation)		Identification No.)

202 East Center Street, P.O. Box 1387, Warsaw, Indiana 46581-1387

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(574) 267-6144

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

[  ]  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

[  ]  Solicitation material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR  240.14d-2(b)

[  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

 On September 14, 2010, the boards of directors of Lakeland Financial Corporation (the “Company”) and Lake City Bank (the “Bank”) promoted David M. Findlay to serve as President of the Company and the Bank.  Mr. Findlay will continue serving as Chief Financial Officer of both organizations.

 Additionally, on September 14, 2010, the board of directors of the Company approved an increase in the number of authorized directors of the Company from ten (10) to eleven (11) directors and unanimouslyappointed Mr. Findlay as a director to fill the vacancy created by the increase.  Mr. Findlay’s initial term as a director of the Company will expire at the annual meeting of the stockholders to be held in 2012, at which time it is expected that he will be nominated for a full three-year term Mr. Findlay was also appointed to the board of directors of the Bank, where he will serve on the Credit and Investment Committee and Trust Committee.   Mr. Findlay is not expected to serve on any board committees at the holding company level.

 There are no other arrangements or understandings between Mr. Findlay and any other person pursuant to which Mr. Findlay was selected as a director.  The news release issued on September 14, 2010 is attached as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits

99.1  Press Release dated September 14, 2010

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

LAKELAND FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Dated:  September 14, 2010                                                                By:  /s/David M. Findlay

David M. Findlay

Chief Financial Officer

EX-99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                    &# 160; &# 160;Contact:                   David M. Findlay

Executive Vice President-

                   Administration and

Chief Financial Officer

(574) 267-9197

LAKE CITY BANK ANNOUNCES PROMOTION OF DAVID M. FINDLAY TO PRESIDENT

Warsaw, Indiana (September 14, 2010) – Lakeland Financial Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select/LKFN) and Lake City Bank, today announced that David M. Findlay has been promoted to President of both organizations and will join their respective board of directors. Mr. Findlay (48) will continue his present oversight of Finance and Accounting, Treasury, Risk Management, Legal, Human Resources, Operations and Technology, and Corporate and Institutional Services. He will also retain his role as Chief Financial Officer.

Michael L. Kubacki (59), who will continue to serve as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of both organizations, commented “These decisions are in recognition of the excellent contributions David has made to the Bank’s success over the past ten years, as well as to underscore his leadership role in our growth plans going forward. We have a very strong team of people here at Lake City Bank, and I look forward to working with David and all of them to continue our progress in the years ahead”.

Mr. Findlay added “Our goal of further strengthening Lake City Bank’s reputation as one of the leading banks in Indiana is exciting for the entire Team. With our expansion plans underway in Indianapolis, and our growth continuing in Northern Indiana, the bank will continue to play an important role in contributing to Indiana‘s economic growth. I am honored and thrilled to have this opportunity in the future”.

Mr. Findlay joined the Bank in 2000, after serving in various capacities with Quality Dining, Inc. concluding as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He began his career with The Northern Trust Company in Chicago in 1984. Mr. Findlay is active in a number of community organizations, including the boards of OrthoWorx, Northern Indiana Workforce, Ivy Tech Community College, WNIT Public Television, YMCA of Kosciusko County, The Logan Center, and the DePauw University Board of Visitors. He lives in Winona Lake, Indiana, with his wife Susan and daughters Audrey and Blair.

Lakeland Financial Corporation is a $2.6 billion bank holding company headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana. Lake City Bank serves Northern Indiana with 43 branches located in the following Indiana counties: Kosciusko, Elkhart, Allen, St. Joseph, DeKalb, Fulton, Huntington, LaGrange, Marshall, Noble, Pulaski and Whitley.  The Company also has a Loan Production Office in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Lakeland Financial Corporation may be accessed on its home page at www.lakecitybank.com. The Company’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under “LKFN”. Market makers in Lakeland Financial Corporation common shares include Automated Trading Desk Financial Services, LLC, B-Trade Services, LLC, Citadel Securities, LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Holdings, Inc., Domestic Securities, Inc., E*TRADE Capital Markets LLC, FTN Financial Securities Corp., FTN Equity Capital Markets Corp., Goldman Sachs & Company, Howe Barnes Hoefer & Arnett, Inc., Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., Knight Equity Markets, L.P., Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc., Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Inc., Susquehanna Capital Group and UBS Securities LLC.

This document contains, and future oral and written statements of the Company and its management may contain, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business of the Company. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the Company’s management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should” or other simil ar expressions. Additionally, all statements in this document, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events.  Additional information concerning the Company and its business, including factors that could materially affect the Company’s financial results, is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s Annual Report on form 10-K.