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) August 10, 2011

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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 August 10, 2011, Lakeland Financial Corporation issued a press release announcing that Blake W. Augsburger has been appointed to the Boards of Directors of Lakeland Financial Corporation and Lake City Bank.  Mr. Augsburger will serve an initial term as director of Lakeland Financial Corporation that will expire at the annual meeting of the stockholders to be held in 2013, at which time it is expected that he will be nominated for a full three-year term.  It has not yet been determined on which committees he will serve.  There are no other arrangements or understandings between Mr. Augsburger and any other person pursuant to which Mr. Augsburger was selected as a director.  The news release is attached as Exhibit 99.1.

Mr. Augsburger will be entitled to receive compensation for his service on the Board of Directors consistent with the Company’s director compensation program for non-employee directors, as described under the heading Director Compensation in the Company’s proxy statement for its 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 7, 2011, which description is incorporated in this Form 8-K by reference.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits

99.1  Press Release dated August 10, 2011

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:  August 10, 2011                                                                By:  /s/David M. Findlay

David M. Findlay

President and Chief Financial Officer

EX-99.1

EXHIBIT 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Contact:                   David M. Findlay

                                                                                                                                                                           President and

                                                                                                                                                                           Chief Financial Officer

                                                                                                                                                                           (574) 267-9197

LAKE CITY BANK ANNOUNCES ELECTION OF BLAKE W. AUGSBURGER TO BOARD

Warsaw, Indiana (August 10, 2011) – Lakeland Financial Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select/LKFN) and Lake City Bank, today announced that Blake W. Augsburger has been appointed to their respective Boards of Directors.

Mr. Augsburger is an Executive Vice President and serves as the America’s Country Manager of Harman International, a Fortune 500 company.  He also serves as the President of the Harman Professional Division, which is based in Elkhart, Indiana.  Harman (NYSE/HAR) designs and manufactures branded audio and infotainment products and systems for the automotive, consumer and professional customer.

Michael L. Kubacki, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, commented on the appointment, “Blake’s professional experience will be a strong asset to Lake City Bank.  As a senior officer of a publicly traded company with a worldwide presence, Blake will provide our board with great guidance and a valuable set of financial and operational skills.”

Augsburger commented, “Lake City Bank has a reputation as a pro-business lender in its markets.  I’ve learned firsthand that the Bank is a committed corporate citizen that is focused on long term shareholder value.  As an Indiana-based company, Lake City Bank competes effectively every day with larger regional and national competitors and I look forward to helping the Bank grow smartly as it continues its expansion.”

Lakeland Financial Corporation is a $2.7 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 and expects to open a full service office in Indianapolis during the fourth quarter of 2011.

Lakeland Financial Corporation may be accessed on the home page of its subsidiary, Lake City Bank, 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, Goldman Sachs & Company, Howe Barnes Hoefer & Arnett, Inc., Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., Knight Capital Americas, L.P., Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc., Sterne Agee & Leach, 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 similar 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.