EXECUTIVE: Maryemma Bachelder, director of marketing at Lake Wales Medical Center. Bachelder, 48, is the face of the 160-bed community hospital and helps guide community relations, events and hospital programs. The hospital is one of the largest employers in Lake Wales.
DIVERSION: Working out. Bachelder has lost 72 pounds since getting serious about lifting weights, running and eating healthy. She's run at least six half marathons and six triathlons, and is a certified-personal trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine. She has also begun working on a degree in sports management.
HOMETOWN: After working jobs in other Polk County cities, Bachelder was thrilled to be back in her native Lake Wales. “Having grown up in Lake Wales, I've seen the hospital go through phases,” she says. “It got a bad rap in the past, but things are so much better. Marketing it is easy. I believe in it, and I believe in taking care of our community.” Her new healthy lifestyle marries well with her hospital job.