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Community Leaders
On behalf of the citizens of Alachua County, my fellow Commissioners and I would like to extend a warm welcome to those of you visiting our beautiful county. To the county residents reading this publication, I hope you will take this opportunity to look at Alachua County with fresh eyes and take a vacation in your own backyard.Whether you are a visitor or a resident, I hope you will take advantage of the astonishing diversity of attractions we have to offer. Experience the natural splendor of Paynes Prairie State Park, enjoy a night at the ballet, canoe pristine rivers, attend one of our many heritage and arts festivals, enjoy Gainesville’s vibrant downtown scene and explore all of our historically significant and unique municipalities. Alachua County has great bike trails, an excellent theatre, music, dance and visual arts scene, crystal clear springs and so much more. Add to this everything that goes with being the home to the University of Florida and Santa Fe Community College and you have a place where, truly, “Nature and Culture Meet.”
So, peruse these pages and get ready for a decidedly non-theme park experience as you explore the heart of Florida.
Rodney J. Long Chairman, Alachua County Commission
Welcome to Gainesville, the heart of beautiful North Central Florida. Not your typical Florida, Gainesville is an eclectic mixture of beauty, diversity and charm. A place where history blends with the future and technology mingles with tradition.Situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, the area basks in beautiful sunshine and mild temperatures year-round.
Gainesville is a leader in education, healthcare, business, technology and the arts, making it is easy to see why our community is recognized as one of Florida’s most livable cities.
Come unlock the history, romance and beauty of our community. Explore every nook and cranny because you are our guest, and we’re glad you’re here.
For more information about Gainesville and the surrounding area, visit our website at www.gainesvillechamber. com. The Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization of more than 1,300 members, representing 69,000 employees – more than 60 percent of the workforce of Alachua County. We are proud to have served as the voice of business in the Gainesville/Alachua County area since 1924.
J. Brent Christensen President & CEO Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce
Welcome to the city of Gainesville – the historic seat of Alachua County, commercial hub of North-Central Florida and capital city of the Gator Nation. On behalf of the nearly 123,000 residents of our number one-ranked city in North America*, I am delighted to extend heart-felt greetings to you. No matter what brings you to Gainesville, once you’re here, you’ll be amazed at the wealth of activities and experiences that await you. Without a doubt Gainesville is a vibrant, exciting and friendly community that prides itself on being a thriving university city with a small-town feel.There’s so much to do, from the wonderful cultural and sporting events we enjoy as host city to the University of Florida, to the abundance of natural eco-tourism opportunities that exist in and around the greater Gainesville community. Thanks to our quality restaurants, shopping centers, historic neighborhoods and busy downtown nightlife, there’s something to fire the imagination and passion of everyone who visits, or lives in, Gainesville. While you’re here, be sure to visit nearby historic small towns and take in all that authentic North Florida has to offer. Once you do, you’ll understand why we say in Gainesville, every path starts with passion.
Pegeen Hanrahan Mayor of Gainesville
“*As ranked by Cities Ranked and Rated: 2nd Edition, written by Bert Sperling and Peter Sander and published by Frommer Publishing.”
We welcome you and your interest in Gainesville and its environs. Your curiosity indicates that you sense what we know: Gainesville offers an unmatched combination of cultural activities, civic mindedness, educational quality, outdoor recreation and natural wonders. These thoughts come to mind when we define our unique quality of life.Santa Fe Community College is central to and a partner in that quality of life. Our leadership in the nation’s foremost educational organizations is a confirmation of the college’s educational preeminence. Santa Fe is much more. Our faculty and staff are actively engaged in every aspect of human endeavor in North Central Florida. Our students have earned a reputation for accomplishment and success, and just as important is their involvement in the life of the college and community.
Your interest signifies that you have chosen well. We thank Gainesville Today for producing this guide and welcome, and hope that you will call upon us at Santa Fe Community College.
Jackson N. Sasser President, Santa Fe Community College
A century ago this year, the University of Florida opened its doors in Gainesville. We have been a proud member of the Gainesville and Alachua County communities ever since.A total of 102 students enrolled at UF in the fall of 1906. Today, that number has grown to nearly 50,000. While in the early years UF offered only a handful of degree programs, today we have available more than 100 bachelor of arts degree programs and more than 200 graduate and professional degree programs.
We owe our remarkable growth and success in no small measure to the gracious support and assistance of our host communities of Gainesville and Alachua County. As a result, we value our role as a significant community partner very highly. We operate a number of outreach programs. We strive to nurture local technology initiatives. And our students, faculty and staff are engaged in many volunteer and service projects.
We are pleased and gratified to call Gainesville our home, and look forward to continuing our productive relationship with this city and Alachua County for many years into the future.
J. Bernard Machen President, University of Florida
University of Florida Police Department officers are professionally trained and State-of-Florida certified. The department provides 24-hour coverage with complete law enforcement services including investigating all crimes committed in its jurisdiction, making arrests, providing crime prevention/public safety programs, enforcing traffic laws and maintaining crowd control for campus special events.In March 1996, the University of Florida Police Department became one of only 14 university law enforcement agencies in the country to achieve national law enforcement accreditation, and in May of 1997 the Department received state accreditation. Upon achieving these prestigious designations, the UFPD became the first accredited collegiate law enforcement agency in the state of Florida, and the second largest accredited campus agency in the country. On November 30, the University of Florida Police Department was awarded accreditation by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) and became the first agency in the country to acquire accreditation’s “Triple Crown,” being accredited by three distinct accrediting bodies.
For more information regarding the University of Florida Police Department, please see our Web site at www.police.ufl.edu .
Chief Linda J. Stump, Director University Police Department
As an agency, we count ourselves among the leaders in the nation in progressive law enforcement and true community oriented policing.The Gainesville Police Department is unique in that the City of Gainesville has a population of approximately 120,000 and serves an area of approximately 54 miles. However, GPD provides service to a much larger base of approximately 150,000 citizens, primarily because of the student and urban-fringe population who enter the city each day.
Gainesville Police Department members answer more than 130,000 calls for service each year. To this end, GPD has many special programs to combat crime and work with the community. Since August 2000, the department operates under a District and Community Policing concept, where officers and supervisors are assigned to permanent zones and where it allows us to be much more effective at providing the highest level of quality-of-life service to our neighborhoods.
As an agency, we depend on our community and government agency partnerships to assist us in delivering the highest services. Please visit our Web site at www.gainesvillepd.org to become involved in our community programs.
Norman B. Botsford, Chief, Gainesville Police Department
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office is an accredited 5 “C” (Criminal, Court, Civil, Corrections and Communications) law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in all 965 square miles of Alachua County. We stand for the highest-quality law enforcement and inmate detention, rendered with dedication to equality, fairness and professional integrity. Our more than 900 sworn and civilian employees strive to keep our streets and communities safe for Alachua County’s citizens.Effective January a new jail director, Robert Woody, was hired. He brings a fresh, interactive management style and progressive ideas for in-house and re-entry programs for inmates. In March our Combined Communications Center was one of three communications centers in the nation to be recognized in Atlanta for achieving Flagship accreditation status. It should also be noted that our sister agency, the University of Florida Police Department, was recognized for achieving law enforcement Flagship status.
As your Alachua County Sheriff, it is my honor to serve this community and to promote a service orientation that compliments safety and security needs. To learn more, please visit www.alachuasheriff.org.
Sincerely, Sadie Darnell, Alachua County Sheriff