Phillip Dee Penland

Phillip Dee Penland, former City Manager of the City of Altamonte Springs, Florida, passed away peacefully on November 16, 2016. He was 66. Phil was born on February 27, 1950 in Norton, Virginia and was the son of the late Edward Glenn Penland and the late Helen Fulcher Penland. Phil was born into a coal-mining family in the mountains of southwest Virginia. His father died when he was young and after high school, Phil, his mother, Helen, and his Aunt Mable all moved to central Florida so he could further his education. Always an excellent student, Phil became one of the first political science students to graduate from Florida Technological University, now UCF. Following his graduation from FTU and after a brief internship at the City of Maitland, Phil was hired as the Assistant City Manager of the City of DeLand in 1974. Just nine short months later, he was appointed City Manager of DeLand becoming the then-youngest City Manager in the State of Florida at 25 years of age. During his nine-year tenure in DeLand, Phil led efforts to bridge historical community divides, to modernize DeLand’s utility system and to bring focus to the Main Street corridor in downtown DeLand. Seeking a new challenge, in 1983, Phil was hired as only the second City Manager in the history of the City of Altamonte Springs. He took over a city that up until then had been plagued with scandal, was mired in debt, and had yet to formulate a vision for its future. And so began one of the most well-regarded tenures of any manager in Florida. During Phil’s 27-year tenure in Altamonte Springs, the City became known for its innovation because of Phil’s extraordinary vision. Not long after arriving in Altamonte Springs, the scandals at City Hall began to dissipate and he began implementing fiscal controls that would eventually lead Altamonte Springs to becoming one of the largest debt-free cities in the state. Phil proved fiscal responsibility, community-minded facilities and growth could go hand-in-hand. Though today the region is struggling to come to grips with the effects of urban sprawl, Phil foresaw those impacts as early as 1985. He helped create one of the first downtown Developments of Regional Impact in the state in order to focus development into activity centers so as to preserve communities and make infrastructure more efficient. In those decades before Uptown Altamonte became the regional destination it is today, hosting more than 1 million visitors each year, Phil and his team of professionals laid the groundwork for the future. The pedestrian facilities in Uptown are but one of the many improvements Phil and his team’s early planning helped to create. He believed that transit would be part of the region’s future and in 1989 was part of the team that created the Central Florida Commuter Rail Authority, which became what we know today as SunRail. Phil’s committed efforts toward protecting the environment included creating a massive regional reclaimed water system that drastically reduced Altamonte Springs’ reliance on the aquifer. But at his heart, he believed that parks, open spaces and recreation programs were the keys to a city remaining a community. And he believed in giving kids things to do. Active parks like Eastmonte Park, Westmonte Park, Merrill Park and Cranes Roost Park at Uptown all took new flight during Phil’s tenure. And Lake Lotus Park became a beautiful and tranquil preservation park along the Little Wekiva River while Phil was at the helm. As Altamonte Springs’ and Phil’s reputation as an administrator grew regionally and nationally, Phil pointed to the fact that Altamonte Springs’ elected citizen leaders through the years put the best interests of the City far ahead of their own political ambitions or ideology. But most of all, Phil believed Altamonte Springs was successful because the City was blessed with truly exceptional and committed employees who served the residents with passion and pride and who aimed for excellence every day. Phil deeply believed in strengthening the roles of cities because he felt that only in city government do you truly get close to the people you serve. Throughout his career in public administration, Phil remained committed to education, creating programs that would develop future leaders in the public sector. He became one of the founders and later the Chairman of the Institute of Government at his alma mater, UCF. He was a Board Member and President of the Florida City and County Management Association. And he was instrumental in creating the Local Government Leaders Public Policy Forum program conducted by Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government at the University of Central Florida. Phil was known for his early morning walks around Cranes Roost and his love of nature and all things in it. He was a life-long and dedicated New York Yankees fan, traveling to Tampa for spring training games and to New York for regular season and post-season games, of which he was proud to say there were many. Throughout his life, Phil never lost the Appalachian pragmatism of his upbringing. He was always a gentleman, considerate of others, clear in the midst of chaos. Phil was a loyal friend and was a mentor to many who owe their careers and many of their successes to his sound advice and guidance. Yet among all the important roles he played, he was proudest of the role he played in the lives of his nieces, great-nieces and godchildren. He had a deep love for his family and his family's history. Phil is survived by his beloved nieces, Stephanie Renee Penland Caplinger of Johnson City, Tennessee, and great-nieces, Taylor Caplinger and Hailey Caplinger; and Jennifer Rae Penland Simpson and her husband, Russ, of Hendersonville, North Carolina. To his nieces and great-nieces, he was known as “Uncle Dee.” He is also survived by his godchildren, who he dearly loved, Mr. Bryne Clifton Phillip Jenkins and Ms. Briyanna Nicole Jenkins, both of Lake Mary, Florida, and Mr. Kameron Drake Anderson of Sanford, Florida. He was predeceased by his brother, Jackie Lee Penland and his brother’s wife, Vivian "Bunny" Penland. He was also predeceased by his beloved aunt, Mable Fulcher and his uncle, Bernard Fulcher. At Phil's request, there will be no service. However, Phil believed in giving to programs for kids. If you would like to create a tribute in keeping with Phil’s lifelong philosophy of helping others in need, you may make a contribution in Phil’s name to the City of Altamonte Springs Babe Ruth League to sponsor the participation fees of young boys and girls who might not otherwise be able to afford to participate, or make a donation in his name to any other program that serves those who most need it. Checks can be made payable to the City of Altamonte Springs Babe Ruth League, noting "Phil Penland Tribute" on the memo line, and mailed to the City of Altamonte Springs, c/o Frank Martz, City Manager, 225 Newburyport Avenue, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32701.