The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Selection Committee has announced the inductees for the Class of 2026: Brenda Eubanks Burnette, Kristen Carlson, the late James “Doc” Redd and L.W. “Pete” Timmer. They will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on March 27, 2026, at the George W. Jenkins Fieldhouse at Florida Southern College in Lakeland.
Burnette is being honored for her decades of service in marketing, promotion and historical preservation of the industry. Her involvement with the Florida citrus industry began when she was crowned Miss Florida Citrus in 1981. After her reign, she served as a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Citrus before becoming executive director of the Florida Citrus Showcase. In retirement, Burnette continued to volunteer with the Miss Florida Citrus Scholarship program, the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame, publications and fundraising. She was honored with the Citrus Achievement Award, presented by AgNet Media, in 2024.
Carlson served Florida citrus for more than four decades, providing legal expertise and leadership. She served as general counsel for the Florida Department of Citrus, executive director of the Florida Citrus Processors Association and executive director of the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program. Carlson was honored with the Citrus Achievement Award for her work in building the CRAFT program.
Redd was an educator, researcher and author. He was an organic chemistry professor at the University of Florida and was instrumental in establishing the first citrus department at Florida Southern College, where he taught citrus-related classes. As a researcher, he developed the Redd Essence Recovery System and a process for flavoring frozen concentrated orange juice with the addition of citrus oils and essences. He published works on citrus processing and quality control, which are still used by technicians in the processing industry today.
Timmer was an educator and researcher, spending decades studying diseases impacting citrus. He focused on the etiology, epidemiology and control of fungal and bacterial diseases of citrus fruit and foliage. He spent 29 years at the University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred.
Source: Florida Citrus Hall of Fame
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