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      <div style="text-align: center; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">UNITED STATES</div>
      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</font></div>
      <div style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Washington, DC 20549</font></div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">FORM 8-K</font></div>
      <div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br>
      </div>
      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><br>
          </font>SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><br>
          </font>SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934</font></div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)<font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight:
            bold;"> March 14, 2019</font></font></div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Lakeland Financial Corporation</font></div>
      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)</font></div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="z28818997e7924a80a7cf3a5a4f939705" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 10pt; width: 100%;">
  
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              <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Indiana</font></div>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 33.34%; vertical-align: top;">
              <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">000-11487</font></div>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 33.32%; vertical-align: top;">
              <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">35-1559596</font></div>
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              <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)</font></div>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 33.34%; vertical-align: top;">
              <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">(Commission File Number)</font></div>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 33.32%; vertical-align: top;">
              <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">(IRS Employer Identification No.)</font></div>
            </td>
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      </div>
      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">202 East Center Street</font></div>
      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Warsaw, Indiana&#160; 46581-1387</font></div>
      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)</font></div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">(574) 267-6144</font></div>
      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)</font></div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">N/A</font></div>
      <div style="text-align: center; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-left: 4.5pt;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)</font></div>
      <div style="text-align: left; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-left: 4.5pt;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><br>
          <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><br>
          </font><font id="TRGRRTFtoHTMLTab" style="display: inline-block; text-indent: 0px; font-size: 1px; width: 31.5pt">&#160;</font>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 (<font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-style: italic;">see</font> General Instruction A.2 below):</font></div>
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                  <div><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)</font></div>
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                  <div><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)</font></div>
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                  <div><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange<font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><br>
                      </font>Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))</font></div>
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      <div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><font id="TRGRRTFtoHTMLTab" style="display: inline-block; text-indent: 0px; font-size: 1px; width: 18pt">&#160;</font><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',
          Times, serif;">Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange<font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><br>
          </font><font id="TRGRRTFtoHTMLTab" style="display: inline-block; text-indent: 0px; font-size: 1px; width: 54pt">&#160;</font>Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))</font></div>
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                <td style="width: 72pt; vertical-align: top; align: right;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Item 5.02.</font></td>
                <td style="width: auto; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
                  <div><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain
                      Officers.</font></div>
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      <div style="text-align: left; text-indent: 18pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">
        <div style="text-align: left; text-indent: 18pt; margin-bottom: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">On March 14, 2019, Lakeland Financial Corporation (the &#8220;Company&#8221;) and Lake City Bank, the Company&#8217;s wholly owned
          subsidiary (the &#8220;Bank&#8221;), announced that Brok A. Lahrman has been appointed as the Company&#8217;s Chief Accounting Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance, and will serve as the Company&#8217;s principal accounting officer.</div>
        <div style="text-align: left; text-indent: 18pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Lahrman, age 32, served as a Senior Manager with BKD, LLP from
            January 2009 to March 2019, where he worked on audits of financial institutions and other firm-wide initiatives related to financial institutions.&#160; Mr. Lahrman is a certified public accountant.</font></div>
        <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"></font></div>
      <div style="text-align: left; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Item 7.01.</font><font id="TRGRRTFtoHTMLTab" style="display: inline-block; text-indent: 0px; font-size:
          1px; width: 72pt">&#160;</font><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Regulation FD Disclosure.</font></div>
      <div style="text-align: left; text-indent: 18pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">On March 14, 2019, the Company and the Bank issued a press release announcing Mr. Lahrman&#8217;s
          appointment.&#160; A copy of the press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1.</font></div>
      <div style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Item 9.01.</font><font id="TRGRRTFtoHTMLTab" style="display: inline-block; text-indent: 0px;
          font-size: 1px; width: 72pt">&#160;</font><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Financial Statements and Exhibits.</font></div>
      <div style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 12pt;">
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                <td style="width: 18pt; vertical-align: top; align: right;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">(d)</font></td>
                <td style="width: auto; vertical-align: top; text-align: justify;">
                  <div><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-style: italic;">Exhibits</font>.</font></div>
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                <td style="width: 54pt; vertical-align: top; align: right;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">99.1</font></td>
                <td style="width: auto; vertical-align: top; text-align: justify;">
                  <div><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Press Release issued by Lakeland Financial Corporation and Lake City Bank on March 14, 2019.</font></div>
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      <div style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br>
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      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">SIGNATURES</font></div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">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.</font></div>
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      <div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 180pt; margin-left: 216pt;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">LAKELAND FINANCIAL CORPORATION</font></div>
      <div><br>
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        <div>
          <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="z0f8aa168bc754b07bae4035b0ef3757f" class="DSPFListTable" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 10pt; width: 100%;">
  
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                <td style="width: 252pt; vertical-align: top; align: right;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Dated:&#160; March 14, 2019</font></td>
                <td style="width: auto; vertical-align: top; text-align: justify;">
                  <div><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">By:&#160; <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><u> /s/Lisa M. O&#8217;Neill</u></font></font></div>
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      <div style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 238.5pt;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Lisa M. O&#8217;Neill</font></div>
      <div style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 238.5pt;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer</font></div>
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      <div style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">EXHIBIT INDEX</font></div>
      <div><br>
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                <div style="text-align: justify;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Exhibit&#160;No.</font></div>
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              <div>
                <div style="text-align: justify;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: bold;">Description</font></div>
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              <div style="text-align: justify;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">99.1</font></div>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 86.5%; vertical-align: top;">
              <div style="text-align: justify;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Press Release issued by Lakeland Financial Corporation and Lake City Bank on March 14, 2019.</font></div>
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text: UNITED STATES
  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  Washington, DC 20549
  FORM 8-K
  CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO
  SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
  SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
  Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
  March 14, 2019
  Lakeland Financial Corporation
  (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  Indiana
  000-11487
  35-1559596
  (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
  (Commission File Number)
  (IRS Employer Identification No.)
  202 East Center Street
  Warsaw, Indiana  46581-1387
  (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
  (574) 267-6144
  (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
  N/A
  (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 (
  see
  General Instruction A.2 below):
  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
  Soliciting 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 March 14, 2019, Lakeland Financial Corporation (the "Company") and Lake City Bank, the Company's wholly owned
          subsidiary (the "Bank"), announced that Brok A. Lahrman has been appointed as the Company's Chief Accounting Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance, and will serve as the Company's principal accounting officer.
  Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Lahrman, age 32, served as a Senior Manager with BKD, LLP from
            January 2009 to March 2019, where he worked on audits of financial institutions and other firm-wide initiatives related to financial institutions.  Mr. Lahrman is a certified public accountant.
  Item 7.01.
  Regulation FD Disclosure.
  On March 14, 2019, the Company and the Bank issued a press release announcing Mr. Lahrman's
          appointment.  A copy of the press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1.
  Item 9.01.
  Financial Statements and Exhibits.
  (d)
  Exhibits
  .
  99.1
  Press Release issued by Lakeland Financial Corporation and Lake City Bank on March 14, 2019.
  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:  March 14, 2019
  By:
  /s/Lisa M. O'Neill
  Lisa M. O'Neill
  Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
  EXHIBIT INDEX
  Exhibit No.
  Description
  99.1
  Press Release issued by Lakeland Financial Corporation and Lake City Bank on March 14, 2019.