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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: center">UNITED STATES</div>
  
  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: center">SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</div>
  
  <div style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: center">Washington, DC 20549</div>
  
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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: center">FORM 8-K</div>
  
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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: center">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</div>
  
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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center">Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)<font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> November 27, 2018</font></div>
  
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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: center">Lakeland Financial Corporation</div>
  
  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center">(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)</div>
  
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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: center">000-11487</div>
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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: center">202 East Center Street</div>
  
  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: center">Warsaw, Indiana&#160; 46581-1387</div>
  
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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: center">(574) 267-6144</div>
  
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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: center">N/A</div>
  
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  <font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif"><br>
  </font><font id="TRGRRTFtoHTMLTab" style="FONT-SIZE: 1px; WIDTH: 31.5pt; DISPLAY: inline-block; TEXT-INDENT: 0px">&#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):</div>
  
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  <div 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>
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  </font><font id="TRGRRTFtoHTMLTab" style="FONT-SIZE: 1px; WIDTH: 54pt; DISPLAY: inline-block; TEXT-INDENT: 0px">&#160;</font>Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))</font></div>
  
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  <td style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; WIDTH: 72pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; align: right">Item 5.02.</td>
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  <div 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.</div>
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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN-LEFT: 4.5pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 4.5pt">Resignation of Principal Accounting Officer</div>
  
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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN-LEFT: 4.5pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 4.5pt">Appointment of Principal Accounting Officer</div>
  
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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN-LEFT: 4.5pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 4.5pt">On November 27, 2018, the Company appointed Lisa M. O'Neill, the Company's Chief Financial Officer, as principal accounting officer, effective as of the date of Ms. Earls' resignation.&#160; Ms. O'Neill will continue to serve as the Company's principal financial officer. Ms. O'Neill, age 51, has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer the Company and Lake City Bank since April 2014. Prior to that, Ms. O'Neill served as Chief Financial Officer of Bank First National Corporation located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin from 2007-2014. From 1999-2006, Ms. O'Neill was the Controller of Private Bancorp, Inc. Prior to 1999, Ms. O'Neill was with Arthur Andersen in its financial institutions group audit practice since 1989.</div>
  
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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt">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.</div>
  
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  <td style="WIDTH: 216pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top; align: right"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Dated:&#160; December 3, 2018</font><font id="TRGRRTFtoHTMLTab" style="FONT-SIZE: 1px; WIDTH: 216pt; DISPLAY: inline-block; TEXT-INDENT: 0px">&#160;</font></td>
  <td style="WIDTH: 252pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top; align: right"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif">By:&#160; </font><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif"><u>/s/ Lisa M. O'Neill</u></font></td>
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  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN-LEFT: 238.5pt">Lisa M. O'Neill</div>
  
  <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN-LEFT: 238.5pt">Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer</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)
  November 27, 2018
  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.
  Resignation of Principal Accounting Officer
  On November 27, 2018, Sarah J. Earls, the Senior Vice President, Controller, and principal accounting officer of Lakeland Financial Corporation (the "Company"), notified the Company of her intention to resign, effective as of January 25, 2019, to pursue an external opportunity.
  Appointment of Principal Accounting Officer
  On November 27, 2018, the Company appointed Lisa M. O'Neill, the Company's Chief Financial Officer, as principal accounting officer, effective as of the date of Ms. Earls' resignation.  Ms. O'Neill will continue to serve as the Company's principal financial officer. Ms. O'Neill, age 51, has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer the Company and Lake City Bank since April 2014. Prior to that, Ms. O'Neill served as Chief Financial Officer of Bank First National Corporation located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin from 2007-2014. From 1999-2006, Ms. O'Neill was the Controller of Private Bancorp, Inc. Prior to 1999, Ms. O'Neill was with Arthur Andersen in its financial institutions group audit practice since 1989.
  No new compensatory arrangements were entered into with Ms. O'Neill in connection with her appointment as principal accounting officer.
  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:  December 3, 2018
  By:
  /s/ Lisa M. O'Neill
  Lisa M. O'Neill
  Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer