Suwannee County native Wenda Lewis of Lewis Oil Company was recently elected to serve on the Florida Retail Federation’s board of directors, making her the first woman and the first person from North Florida to do so.

Wenda, now of Gainesville, is the vice president and CEO of Lewis Oil Company, a 52-year-old family-owned commercial and retail oil and fuel enterprise and one of the few “jobbers” in Florida. As a jobber, Lewis Oil Company transports, delivers, and stores gasoline and oil for convenience stores, farms, construction sites, hospitals, grocery stores, television stations, and first responder needs in a 14 county area. They also own 30 Chevron and Texaco gas stations in Alachua County.

On the FRF board, Wenda represents not only fuel and oil companies but the retail interests of convenience stores, grocery stores, and other major retailers.

“The FRF is concerned about general retail regulations across the board as well as sales, safety, and the environment,” Wenda said.

Wenda also serves on the Florida Commission on the Status of Women, a group that supports endeavors to better the lives of women in Florida.

“We shine a spotlight on women’s issues,” explained Wenda. “We support women’s advocacy groups, and tackle issues like human trafficking and gendered pay scales.”

Working with women’s issues hits home for Wenda who often finds herself the sole woman in a room full of men during business meetings.

“I’m a female in a male-dominated industry,” said Wenda. “I have been lucky to find good working relationships with both men and women, but there are times when there are challenges.

“I’m usually the smallest in the room,” she continued. “I’m a redhead who clocks in at 5’2” tall, but they say firecrackers come in small packages.”

Outside of work, Wenda is passionate about supporting Alzheimer’s awareness and treatment groups as both her father and grandmother suffered from the disease before passing away. She has personally raised over $500,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association and Al’z Place in North Central Florida.

While Wenda continues to make waves across the state, her family roots lie deep in Suwannee County. Her grandfather, Hughie Lewis, was a sheriff in Suwannee County while her father, Wendell Lewis – who Wenda is named after – was a deputy sheriff. Many family members of Wenda’s mother, Jualene, were principals and teachers at Suwannee middle and high schools.

Wenda was born in the Suwannee County Hospital and lived here up until first grade, eventually settling in Gainesville where Lewis Oil Company is headquartered.