Monumental events are rare in the life of an educational institution, but we are thrilled to announce one such event that will elevate LHP education for generations to come! The Leman Porter and Lanier Porter families have made a $5 million gift – the largest gift in the school’s history – to the Together We Can: Elevate Highlanders Campaign.
Designs are preliminary and subject to change
In recognition of the Porters’ extraordinary generosity, the Campaign’s signature academic building will be named in their honor. The Porter Family Center for Innovation & Academics will be a bold statement for innovation at Lake Highland, featuring an Innovation Institute with a state-of-the-art central makerspace surrounded by interdisciplinary teaching labs for engineering and design, robotics, physics, computer science, and more. The Porters’ unparalleled philanthropy will equip and further enhance Lake Highland’s preeminent position as Central Florida’s leader in STEM and innovative education.
Asked why they wanted to provide such a substantial gift, Leman Porter responded,
Designs are preliminary and subject to change
“A quality education is one of the most important gifts we give our children. This has been a constant message from my father Lanier, who passed it down from his father. Our family gift ensures future generations, including my own three children, will have access to the highest quality education at a school cemented in strong values.”
Leman Porter
The Porter family’s contributions to our school and our mission extend well beyond their philanthropic gifts. The family also gives generously of their time, talent, and leadership. Leman Porter joined Lake Highland’s Board of Trustees earlier in 2021. He and his wife, Emily, are dedicated parents of three children in the Lower School. Leman’s parents, Lanier and LaVoyce Porter, have long been champions of our school; they were awarded the President’s Award in 2016 for their significant and transformative philanthropy, including the sponsorship of Frontline Field, home of Highlander baseball, by the Porters’ company, Frontline Insurance.
LHPS Board of Trustees Chairman Jeff Deery said, “We are grateful to the Porter family for their powerful investment in the Elevate Highlanders Campaign. The new Porter Family Center for Innovation & Academics is the family’s most recent and most significant commitment to our school’s mission. For many years, the Porters have generously supported distinctive Highlander programs, including our Leadership and Character Development programs, Athletics, and Financial Aid. The Porters elevate Lake Highland!”
Lake Highland’s President, Vice Admiral Al Harms (USN, Ret.), said, “This magnificently generous gift from the Porter family is the single largest gift in the history of our school, and we will be forever grateful to them for their consequential and inspiring philanthropy. Their contribution will positively impact Highlanders for decades to come, and will generate significant momentum to help us achieve the bold Elevate Highlanders dream for our students.”
Lake Highland is in the early stages of the Together We Can: Elevate Highlanders Campaign. Inspired by the school’s 2018 Strategic Plan, the Campaign includes three transformative capital projects that will elevate all aspects of the Lake Highland education: (1) Porter Family Center for Innovation & Academics; (2) Multisport Facility and Field Renovation at the Lake Highland Athletic Complex; and (3) The Arts District.
From left: Elle ‘30, Emily,
Dean ‘33, Liv ‘28, and Leman
We invite you to learn more about Together We Can: Elevate Highlanders. Please contact a member of our Advancement team for more information, including available naming opportunities.
