Since 2022, Carly Reifenrath has been deeply committed to serving the Bartow and greater Polk County community through leadership, volunteerism, and philanthropy. She began her journey with Bartow Engage as Volunteer Coordinator from 2022 through 2025, where she recruited and coordinated volunteers for numerous service-driven events. One of her most impactful initiatives was leading the Stuff the Bus campaigns in 2023 and 2024, which successfully collected more than $5k in school supplies for the Polk County Public Schools HEART Project, directly supporting students and families in need.

Alongside her work with Bartow Engage, Carly has served since 2022 as the Fundraising and Volunteer Coordinator for Bartow Unlimited Football. In this role, she has remained committed to raising funds and securing sponsorships to support local youth athletics, while also coordinating the organization’s annual end-of-year banquet and volunteer efforts that celebrate both athletes and supporters.

In 2024, Carly expanded her leadership footprint by joining the Board of Directors for Achievement Academy, a nonprofit United Way partner agency and public charter school serving children with special needs from birth through age five. Through this role, she supports both the Birth to Three Early Intervention Program and the ESE Charter Pre-K, ensuring families in the community have access to high-quality services at no cost during some of the most critical developmental years of a child’s life.

That same year, Carly became a Bartow Chamber Ambassador, where she plays an active role in connecting and networking with prospective, new, and current chamber members. As a liaison for the Greater Bartow Chamber, she helps foster strong relationships, encourage civic engagement, and promote a thriving local business community.

In 2025, Carly switched up her roll in Bartow Engage in a new capacity as Membership Coordinator, where she focuses on recruiting new members, coordinating membership drives, and organizing events that strengthen the organization’s reach and impact. Her leadership and dedication to service were further recognized in 2025 when she was selected as a Polk Leader for Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine. In this role, she promoted LVIM’s mission, coordinated all fundraising efforts, and successfully raised $10,355 in monetary donations. She also led the creation of a community awareness commercial highlighting the Bartow LVIM facility, featuring the Mayor of Bartow and the President of the Bartow Chamber.

Carly’s unwavering commitment to service and philanthropy earned her the 2025 Polk Young Professional Philanthropic Champion recognition. This honor reflects her dedication of time, expertise, and creativity to nonprofit and community efforts throughout Polk County, as well as the measurable impact she has made through hands-on volunteer service and leadership.

She is currently a proud student of the Bartow Leadership Program, Class of 2025–2027, which she proudly refers to as the “Best Class Ever.” Her leadership and service have also been recognized through multiple awards and nominations, including being named a finalist for the 2024 Polk Young Professional Philanthropic Champion, receiving Bartow Engage Volunteer of the Year honors in both 2024 and 2025, and earning a 2025 nomination for Polk Leadership.

At the heart of Carly’s story is a passion for building community, lifting others, and leading with purpose—bringing people together to create lasting, positive change across Bartow and Polk County.