PEOS IN THE COMMUNITY: LandrumHR: Empowering the Next Generation

Educating and empowering the future workforce is a cause that’s become something of a second full-time job for Britt Landrum III, LandrumHR’s president and CEO.

He has long championed an active mind and body, a mantra he’s now etched as a tenet of the Pensacola, Florida-based PEO started 54 years ago by his father, Britt Landrum, Jr.

Staying true to the company’s core values of “learn, share, and grow,” Landrum has instituted a culture of charitable giving to provide the next generation the tools they need to live healthy and professionally fulfilling lives.

Landrum and his wife, Keena, for many years were heavily involved with Junior Achievement, a 105-year-old global nonprofit that teaches children financial literacy and how to get and keep jobs. A past board chair of Junior Achievement’s Northwest Florida chapter, Landrum spent countless hours in local classrooms showing students how to start a company, put together a business plan, and hire the right folks. The soup to nuts on how to start a business. He also preached to them the importance of education and how to effectively manage money to support your family.

“He really poured his efforts into it,” said Ildi Hosman, LandrumHR’s director of public relations and internal communications who served as president of Junior Achievement of Northwest Florida for five years. “And then the company followed suit.”

With Hosman spearheading much of LandrumHR’s community service efforts, the firm now dedicates its time with Take Stock in Children, another nonprofit that provides mentors and college scholarships to low-income and at-risk students in Florida.

LandrumHR’s inaugural 5K last October raised $15,000 for the Lakeview Center, a behavioral center for adults and children.

A number of LandrumHR employees, including senior staff, personally sponsor these students through the donation of laptops and their mentorship. If students hit required milestones and adhere to the principles of the program across their high school years, they receive a full scholarship within the state of Florida to the college of their choice. Unsurprisingly, it’s been rewarding to watch mentees grow up and thrive in the system.

“It’s a great program,” Landrum said. “It’s produced people who go on to do great things. It’s amazing to see these kids have successful careers.”

LandrumHR Chief Information Officer Tom Deen told PEO Insider® that working with Take Stock has given him a chance to make a difference in his current student’s life trajectory.

“Just simply listening, offering some wisdom, guidance, encouragement, and sharing my experiences- mistakes included, I can be an available resource to help my student overcome the obstacles of getting through high school and on to pursuing a college degree or mastering a much-needed vocation,” Deen said.

Kara Bloomberg, LandrumHR’s chief operating officer, has been involved with Take Stock in Children for more than ten years. She’s seen the countless lives that have benefited from the scholarship program.

“The financial support that Britt and his family have given to the program is inspiring and reinforces Britt’s commitment to our community and to supporting programs and our employees are passionate about,” Bloomberg said. “Sharing a passion for service to others is a strong part of our company culture and I feel blessed to be part of our team.”

With the encouragement of friend and State Rep. Michelle Salzman, Landrum joined the Northwest Florida Mental Health Taskforce the lawmaker started shortly after she came into office in 2020. Discussions on how to better address the area’s mental health needs led to a new, active way to rally the community around this cause.

In addition to a healthy mind, Landrum, an endurance runner and triathlete, is also a believer in a healthy body. Delegating Hosman as chief organizer, the company last October held its inaugural 5K run, one that started right outside their building in downtown Pensacola.

Runners compete in LandrumHR’s inaugural 5K that raised $15,000 for the Lakeview Center, a behavioral center for adults and children.

The race, dubbed Every Step Counts, was a resounding success. It raised $15,000 for Lakeview Center, a behavioral health center for adults and children with mental illnesses, drug and alcohol dependencies, and intellectual disabilities. Landrum’s father served as past chairman of the center.

“We wanted to draw a parallel between mental health and physical wellness,” Hosman said. “And we really loved doing it. We had a lot of volunteering from our community, and we look forward to doing it again this year.”

It’s hard to quantify the profound impact LandrumHR has had across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and across Northwest Florida, but it’s clear that the firm has helped shape countless student lives.

The Landrum family has established four scholarships at the University of West Florida, gifting nearly $115,000 to the school over the past three decades. For five years, the firm has volunteered at Be My Neighbor Day, an event held each March by local PBS affiliate WSRE to promote early education and health. And this month, the firm will sponsor Grillin’ in the Breeze, a competitive grilling event that in 2023 raised $24,000 for Take Stock and the Santa Rosa Education Foundation.

It’s all part of the collective mission to set up the next generation to become healthy, educated, qualified, and well-rounded successors.

“It’s part of our culture,” Landrum said. “The folks that we hire are very giving in general.”