Back off Jacksonville and Orlando. Leaders from Alachua and Marion counties officially staked out their turf Thursday.

They don't want to be a part of the First Coast, Treasure Coast, Big Bend or Gold Coast.

Rather, they believe they are the "Heart of Florida."

"We haven't always thought together," said Santa Fe Community College President Jackson Sasser of the two communities. "But we need to visualize the future together."

Sasser and Central Florida Community College President Charles "Chick" Dassance brought together more than 200 elected and business leaders from both counties Thursday to sell them on the idea of forming a united front and hand out "Heart of Florida" logos.

Town & Country Farms' owner Louise Courtelis sponsored the gathering, which took place on the lawn outside her home in northern Marion County under an enormous tent. Waiters carried trays of hors d'oeuvres. Wine of all hues flowed freely from the bar at one end of the tent. And guests picked at the mounds of sauteed shrimp, California rolls and ribs on a center table.

While long-term objectives are sketchy at this point, organizers believe the coalition could force inroads in the marketing and promotion of the area, in career and economic development, in upgrades to roads and other transportation systems and in the passage of joint legislative agendas.

"We don't know where this is going, but we know we have a shared destiny," said Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, who has been collaborating on the project with Rep. Ed Jennings, D-Gainesville, for more than two years.

"As a region, we think we could have a much greater presence," Baxley said.

Baxley and Jennings hand-picked Sasser and Dassance, who are presumably politically neutral, to lead the effort. They plan to head a strategic planning session in the fall to identify mutual assets and ways to capitalize on them. Other nearby counties and communities are encouraged to join in, too.

The event drew elected officials of all kinds: State Sen. Rod Smith, D-Alachua; Rep. Larry Cretul, R-Ocala; Marion County Commissioner Jim Payton; and Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan. At the same time, dozens of business and economic development leaders from both counties joined educators from the University of Florida, including Vice President of Research Win Phillips and Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Director Michael Blachly.

Those in attendance seemed interested in the potential opportunities a joint identity might afford them.

For example, both Alachua and Marion counties boast first magnitude springs, ripe for tourism and conservation. The two counties may be forced to work together to save their water supplies from those in South Florida eyeing them.

And the wide stretch of Payne's Prairie connects the two counties.

Phillips sees the prairie like New York's Central Park, an expanse of green space in the middle of two growing urban areas.

"The prairie is an asset for this region," Phillips said. "The natural environment is beautiful."

Some noted the two counties' somewhat different political beliefs. Much of Marion County is Republican; Alachua County, Democrat.

"The cultures are a little different, but I see a lot of promise," Payton said.

No money has been requested from any source at this time to promote the new concept, but organizers believe the money will come as the idea catches on.

"It may be the most important activity we've undertaken in a long time," said Jim Copeland, who works for Sprint in Marion County.

See June 11, 2004, issue of Gainesville Sun for original article.