Posted by: Tampa Bay Chamber on Friday, October 7, 2022

Catalyst

Chamber leaders attended a Fly-In to Washington, D.C. for the annual Catalyst Trip. Attendees met with the Tampa Bay Congressional delegation, department leaders, and the U.S. Chamber for informative conversations about the top issues of our region.

VP of Advocacy attended an intimate conversation with U.S. Congressman French Hill (AR-02). Rep. Hill is the Ranking Member of the Housing, Community Development, and Insurance Subcommittee. The wide-ranging conversation included discussions on attainable housing and community resiliency.

The Chamber held a highly successful Hob Nob, featuring nearly 60 candidates from Pasco, Pinellas, and Hillsborough at the local, state, and federal levels.

Chamber staff and officers have been meeting with our state and congressional delegations to reiterate our focal areas for 2023. The Chamber participated in small roundtable discussions with Senator Rick Scott, Senate President-Designate Kathleen Passidomo, and Senator Jennifer Bradley.

The Chamber conducted its Candidate Interview Series based on our legislative agenda. Interviewed candidates were from the local, state, and federal levels in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas.

Workforce Housing

The Workforce Housing Committee met with Frank Wells, Bright Community Trust and Bill Mague, Aeon to discuss next steps the committee can take to propose actionable solutions to the local problem.

Workforce Development

Members of the Workforce Development Committee heard from Sashy O’Connor about The Grow Group’s on the job training and work-based learning programs.

Over 90 members attended the State of Workforce Development event which featured a discussion on how we can best align training and education with the needs of the business community.

Inclusive Organization

Military

Transitioning service members participated in Operation Partnership: Civilian Career Day, an opportunity for military members to be strategically paired with Chamber member host companies for the day to better understand the company and career paths.

Hosted by Tampa International Airport, transitioning service members participated in Transition Tampa Bay: Industry Connect and were able to gain an understanding of career opportunities, meet with senior executives, and hear from veterans who work at the airport.

Over 40 members attended the Operation Partnership: Recruit and Retain Military Spouse Talent event which featured how Southwest Airlines and Deloitte are leveraging military spouse talent to meet their workforce needs.

Minority Business Accelerator

Jul. 15: Florida Blue hosted a joint cohort luncheon to discuss how healthcare solutions can help small business leaders maintain their competitive edge. Florida Blue submitted the article “Diversity Means Business”.

13 Applications were received for Minority Business Accelerator Cohort ’24. The selection committee will review those submitted, and in-person presentations with Q&A will be held in October 2022. This is the largest group of applications submitted to date. Industries include: Technology, Construction, Professional Services, Personal Goods/Services, Farming, and Industrial Supplies.

Sponsorship Opportunity

The Minority Empowerment Program (MEP) is an initiative of the Chamber designed to bring Black and Hispanic owned and led businesses and nonprofits into the community conversation through Chamber membership, resulting in a more inclusive environment and approach toward business growth throughout the region.

Please reach out to us for more information:

Avril Stinson – Senior Director, Minority Business Accelerator & Economic Inclusion
Staci Fraser – Senior Director, Investor Relations

Collegiate Leadership

Chair, Lindsay Grinstead (LT’18) and Vice-Chair, Rebecca Arends (Emerge)

Collegiate Leadership is a program for 24 college students from the University of Tampa, St. Leo University, and the University of South Florida. It mirrors the Leadership Tampa program and allows the college students to explore different career paths, understand how Tampa operates, and hopefully it’ll lead to us retaining the amazing talent in Tampa Bay.

The 2023 class will begin in October.

Applications for the 2024 class are open and will close on Dec. 5.

Emerging Leaders

Hosted 6 Group Meetings in Q3
Current ELTB membership is 488

Aspire Program

48 young professionals graduated from the Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay Aspire Program on Aug. 25. This program is a new initiative for Emerging Leaders in 2022. It is a 4-part training series with a mission to elevate young professionals through education, empowerment, and engagement in order to prepare the next generation of Tampa Bay business leaders to create positive change for the region. The sessions focused on leading teams, leading change, leading communities, and leading up to provide young professionals the skills and confidence to lead in a growing and ever evolving Tampa Bay.

Vision Series

60+ young professionals gathered at Lions Eye Institute to hear from TGH, AdventHealth, and BayCare on the current issues impacting the health of our community. Three main issues were identified: behavioral health, exercise nutrition & weight, and access to health & social services.

Hub For Business

Membership

The Chamber welcomed 60 new member companies in the third quarter of 2022. Three organizations upgraded their existing membership to become Partner members. Membership retention continues to reflect the value our members place in with 91.8% of our members renewing year to date. We strive to reflect the community we support and 25.4% of the total Chamber membership identifies as a business that is Black-owned, Hispanic-owned, Veteran-owned, Woman-owned, or any combination of these classifications.

Ambassador Committee

Chamber Ambassadors connect with first year members to offer their expertise and to help ensure that they are finding ways to make the most of their Chamber membership. “Thank you for Your Membership” gift bags were delivered to members celebrating their One-Year and Five-Year Chamber anniversaries. Ambassadors celebrated Ribbon Cutting celebrations with 12 members all throughout Tampa Bay.

Community Outreach Committee

The committee worked with the Hillsborough Education Foundation to help sort, inventory, and box supplies for the Teachers Supply and Resource Center. In addition to sorting, our volunteers itemized 37 boxes of supplies ranging from pencils to backpacks.

Leadership Tampa

Class of 2022

Chair, Amanda Uliano (LT’13) and Vice Chair, Mark Colvenbach (LT’12)
The 2022 class graduated Jun. 1.

Class of 2023

Chair Mark Colvenbach, The University of Tampa (LT’12) and Vice-Chair Terrie Daniels, Cardinal Consulting Group (LT’20)
The 2023 Class was announced, and the program kicked off in September.

Leadership Tampa Alumni

Committee Meetings in Q3 – 12
Current LTA membership is 541

LTA members joined us at the Conversations with Influence event featuring Chief Barbara Tripp Sep. 22 at the Centre Club.

LT Grads joined us for the LTA Reunion on Aug. 18 to connect with their classmates and make new connections.

Events

Hosted attendees at events across Tampa Bay in person and virtually.

Q3 Jul. 1 - Sep. 30: 2,900+
YTD: 5,500+

Business Around the Bay

This bi-monthly event is sponsored by BMO Harris. In July and August, Carlos Echeverry, led the discussion on the current work environment and some of the challenges and opportunities being faced. Workforce challenges led with lively conversation and solutions surrounding finding and retaining good talent, followed by Workforce Housing and Transportation. This program format is for our top-tier leaders and Board members to connect, provide insights and exchange ideas as we work to move forward together.

Member Orientation

This important overview helps new members learn how to make the most of their Chamber membership. With time to network and meet Chamber staff and other members, 36 new members attended our August event.

Get Connected

Hosted by Empire Office, 35 members joined us in August for a morning of facilitated networking. A diverse mix of member companies and businesses networked and presented their two-minute pitch in small groups to each other over the course of the morning.

Coffee Connection

This Ambassador led networking event was held at the Chamber in September and hosted a record breaking 59 members.

Cannon Fire & Cocktails

On Aug. 30, more than 550 attendees joined together at Armature Works to celebrate the Bucs' season preview with Tampa Bay Buccaneers Owner/Co-Chairman Bryan Glazer, General Manager Jason Licht, Head Coach Todd Bowles, and Quarterback Tom Brady. The conversation was moderated by Casey Phillips, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team Reporter. During the reception preceding the panel, guests were able to enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, network with other Tampa Bay community members and hang out with the Buccaneers cheerleaders and mascot, Captain Fear!