Tampa Bay Chamber Quarterly Report - Q2 2023

Posted by: Tampa Bay Chamber on Thursday, July 20, 2023

Catalyst

Policy & Advocacy

The Chamber met with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s government affairs team to discuss federal legislative priorities.

Following the passage of SB 102 (Live Local Act), the Chamber’s Policy Council hosted Vanessa McCleary, VP of Real Estate Development, CDC of Tampa, for an overview of the implications to the Tampa Bay housing inventory.

L to R – Nicholas Glover, Dr. Bob Rohrlack, Nadia Combs, Congresswoman Laurel Lee,
Mayor Jane Castor, and Ed Narain

The Chamber held a roundtable discussion with Congresswoman Laurel Lee of Florida’s 15th Congressional District and 30 C-Suite leaders. The discussion, which included Mayor of Tampa Jane Castor and Chair of Hillsborough County Public Schools Nadia Combs, touch on regional transportation, workforce and affordable housing, election security, education, and other policy initiatives that will shape our region in the coming years.

Chris Rall, Outreach Director - Transportation for America, met with the Chamber’s Transportation Council to discuss investments in transportation infrastructure and best practices for peer communities.

Chamber Vice President of Advocacy, Nicholas Glover, discussed post-session legislative priorities with Senator Jay Collins, who also serves as Chairman of the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation.

The Chamber’s Policy Advisory Committee hosted Tampa City Council member Lynn Hurtak (District 3 – Citywide).

With safety at the forefront of transportation initiatives, the Chamber’s Transportation Council hosted Christina Acosta, Founder & Principal of Pedal Power Promoters, a woman-owned social enterprise.

Hillsborough Transportation Sales Tax Dollars in Escrow

May 16 – ABC Action News included Tampa Bay Chamber position in its coverage of the Florida Legislative Session ending without a vote on what to do with $570 Million in escrow, collected from Hillsborough County’s Transportation Sales Tax. Chamber President & CEO Bob Rohrlack was interviewed for the news story and reaffirmed the Chamber’s position on the matter. “We think the funding should come back as soon as possible to Hillsborough County to address the ongoing needs in transportation as our population continues to grow because this is the state where people want to live.” Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers supporting the Chamber position and quoted as saying “Hillsborough County wants every dollar back plus interest.”

The Chamber’s Policy Council recommended to the Executive Committee and subsequently to the Board of Directors a series of advocacy actions related to the Hillsborough County Transportation Sales Surtax.

Jun. 2 – WEDU Florida This Week interviewed President & CEO Rob Rohrlack on the Chamber’s position on Hillsborough Transportation Sales Tax dollars in escrow. The Chamber is advocating for the funds to be returned to Hillsborough County for transportation only projects.

Continuance of the Cross Bay Ferry Interlocal Agreement

Chamber’s Policy Council went before the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners to advocate for the Cross Bay Ferry interlocal agreement.

Locality Pay for Federal Employees in Tampa

This is a major part of the Chamber’s military legislative agenda. Our Policy Council is advocating for cost-of-living considerations for federal employees to help with retention and recruitment. The Council hosted Bill Innes, member of the Senior Executive Service and the Deputy Director, Acquisition, U.S. Special Operations Command; and Kelly Hughes, Secretariat for Special Operations (SSO). With the rising cost of housing in the Tampa Bay region in recent years, military commands are having trouble recruiting top talent to federal jobs based out of Tampa Bay.

Policy Events

Legislative Wrap-Up

May 16 – Our annual Legislative Wrap-up follows the close of Legislative Session. Nine state senators and representatives from Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties joined us at the Rusty Pelican to discuss the legislative session and the Chamber’s Legislative Agenda. This year’s event was moderated by Alexis Muellner, Editor-in-Chief of the Tampa Bay Business Journal and members of the audience were given the opportunity to ask the legislators questions following the panel discussion.

Face The Chamber

Jun. 16 – Following her annual address to the Tampa Bay Chamber, Mayor Jane Castor spent time with over 250 attendees answering questions that are important to the Tampa Bay region and the business community. Everything from affordable housing, to transportation, to immigration, and even the Rays was covered in this dynamic and insightful discussion, moderated by Frank Wiley, WTSP-TV and Lileana Ayende, Univision Tampa Bay. The mayor shared her insights on the opportunities the city has to continue its positive growth and how to accomplish these goals. Our Presenting Sponsor was the University of Tampa.

Workforce Housing

Members of the Tampa Bay Chamber’s Executive Committee toured and visited with Universal’s Housing for Tomorrow affordable housing initiative.

With several local priorities of the Chamber’s in focus, the Policy Council hosted Hillsborough County Commissioner Joshua Wostal for a wide-ranging conversation from attainable housing to transportation improvements.

Inclusive Organization

Collegiate Leadership Tampa Bay

The 2023 Collegiate Leadership Tampa Bay Program graduated 23 students from USF, UT and Saint Leo.

In this season of commencement ceremonies and new beginnings across college campuses, the Tampa Bay Chamber is proud to announce the Class of 2024 of Collegiate Leadership Tampa Bay! This fall, one of the largest CL Classes to date will begin the academic-year-long program and will represent the University of South Florida, University of Tampa, and Saint Leo University.

Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay

 

Deanne Dewey Roberts Award

Each year, thanks to the support of ChappellRoberts and the legacy of Deanne Dewey Roberts, the award recipient is given the opportunity to direct a donation to a Chamber Member Nonprofit. The 2022 winner Wyatt Krapf donated this $1,000 contribution to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Engage @ Sunset

Jun. 28 – More than 75 Emerging Leaders and Chamber members gathered at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar for a night of networking.

Military

Operation Partnership: Recruit & Retain Military Talent

During this panel discussion over 55 attendees heard from our guest speakers on how their organizations can recruit and retain military talent.

Visit to Tinker K-8 School on MacDill Air Force Base

Celebrating the Month of the Military Child, 15 Chamber members volunteered to read to Kindergarten and 2nd grade military children at the school on base.

Industry Connect

Hosted by Bank of America, transitioning service members and military spouses joined us to learn more about career and professional opportunities. Participants also met with senior executives to help them prepare to enter the Tampa Bay business community.

MacDill Air Force Base Family Resilience Task Force

Participated in the task force meeting to discuss quality of life initiatives that support military families both on and off base.

Operation New Uniform briefing & Onward to Opportunity Cohort orientations

Briefed about the military programs available to transitioning service members and military spouses.

Connecting with Military Spouse Community at MacDill Air Force Base

Spoke with over 40 Air Mobility Command spouses about how the Tampa Bay Chamber works with MacDill to support military families and quality of life initiatives.

Military Appreciation

Apr. 13 – The 24th Annual Military Appreciation Event was promoted on WFLA Daytime.

May 4 – The Chamber hosted its 24th annual Military Appreciation event where the Tampa Bay business community joined together to connect with and celebrate our military service members stationed with MacDill Air Force Base and U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg. Many may not know that Tampa Bay is a home to ALL branches of the armed forces: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard.

Guests enjoyed full access to aquarium exhibits, live entertainment, reception-style food & drink, and networking. A brief formal program was held with remarks from our presenting sponsor and special guests, Congresswoman Kathy Castor, U.S. Congress, FL District 14 and Colonel Adam D. Bingham, Commander, 6th Air Refueling Wing.

The evening wrapped up with a raffle for our active-duty military attendees, with prizes generously donated by Chamber member organizations.

Military Appreciation Month

30 members from both the Tampa Bay Chamber and Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay visited MacDill Air Force Base to attend a proclamation presentation by Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda, on behalf of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, to Colonel Adam Bingham and Command Chief Master Sergeant Shae Gee in recognition of Military Appreciation Month.

The group also took an abbreviated tour of MacDill Air Force Base to learn more about the 6th Air Refueling Wing’s mission and to gain a better understanding of the base’s economic impact on our community. The tour included touring a KC-135, learning about the different flight equipment used, and observing service members competing in the Excellence Competition as part of Police Week 2023.

The Public Affairs team of MacDill Air Force Base showcased the visit on its media platforms with a story on the importance of community collaborations and the visit by the Chamber’s Military Advisory Committee and featured a quote from one of our fabulous Ambassadors, Jamie Whitehurst.

MacDill Commuter Ferry

Community leaders were invited to a preview of the MacDill Commuter Ferry Service. Once implemented, this project will greatly enhance military quality of life for those who live in Southeast Hillsborough County as it will impact access to/from the base and ease traffic congestion.

Hiring Our Heroes

Our Chamber briefed the new Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program participants on the programs the Tampa Bay Chamber has designed to support military spouse and service member employment.

Nashville Chamber Benchmarking Visit

During the Nashville Chamber of Commerce Benchmarking visit we hosted a panel discussion on how the Tampa Bay business community is leveraging military talent in their companies to meet their workforce needs.

FACP Spring Conference

Participated in the Florida Association of Chamber of Commerce Professionals Spring Conference as a panelist sharing best practices on how the Chamber can be a point of connection between the business community and military talent as well as highlighting our nationally recognized programs that help service members prepare for their next career.

Military Appreciation Interview Series

Our Military Appreciation Interview Series highlighted local Chamber members during National Military Appreciation Month. The interviews included former military members and military spouses who encouraged the business community to incorporate more veterans and military spouses in their workforces. Guests also spoke about how they’ve benefited from the Chamber’s initiatives supporting the military community in the region. We partnered with Chamber Member Vu Studios Tampa Bay to film the interviews on location there. The video and story content were shared across Chamber media platforms.

Military Bay, USA™

May 4 – Fox 13 Tampa Bay featured the Chamber’s Military Bay, USA™ as part of its TV series in May commemorating National Military Appreciation Month. The feature story debuting in the 10PM News included interviews with Chamber Members Katbrat Studios – a veteran, family-owned business among the first to use the Military Bay, USA™ moniker. Also interviewed was Chamber President & CEO, Bob Rohrlack.

Military Spouse Fellowship Program

May 12 – Fox 13 Tampa Bay included this second chamber story in its monthlong series for Military Appreciation Month. This story centered around the Military Spouse Fellowship Program launched in 2022. The interviews explained the Chamber’s efforts with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, first bringing the Our Heroes Program to Tampa Bay in 2019, then launching this military spouse fellowship program last year.

Operation Partnership: Transition Tampa

Jun. 8 – Over 20 transitioning service members attended the Operation Partnership: Transition Tampa event presented by USAA. Building on the Transition Assistance Program curriculum, Operation Partnership: Transition Tampa Bay focuses on career exploration, building & leveraging professional relationships, understanding corporate culture, and preparing for the hiring process. All sessions are led by Chamber members. The event drew participants from as far away as New Mexico. Meet Airman Josh Hammons.

Support for Guard and Reserve Military

Chamber signed Statement of Support for Guard and Reserve Military Members in partnership with U.S. Department of Defense Office of The Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve (ESGR).

Military Look Book

Our Military Look Book published this month on the Chamber provides easy access to information on programming and initiatives we host year-round supporting active-duty service members and military spouses. The digital book also showcases members of the business community who sponsor and help support this area of focus for the Chamber.

VIEW THE 2022 MILITARY LOOK BOOK

Minority Business Accelerator

2023 & 2024 Cohorts

Cohort ’24 participant Edward Reyes, Law Office of Edward J. Reyes, PA was a guest speaker of the Kiwanis Club of Brandon, helping to raise community awareness of the Chamber’s MBA program.

“I had the distinct pleasure of delivering a presentation at the esteemed Kiwanis Club of Brandon, wherein I shared my personal journey as a business owner, highlighting my humble beginnings and detailing my future aspirations. During the course of my speech, I also expounded on the virtues of the Tampa Bay Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator Program, an exceptional initiative for entrepreneurs seeking to propel their businesses to new heights, one that demands a great deal of dedication, but promises immense rewards in terms of connections and acceleration. Altogether, it was an enriching experience, one that I am immensely grateful for."

Leadership Development Training

Dale Carnegie hosted both MBA and MEP participants/Alumni for the session focused on Leadership Development Training.

Minority Business Accelerator Cohort ’24 Session on Insurance Industry

Session #3 of MBA cohort’s curriculum was Insurance as a Business Strategy. Participants benefited from the expertise and interaction with presenters: Jeff Chernoff, Vice President, Insurance and Trust; Roger Silvera, Registered Representative with NY Life Securities and Agent of New York Life Insurance Company; and Earnest Pinder III, of E. A, Pinder III and Associates. Session Objectives gave cohort participants strategic information on how to explore retirement options to incentivize key employees and how to select the right health insurance for their business. Participants also learned key principles of life insurance and how it can be used as a wealth building tool.

MBA 2023 & 2024 cohorts participated in a joint session on networking, public affairs, and media. The joint session included guest speakers from 2 Chamber member companies and a brief media training. Interviewed after the May 19 session, participant Raoul Thomas said “Today helps. Every day helps.” The Founder & CEO of Milena International, Inc. was interviewed for our eView Newsletter and said “I learn new things to help scale my business every time.”

Just a week after participating in the Joint MBA Cohort training, one of our participants had the opportunity to apply lessons learned during a media opportunity with Bay News 9. MBA Participant Attorney Edward Reyes was interviewed on how SB1718 will impact local business owners. The employment-based immigration mandates will go into effect Jul. 1.

Global Recognition

Jun. 21-23 – Our Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator was one of only four finalists at the 2023 World Congress of the World Chambers Federation in Geneva Switzerland. The MBA program was a finalist in the Best Chamber Model of Innovation category, competing against chambers from Turkey, China and Chicago, Illinois. Presenting to the panel of international judges, Chamber Vice President Avril Stinson explained the genesis of the accelerator and shared data results from the past 14 months. In the end, judges selected the chamber of Ankara, Turkey as the winner, but our Chamber Vice President and President Bob Rohrlack were contacted by a number of congress attendees interested in possibly replicating our accelerator in their communities. Ours was one of only two U.S. Chambers to advance to the finals in Switzerland.

ABC Action News previews Chamber at World Chambers Congress

In The News

Jun. 7 – MBA 2024 Cohort Participant Sherrel Sampson, founder of Canviiy wins historic contract to distribute products to 4.400 hospitals in the U.S. and create a new ethnic care category for the nation’s largest health care group purchasing organization.

MBA Look Book

Our Military Business Accelerator Look Book published this month on the Chamber provides easy access to information on programming and initiatives we host year-round supporting active-duty service members and military spouses. The digital book also showcases members of the business community who sponsor and help support this area of focus for the Chamber.

VIEW THE 2022 MBA LOOK BOOK

Minority Empowerment Program

MEP participant Javier Rodriguez has captured the attention of many with his personal story of resilience. Florida Natural Gas, the Hillsborough County Commission’s Chairman Ken Hagan and local news outlets have been drawn to the Chamber’s MEP participant who came to the U.S. from Cuba during the 1980 Mariel boatlift. At 7 years old, Javier Rodriguez got his first taste of wings in Tampa and was hooked. Today, he’s created more than 100 recipes of wings and the Wing Boys Deli. Extensive media coverage of Wing Boys from May 7 – 10 followed the April 20 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Citrus Park Mall.

The Minority Empowerment Program launched in 2021 continues to grow, connecting Black and Hispanic owned businesses and non-profits with top tier Chamber members and participants in our Minority Business Accelerator Program. The Apr. 20 grand opening of MEP participant Wing Boys in Citrus Park continued to garner news coverage in May.

MEP In The News

May 7 – Axios Tampa Bay launched its new feature “Untold Tampa Bay” spotlighting the Chamber’s Minority Empowerment Program participant Javier Rodriguez, co-founder of Wing Boys.

May 9 – ABC Action News story on Wing Boys included interviews with MEP participants Javier Rodriguez and Angelica Torres, and Chamber President & CEO Bob Rohrlack.

May 10 – The popular Fox 13 Tampa Bay morning segment of Charley’s World was done live from Wing Boys. Reporter Charley Belcher did live shots every 35 minutes in the morning newscast. Wing Boys founders Javier Rodriguez and Angelica Torres shared their family’s immigrant story and how the Chamber’s MEP program is helping them live the “American Dream”. Morning Show Live Shot on MEP.

May 11 – Tampa Hoy’s Spanish language newscast on WFLA TV/WB38 featured the Chamber’s Minority Empowerment Program participant, Javier Rodriguez of Wing Boys. Reporter Vladimir Kislinger told the story of Rodriguez arriving in the U.S. during the Mariel Boatlift 43 years ago this month and now living the American Dream with help from Chamber’s MEP program.

Jun. 27 – Minority Empowerment Program showcased during Florida’s Women in Energy Leadership Forum Podcast.

Women’s Programming

Pearls of Wisdom: Arts Activation in Tampa Bay

May 25 – The first of two Pearls of Wisdoms luncheons of the year was held on May 25 at the Tampa Museum of Art. Attendees heard from women involved in the growing arts scene in Tampa Bay. Panelists provided a full spectrum of perspectives on the art community and the exciting growth that is on the horizon. Featured panelists:

  • Karla Hartley, Producing Artistic Director – Stageworks
  • Barbara Stubbs, Board Member – Tampa Museum of Art
  • Jill Witecki, Vice President, Director of Marketing and Community Relations – Tampa Theatre

Hub For Business

Membership

In quarter 2, the Chamber welcomed 81 new members.

Ambassador Committee & Ribbon Cuttings

Ambassadors participated in 13 Ribbon Cuttings for members celebrating special occasions. In addition to our new members, they delivered thank you for your membership gifts to members celebrating their one year or five-year membership anniversary.

Ambassadors hosted 57 members at Coffee Connection, a networking event for members to explore engagement opportunities through their Chamber membership.

Community Outreach Committee

Apr. 15 – Chamber members took time out of their weekend, to volunteer at the Special Olympics Area 5 Summer Games. From officiating to scorekeeping, our volunteers were tasked with a number of different duties which ensured the competitions ran smoothly, and efficiently, and most importantly, helped create a fun environment for the over 1,000 athletes that participated in the games.

Events

Event Registrations

7,000+ Registrations for Events That Have Occurred to Date
7,800+ Registrations for All 2023 Events

Business Around the Bay

This continues to be a productive forum for discussing opportunities and challenges facing businesses in 2023. The workforce topic dominated the conversation with a focus on diversity and intentional approaches to diversify teams and boards.

Tampa Bay @ Sunset

Apr. 11 – Attendees come to unwind at a fun and relaxing networking gathering held at a Chamber Member’s place of business. The event was presented and hosted by Saint Leo University with food and beverage sponsors, M&R Catering Co. and Cigar City Brewing. These unique gatherings happen six times per year and are exclusively hosted by member companies and organizations. For information on hosting a Tampa Bay @ Sunset, please reach out to Caroline McCabe, Events Manager.

Competitive Edge Series: The Entrepreneur Experience

Apr. 25 – The Chamber hosted a Competitive Edge event where attendees heard from local Tampa Bay business owners about their entrepreneurial journeys. The discussion included the challenges of starting one’s own business plan and tips to navigate unexpected roadblocks, the importance of finding the right team and creating and sustaining a good company culture, and the power of marketing the business through one’s origin story. Featured panelists were Cammie Chatterton, Owner, President, CEO of Bay Food Brokerage; Damaris Ortega, Owner & CEO of Ortega Custom Cabinets and Nate Siegel, Co-Owner of Willa's.

Competitive Edge Series: Building High-Trust Teams in a Low-Trust World

May 31 – The Chamber hosted where attendees heard from Chris Rollins, Keynote Speaker, Executive Coach, and Leadership Consultant. In this dynamic, thought-provoking and inspiring talk, attendees learned strategies possible to immediately implement to:

  • Discover the surprising, universal need for their company to retain its talent.
  • Develop synergy in a highly polarized social and political work climate.
  • Build a loyal team where everyone feels safe, seen, and heard.

Get Connected

Jun. 6 – Get Connected was held at the Chamber for members who enjoyed this fast-paced networking event. Members shared their sales pitch with other members in small groups, having the opportunity to meet and connect with other like-minded business professionals.

Circle of Influence

Jun. 23 – The Chamber hosted its second Circle of Influence event of 2023 to a sold-out audience! Our featured speaker was Greg Holland, President & CEO of the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. His presentation was an insightful look into the performing arts scene in Tampa Bay, the economic impact the Straz Center has on our region, and the vision for some exciting programs and projects in store for the coming years.

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Florida Blue.

Insight Leadership

In April, the program day was hosted by Hillsborough Community College and had a full panel of subject experts. The audience comprised of C-suite executives heard from panelists during a robust discussion on education, talent supply and the workforce in Hillsborough County.

Jun. 29 – Insight Leadership 2023 is a wrap! Our final session, "Quality of Life and Places" was held on at the Tampa Theatre. Over the past 5 months this group has joined together to connect, discuss and explore the issues and concerns that affect business in the Tampa Bay Area. Session days included Military & Community; Transportation & Infrastructure; Education, Talent Supply, & the Workforce; Government & Economic Development; and finally last evening's program where the class was provided an overview of Tampa’s arts, cultural, entertainment, and sports assets, and their economic impact on Tampa Bay. Quite a few exciting new projects were shared and we're looking forward to seeing the Tampa Bay sports and arts scenes continue to thrive and grow.

Leadership Tampa

Class of 2023 Program Days

Education Day

Presidents from L to R: University of South Florida President Rhea Law, University of Tampa President Ronald Vaughn, and Hillsborough Community College President Ken Atwater

Apr. 5 – To provide the participants of Leadership Tampa the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the role that education plays in the Tampa Bay area.

Sports Day

Apr. 19 – To provide a deeper understanding of the role the sports industry plays and its economic impact in the Tampa Bay area.

Class of 2023 Graduation

Leadership Tampa, the nation’s third oldest program of its kind, graduated its 52nd class. The Leadership Tampa Class of 2023 represents a wide variety of industries from across the Tampa Bay region. Its 50 members are now part of the LT legacy that, to date, has graduated more than 2,500 local business leaders.

Class of 2024

Apr. 24 – LT Recruitment featured on FOX 13 Noon Newscast, featuring in-studio interview by News Anchor Linda Hurtado and LT 2024 Chair Terri Daniel.

Leadership Tampa Alumni

Apr. 26 – Willa’s hosted LTA for Connect with Coffee event. Great way to network with LTA members and learn about the history of Willa’s coffee shop and casual dining near Downtown Tampa.

Jun. 20 – LTA members explored the criminal justice system with our LTA Behind-the-Scenes event. They learned from an esteemed panel of experts who shared their insights and experiences in the criminal justice system. Interestingly, the majority of the panelists are members of prior LT classes and included Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister; Robert Blount, President of Abe Brown Ministry, LT 2009; Public Defender Julianne M. Holt; The Honorable Mark Kiser, LT 2014; and State Attorney Susan Lopez, LT 2020. The day also included a guided tour of the courtroom by The Honorable Thomas Palermo, LT 2022.

Small Business of the Year

Jun. 16 – Small Business of the Year Awards – Finalists & Semifinalists Announced

Cammie Chatterton featured in Tampa Magazine – SBOY 2022 Outstanding Leader of the Year

Small Business of the Year Semifinalist Luncheon

Jun. 27 – We honored our 2023 Small Business of the Year Semifinalists with a luncheon hosted at 3 Daughters Brewing Clearwater Beach. Attendees enjoyed a beautiful view, great food, and hearing from past SBOY winners. To get to this point in the competition, each semifinalist has met a rigorous list of requirements and qualification criteria against hundreds of competitive applicants.

Special thanks to our luncheon sponsors American Momentum Bank and Simpson Air & our SBOY program sponsors Adcock Financial Group and Vistra Communications.

Workforce Development

Work Redefined

May 2 – The Work Redefined series provides professional development for employers and academic institutions centered on growing and retaining talent in Tampa Bay. The event was a vibrant conversation on how we can attract and retain top talent. Our panel brought valuable insight to a sold-out room of attendees. A reflection of the Chamber’s strategic vision for workforce development programming, this event continues to meet the needs of the Tampa Bay business community by focusing on the development of sustainable talent pipelines.

In June, the Workforce Development Committee met with the continued discussion for Work Redefined – State of the Workforce event focusing on Artificial Intelligence. The selected panel will showcase how AI is impacting education and the workforce. This will help prepare us to understand the need to utilize technology in our ever-evolving business and education community.

Workforce Development Interview Series

The chamber recently launched a feature campaign on workforce development showcasing the local resources serving our business community for decades, pivoting to meet changing needs and entirely new career paths evolving in the marketplace. This four-part series was focused on raising awareness of local assets in helping the business community address increased needs around recruitment, retention, and up-skilling employees.

Apr. 11 – Media pick up of Chamber Workforce Development Interview Series by Bay News 9 – Local reporter spotlighted Workforce Development Partners – our first guest interview by Chamber March 22 to announce April Series.

HCC

May 25 – Chamber member, The Hillsborough Community College Post-Secondary Adult Vocational & Apprenticeship Program (PSAV) was featured during a live interview on Fox 13 Tampa Bay’s Noon Newscast. The interview with John Meeks spotlighted how programming in more than 15 areas of specialty are in high demand. Meeks was invited after participating in the Chamber’s Workforce Development Interview Series in the spring.

ALL GOV Job Fair

May 25 – Hillsborough Clerk of the Court organized last Thursday's ALL GOV Job Fair in Downtown Tampa - partnering with 12+ government agencies and local municipalities. Our Chamber was among the community partners at the news conference speaking on the importance of workforce development.

Florida Trade Academy Graduation

In June, the Workforce Development Committee attended Florida Trade Academy’s first ever graduation ceremony. The impact this has on the labor force is instrumental in providing ready level talent to the region. With the support of elected officials and the community the trade academy will have continued value on graduates to serve the need of trade skills.

Earners to Learners Workforce Summit

Attended the Florida Chamber Foundation Earners to Learners Workforce Summit. This event was to engage with Florida’s business leaders, education and workforce advocates, and elected officials as they discuss the importance of investing in early learning and closing the skills gaps in the current and future workforce.

Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay on Fox 13

Fox 13 Tampa Bay showcases Chamber Member Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay 3DE program in high schools – media pick up from Chamber’s April 2023 Workforce Development Interview Series.

Organizational Excellence

Business Woman of the Year in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Apr. 21 – Chamber’s Vice President Avril Stinson was named Business Woman of the Year in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion by Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Magazine during its annual awards gala. The nomination process and recognition itself has raised the community’s awareness of the Chamber’s year-round programming on economic inclusion, like the Minority Business Accelerator and Minority Empowerment Programs, which Avril overseas.

Dr. Rohrlack on “Chamber Chat”

Jun. 13 – National podcast “Chamber Chat” features President & CEO Bob Rohrlack on industry research.

US Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management

Jun. 26-29 – In Georgia, President/CEO Bob Rohrlack and Vice Presidents Nicholas Glover, Katie Lopez and Avril Stinson attended Southeast Institute of IOM. This professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is designed to enhance individual performance, elevate professional standards, and recognize association, chamber of commerce, and other nonprofit professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of nonprofit management.

At a Glance: Social Media & Website Analytics

LinkedIn

We added nearly 800 new followers. We are just shy of 19,000 followers on LinkedIn (18,995)

  • Reposts: 294; +23.5%
  • Page Views: 3,356; +50.6%

Facebook

  • Page Visits: 3,274; +147.1%
  • Page Reach: 32,011; +30.7%

Instagram

  • New Followers: 474; +34.7%
  • Reach: 3,770; +55.1%

Website

  • Users: 25,855
  • Page Views: 121,236
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