POWER UP Magazine, distributed nationwide to military families and military support organizations, has spotlighted our Chamber's Military Bay, USA! Reporter Bob Bertsch’s interview with Vice President of Advocacy Katie Lopez on the moniker trademarked by the Chamber and now in its second year of use by businesses across the Tampa Bay region. The story was published in the August edition of POWER UP by OneOp.org, a single point of entry professional development resource for providers serving military families around the world.
The four page spread titled “Coming Together to Support Families in Military Bay, USA” showcases how Chamber Members are serving military families and supporting service members at MacDill Air Force Base. The full story will be appearing in the OneOp.org website.
Here's an excerpt of the article now on hard copy:
Tampa, along with nearby St. Petersburg and Clearwater, is part of a large, fast-growing metropolitan region, but Katie Lopez from the Tampa Bay Chamber says the average Tampa citizen still feels connected to service members and their families. “It looks different than it might in a community that's more rural where the largest economic driver is that installation,” Lopez says, “but I would argue that there's no less of a sense of acceptance and community support for those families.” In 2022, the Tampa Bay Chamber trademarked the moniker, Military Bay, USA™, as a way of capturing the community partnerships and initiatives supporting military families under a single “brand.” Tampa’s claim to the title of Military Bay, USA™ is supported by the number of military and veteran organizations in the Tampa metro area.
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When it comes to military family issues like affordable housing, Lopez describes the Tampa Bay Chamber as a “convener,” bringing together people who can help. “Oftentimes, it doesn't mean that the chamber is the one who is providing the solution,” Lopez explains. “When we hear about an issue, we really take to heart the importance of researching it, understanding the impact, and then really identifying who needs to be a part of that conversation just to help make sure that it remains at the forefront of the conversation for those in positions to affect change.”
OneOp.org collaborates with the U.S. Department of Defense and service providers around the world supporting the DoD's Military Family Readiness System. Our thanks to them for spotlighting Military Bay, USA!