Two weeks after their first official program day, the Collegiate Leadership Class of 2025 embarked on an exciting journey around Tampa Bay to learn about the intersections of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability. The day began with a quick ride on the TECO Streetcar to the Tampa Bay History Center, where the class heard from Rodney Kite-Powell about the history of transportation in the region, as well as a panel of employees from the Beck Group who discussed some of their recent projects and the importance of collaboration between teams and the community at-large.
Next, the class hopped aboard the Yacht StarShip Berth for a tour of the Port of Tampa Bay, lead by Karl Strauch of the Tampa Port Authority, where they learned about the important commodities coming in to and out of the port. Following the port tour, the class walked to the Florida Aquarium, where they were treated to a panel on transportation via air, land, and sea, with representatives from Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority, and Carnival Cruise Line discussing the future of this vital industry. Additionally, the class heard from employees at the City of Tampa about recycling best practices for the sustainability aspect of the day.
Also, after presenting to the class about future projects and conservation efforts, the Florida Aquarium graciously provided the students the opportunity to explore the aquarium on their own—the first time for many of them.
The Day Chairs that helped plan and coordinate the day were Alexis Black, City of Tampa, and Ally Puckett, The Beck Group. The Program Chair for CLTB ’25 is Yvette Segura, Yvette Segura Consulting, and the Vice Chair is Antoine Richards, I-DIEM.
We’re looking forward to welcoming the students back to the Chamber in 2025 for their next program day: Healthcare and Mental Health Day!
To learn more about the Collegiate Leadership program, please visit TampaBayChamber.com/CLTB.