Tampa Bay Chamber Quarterly Report - Q4 2024

Posted by: Tampa Bay Chamber on Friday, January 24, 2025

Catalyst

Policy & Advocacy

2025 Legislative Agenda 

The Chamber's legislative agenda was published online December 23, 2024, after approval from the full Board of Directors. The agenda covers Business & Economic Development, Economic Inclusion, Healthcare, Military & Defense, Transportation, Workforce Development & Education, and Workforce Housing. As the voice of Tampa Bay’s business community, our Chamber engages on a number of public policy fronts. 

Advocating on Behalf of Local Military Community

On November 18, Tampa Bay Chamber President/CEO Dr. Bob Rohrlack provided testimony during the Federal Salary Council meeting in support of the modification of the methodology used to calculate locality pay areas and the process of comparing Federal and non-Federal rates of pay. This is important because it directly impacts mission readiness at MacDill Air Force Base. 

Voter Engagement 

Keeping Voters Engaged on Outcomes - November 6, 2024 News Release on election results on CIT & Public School Referenda. - Shared across our media platforms and also on Highway Billboards November 11 – 15. Our thanks to Chamber Member, OUTFRONT Media, for their support placing the billboards in high traffic areas the week following Election Tuesday.  

  

Know Before You Go Voter Guide  

This Voter Guide on November 5 was distributed at 7am and formatted to look like our eView & Catalyst newsletters.  Coinciding with election day, the content was a compilation of 6 weeks of information supporting the renewal of the Community Investment Tax (CIT), passage of the School Board Referendum, plus information on Tampa Bay area candidates in local, state and congressional races. Guide Highlights Include:  

  • Joint Statement with our MoUs: South Tampa Chamber, Plant City Chamber of Commerce, North Tampa Bay Chamber, Westshore Alliance and Tampa Downtown Partnership
  • CIT Video gallery with interviews with all 3 mayors relying on CIT funding for infrastructure, as well as the Vice Chair of the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners. 
  • 2024 Chair Brian Adcock and Temple Terrace Mayor Andy Ross recorded videos on the importance of renewing CIT. Click to see Temple Terrace Mayor Video.
  • “What’s in it for me?” section listing CIT benefits in each district, as outlined in our Advocacy Webpage:
    • District 1: Downtown Tampa, South Tampa, Town & Country, Egypt Lake – Leto
    • District 2: Lutz, Temple Terrace, Carrollwood, New Tampa, Mango, Seffner
    • District 3: Tampa, Riverview, Gibsonton
    • District 4: Plant City, Sun City Center, Wimauma, Brandon, Valrico, Fish Hawk, Apollo Beach
  • Candidate Interviews - with Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco candidates.

 

Six Month Strategy Leading up to General Election  

April 1 - November 5, we used several vehicles to execute the Chamber's strategy advocating for the renewal of the Community Investment Tax (CIT), passage of the Hillsborough Public School Referendum, and raising voter awareness of local, state and congressional candidates running for office. Components included a CIT webpage, highway billboards, News Releases, Op-eds,  media pitches, five CIT videos with local leaders. We also produced Thought Leadership pieces our website, social media platforms and electronic newsletters. In the final weeks of the campaign, our Advocacy Department shared key talking points to Chamber Members during events, council and committee meetings. 

Results at the Polls

Our Chamber's 7-month advocacy campaign ended in a victory at the polls with 51.6% of voters renewing the Hillsborough County Community Investment Tax (CIT), and nearly 67% of voters approving the Hillsborough County Public School Millage Increase. 

Community Investment Tax Renewal (637,758 votes)

51.6% YES vs. 48.4% NO

Public School Referendum (641,087 votes) 

66.6% YES vs. 33.4% NO

 

Here’s a closer look at the strategy carried out in the final 6 weeks of the campaign supporting renewal of the Community Investment Tax: 

This Advocacy & Communication Plan was a phased approach that began in April. In the final phase of the plan, we launched our Renew CIT webpage, highway billboards, published News Releases on the Chamber’s official position, placed Op-eds in local media outlets, published additional Thought Leadership pieces on our website, social media platforms and electronic newsletters, plus produced a series of 5 videos with local leaders published on our Chamber Youtube account and shared across our platforms. The Advocacy Department provided key talking points to Chamber staff and volunteers to share during events, council and committee meetings. Below is a breakdown of each component. 

Webpage – Renew Community Investment Tax - District by District In-Depth Reporting on CIT Projects were displayed. Content was strategically showcased to demonstrate the community impact of CIT since 1996 - paying for critical infrastructure projects such as new roads, firehouses, school buildings, etc. across 4 districts of the county. 

  • District 4 – Oct. 19 (Plant City, Sun City Center, Wimauma, Brandon, Valrico, Fish Hawk & Apollo Beach.
  • District 3 – Oct. 18 (Tampa, Riverview, Gibsonton)
  • District 2 – Oct. 11 (Lutz, Temple Terrace, Carrollwood, New Tampa, Mango, Seffner)
  • District 1 – Oct.7 (Downtown Tampa, South Tampa, Town & Country, Egypt Lake – Leto and portions of Gibsonton)

Highway Billboards – Our Chamber produced 2 highway billboards. The first billboard was displayed October 21 - Nov. 5. The second billboard was displayed the week of November 11. Placement of digital billboards was strategic on I-275 and I-4. 

News Releases - Amplifying voices of community leaders in support of CIT.

 Outreach to Local Media 

 Thought Leadership on CIT Renewal 

Chamber Videos with Community Leaders -  Our Board Chair collaborated with mayor's offices in the neighborhoods impacted by CIT to videotape messages. Each mayor focused on the benefits of CIT specific to their area, urging voters to renew CIT. Also included was the Vice-Chair of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.

 

Here’s a closer look at the strategy carried out in the final 6 weeks of the campaign supporting Public Schools Referendum: 

In the final 5 weeks of the campaign, we executed the following strategy to raise awareness how the proposed ad valorem tax would be used to support local schools, if approved by voters. Below is a breakdown of each component.  

Thought Leadership:

News Releases by Chamber:

Voter Awareness Pieces:

  • Call to Action: Chamber Urges Members to Approve CIT Renewal and School Referendum – October 25, 2024
  • 2024 Candidate Interviews – published on our Chamber’s advocacy page were shared across social media platforms and eView Newsletters. October 1 – November 5 Election Day. 
  • KNOW BEFORE YOU GO - Weekly Voter Guides  The ALL-Chamber email was sent out once a week for three weeks leading up to election day. The first voter guide coincided with the start of Early Voting - presented as a Special Edition of our eView Newsletter. Weekly, members received key information in an easy-to-read digital format.. Weekly content included local ballot issues, the Chamber’s position on the key items of Community Investment Tax (CIT) and Public School Referendum, and interviews with candidates in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties. 

Workforce Development

 

Work Redefined: Attracting & Retaining Young Professionals 

The Workforce Development Committee hosted their final event of the year focusing on how employers can recruit and retain young professionals in Tampa Bay. Attendees heard from Mallory Kuba with Truist Bank, Evan Erickson with Embarc Collective, Rob Ledford with Baker Barrios, and Rachel Rodriguez De Oliveira with Vinik Sports Group. This event series was made possible by our sponsors: MUFG, Suncoast Credit Union, Hillsborough Community College, and Wehr Constructors.

Member Donates $500K to Workforce Development Efforts 

Arnie Bellini Donation of $500K for the Chamber's Workforce Development was the surprise announcement during the 139th Annual Meeting of the Tampa Bay Chamber at the Tampa Convention Center. Invited to the podium to speak about the Bellini Center for Talent Development at the USF Muma College of Business, Bellini ended his speech with the unscripted donation! It surprised everyone in the audience, including the Chamber's President/CEO Dr. Bob Rohrlack. Bellini is a longtime supporter and sponsor of our Chamber's Collegiate Leadership of Tampa Bay program. 

 

 

Generative Artificial Intelligence Webinar Series 

October 3 we hosted the third and final webinar in our series of Generative AI. The Chamber’s AI Council hosted the final webinar on Generative Artificial Intelligence. The webinar was exclusive to Chamber Members only and focused on AI Applications and Safeguards. Subject experts from the top firms of Rapid7 Technologies, Johnson Jackson PLLC, and CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA), CPAs included Julian Waits Sr., Senior Vice President of Corporate & Business Development, Rapid7 Technologies, attorney Kevin Johnson, Shareholder of the Johnson Jackson law firm, and Andrew Lepore, Principal of CLA. It was hosted by 2024 Chairman of the Board Brian Adcock, who presented from the Tampa Bay headquarters of Rapid7. 

Inclusive Organization

Collegiate Leadership Tampa Bay

 

 

Collegiate Leadership Class of 2026 - December was the last full month applications were open for the 2026 Collegiate Leadership class! Modeled after the Tampa Bay Chamber’s Leadership Tampa program, Collegiate Leadership is an academic-year long program that prepares student leaders to have a positive impact on their future communities while exploring careers in the nonprofit, private, public, and philanthropic sectors. Undergraduate students from Saint Leo University, University of South Florida and the University of Tampa are eligible for this program.

Collegiate Leadership Class of 2025 First Program Day - On November 1, after the postponement forced by Hurricane Milton, the Collegiate Leadership Class of 2025 gathered for their first Program Day. The in-person gathering centered around Entrepreneurship, Tech, Insurance, and Banking. It included leadership training on communication styles by Clint Babcock of Sandler Training: a panel on Banking and Financial Services with subject experts from Bank of America, Merril, and CLA; and a panel on insurance on the campus of USAA. For the tech-portion of the day, scholars toured Embarc Collective, hearing from speakers from Powernet Co., ConnectWise, and Embarc Collective. Finally, scholars heard from Emerge member Gina DiLello on best-practices-engagement on LinkedIn. The Program Chair for CLTB 2025 is Yvette Segura, Yvette Segura Consulting, and the Vice Chair is Antoine Richards, I-DIEM.

Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay

Emerging Leaders Annual Meeting – December 12, 2024 Congratulations to WOI Committee Member and Board Member, Cortney Young, on receiving the 2024 Deanne Dewey Roberts Emerging Leader Award! This prestigious award honors individuals who exemplify exceptional professional values, consistently exceed leadership expectations, and serve as an inspiration within their communities. As Manager of Rehabilitative & Fitness Services at Tampa General Hospital, Cortney leads the administrative, operational, and strategic efforts of multiple departments, while driving community outreach initiatives to enhance access to rehabilitative and post-rehabilitative care. Beyond her professional accomplishments, she actively contributes to the Tampa Bay Chamber as a Board Member, a Women of Influence Committee Member, and a mentor in the Chamber’s Emerging Leaders and Minority Empowerment Programs. Cortney is also a proud participant in the 2024 Class of Leadership Tampa. The award’s namesake, Deanne Dewey Roberts, was a Leadership Tampa alumna whose vision led to the creation of Emerge in 2004. At the Emerge Annual Meeting on December 6, Cortney became the 12th recipient of this esteemed honor.

News Release on Emerging Leaders 2024 Annual Meeting & Winner of Deanne Dewey Roberts Award (December 13, 2024) Congratulations to Award finalists Mattie Velasco of Open Forum Strategy and Megan Keplinger of the Tampa Bay Business Journal!

The State of the Young Professionals Report presented at Emerge Annual Meeting December 12 - Congratulations are also in order for the 2024 Emerging Leaders Chair, Mallory Kuba. Mallory’s leadership during the milestone year for the program, 20 years, also included spearheading the State of the Young Professionals Report. Showcasing the local impact of Emerge programming, the report amplified the voices of young professionals on priorities, concerns to leaders at the city, county, and regional level. The Annual Meeting culminating the yearlong celebration of the program's 20th Anniversary provided the perfect backdrop for the report showcasing its impact. Keynote Speaker Jessica Muroff, CEO United Way Suncoast, delivered a powerful message as one of the members who helped create the Emerge program in 2004. Our thanks to the Annual Meeting Presenting Sponsors: Leadership Tampa Alumni and Ultimate Medical Academy.

 

Emerge 12th Annual Non-Profit Fair  -  The Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay hosted its annual Nonprofit Volunteer Fair on November 14 at Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay. It brought together more than 20 nonprofit organizations and numerous attendees eager to make a difference. The event successfully fostered connections, highlighted volunteer opportunities, and inspired engagement with meaningful causes across the Tampa Bay community. This added value to membership in Emerge provides a platform for young professionals to engage with civic and business leaders in the region.

Emerge Recruitment for 2025 Mentor-Protégé  – The program has reached 53 mentors and proteges, exceeding goal for 2025. This nine-month program fosters meaningful relationships between seasoned business leaders and motivated young professionals, equipping participants with actionable plans for personal and professional growth. The program began accepting applications in November, with a submission deadline of December 5. The Mentor opportunities are only open to 2025 Chamber members.

Emerge ASPIRE Program –  The annual Aspire Series culminated in November after delays in programming caused by recent hurricanes. The leadership development series provided 32 Emerge Members with a deeper framework of professional development skills. Sponsored by USAA and Ice-Cold Air, Aspire is exclusive to Emerge and remains an invaluable resource for young professionals seeking to enhance their leadership skills. Read more about the Aspire Class of 2024 - Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. 

Emerging Leaders held their final Catalyst meeting of 2024 - The session aligned with the Catalyst pillar of Involvement focused on the legislative process from bill to law. The presenters were State Representative Berny Jacques and District Aide Audette Bruce, who explained in detail how bills are sponsored, moved through committees, put up for a vote, and how they become law – if approved. Young professionals attending the session had key takeaways to increase their chances of success in the legislative process. 

Military

 

 

Blue Star Families 

On December 17, 2024 Chamber volunteers helped set up, distribute and clean up on-location at MacDill Air Force Base for Blue Star Families’ “Stars, Stripes & Holiday Wishes” Nourish-the-Service event. Chamber members were an integral part of the event success which served 366 military families.

Military Advisory Committee

Crystal Lewis with HNTB and Chair of the Chamber’s Military Advisory Committee spoke at the Florida Defense Alliance (FDA) Semi-Annual Meeting about reducing obstacles to hiring military spouses in November. During the October MAC meeting, members met with Veterans Florida to discuss their workforce programs that help connect transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses with employment across Florida.  

 

 

Minority Business Accelerator 

 

 

MBA 2026 Cohort Announced   

The 8th Cohort in Minority Business Accelerator history was presented December 6, during the Chamber's 139th Annual Meeting. These Black and Hispanic owned businesses will launch their 2-year journey in the program starting in January and represent a variety of business sectors, including the restaurant industry, finance, commercial real estate, architecture and engineering. Read News Release – The Tampa Bay Chamber Announced the 2026 Cohort of Minority Business Accelerator (December 6, 2024) The 2026 Cohort will be led by Chair Michael Eubanks, Assistant Vice President, Commercial Relationship Manager, The Bank of Tampa. 

MBA 2024 Cohort Graduation 

On November 18, the 2024 Cohort of Minority Business Accelerator graduated from the program. The cohort of nine Black and Hispanic owned businesses was led by Chair Michael Flores of JP Morgan Chase and includes business owners in the sectors of cyber security, artificial intelligence, construction, health & beauty, and law. The first cohort was launched in 2017 at a time when existing programs in the region focused on start-up businesses or limited to the technology industry. Measurable outcomes of the MBA program now span 6 cohorts with the most recent graduation of the 2024 Cohort. Click to read full story: Minority Business Accelerator 2024 Cohort Becomes 6th in Program History - Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce 

 

 

 

 

   

Community Support for MBA Alumni 

MBA Alumni hosted its final 2024 Roundtable on December 11th on the topic of workforce well-being. With guest speaker Ashley Butler, an MBA Alum and the Franchisor of Ice Cold Air in the Tampa Bay Region, the session was titled “Tolerating Business-Related Uncertainty to Manage Well-Being.” The 2025 Chair is Michael Flores of JP Morgan Private Bank. The alumni group continues to grow, as more participants from prior MBA cohorts are engaging in the quarterly educational and networking opportunities. In addition, alums engage in mentoring opportunities with members of current MBA cohorts.

In November we interviewed Members engaged in mentoring MBA and MBA Alumni. These quick videos were filmed during the pre-reception of the Cohort 2024 graduation ceremony at the Tampa Club and were shared across our media platforms and included Charles Thybulle of Fifth Third Bank, Fabian Yepez of  Prospera, and Dr. Irma Campos of Latinas Leading  & Interface Consulting and Psychological Services, LLC.

Click to see video with MBA Mentor Charles Thybulle / Click to see video with Fabian Yepez, Vice President of Prospera (Spanish) / Click to see video with MBA Advisory Council Member Dr. Irma Campos.

MBA 2024 & 2025 Cohorts - Joint Education Session

On October 18, the MBA program held its last education session of the year - "Doing Business with TPA." Cheryl Hawkins, Senior Manager of Business Diversity at Tampa International Airport, delivered an insightful presentation to Cohorts 2024 and 2025, highlighting TPA's Business Diversity Programs. She also provided updates on plans for Airside D and outlined steps for engaging with TPA's procurement processes.

BUCS & TECO Honor Canviiy of MBA 2024 Cohort 

Congratulations to Sherrel Sampson, MS, (MBA Cohort ‘24) Founder and CEO of Canviiy for being named a 2024 TECO Game Changer! The VIP Game-Day Experience and in-stadium recognition comes with 1-month of free utilities. The annual recognition of Chamber members in our Minority Business Accelerator Cohort is part of our partnership on the Business Game Changer campaign with Tampa Electric and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

The MBA  Quarterly Impact Report – Published October 30, 2024 - shared the advances made by 2024 Cohort members in recent month. The group is nearing graduation of the 2 year program. The Quarterly report which is shared with community stakeholders of MBA also included the latest updates on members of 2025 Cohort, which are wrapping up year one of the program.  

 

Minority Empowerment Program

  

MEP Entrepreneur on WFLA Daytime Show - The Tampa Bay Chamber is proud to announce that Chamber Member Kathy Times has been selected to produce the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) 2024 - 2025 Leadership Academy. The former broadcaster turned entrepreneur is a member of the Chamber's 2024 Minority Empowerment Program. Click to read full story. WFLA Daytime Show – December 23, 2024 Interview Segment showcased Chamber’s. Click to see Daytime TV segment.

Also in December, two MEP entrepreneurs graduating from the 2024 Cohort were selected for the 2026 Cohort of the Minority Business Accelerator starting in January.

The Minority Empowerment Program  Quarterly Impact Report – Published November 8, 2024 provided stakeholders of both MEP and MBA programs with a snapshot of recent developments for 2024 participants of the MEP program. It remains a pipeline to Black and Hispanic Business owners aspiring to the MBA program.  

Hub For Business

 

139th Annual Meeting of the Tampa Bay Chamber 

On December 6, the Chamber hosted the sold-out event at the Tampa Convention Center and Presented by Tampa Electric. The ceremony included the traditional "passing of the gavel" between the Chamber's Board of Directors, 2024 Chair Brian Adcock and 2025 Chair Edwin Narain, Esq. Before a sold-out crowd of more than 700 Chamber Members and community guests, leaders celebrated the achievements and shared success stories from 2024 and cast the vision for 2025. Following tradition, the Chamber also announced the 2024 H.L. Culbreath Award Winner Ronald Christaldi of Shumaker Advisors Florida.

News Release on 139th Annual Meeting of the Tampa Bay Chamber & Presentation of H.L. Culbreath Jr. Profile in Leadership Award. (December 6, 2024)

  

 

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers & Glazer Family Foundation Unite with Chambers of Commerce on Hurricane Recovery - The Tampa Bay Chamber is proud to be selected as one of eight local chambers to participate in the Glazer Family Small Business Fund, a program designed to assist small businesses in the Tampa Bay and West Central Florida regions affected by Hurricane Milton. Building on the Glazer family's initial $1 million donation following Hurricane Helene in September and their additional $1 million pledge on October 17, 2024, the fund will provide individual grants of up to $5,000 to hundreds of small businesses heavily impacted by the hurricane. “What makes Tampa Bay and our entire region so special is our resiliency and ability to come together during trying times such as these,” said Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, Buccaneers Owner and Chairman of Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation and Glazer Vision Foundation. “We recognize and appreciate the profound role that small business plays in making our region so unique. That is why we have spent the past month working with leaders at eight of the local chambers of commerce to develop a plan for my family to support small business owners across Tampa Bay and West Central Florida.”  Our Chamber is proud to partner with other local chambers that will help administer the program, review applications, and assist in selecting grant recipients. This includes the North Tampa Bay Chamber, South Tampa Chamber, St. Petersburg Chamber, Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber, Manatee Chamber, Greater Plant City Chamber, and Amplify Clearwater. “The Tampa Bay Chamber is prepared to work diligently with our membership and greater business community to identify the small businesses that were most heavily impacted by the recent hurricanes and in most need of financial support in order to resume normal operations,” said Dr. Bob Rohrlack, President and CEO of the Tampa Bay Chamber. “We are grateful to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Glazer Family Foundation for the honor of announcing this fund to the community at our 139th Annual Meeting, last week.”  The Fund will work with the participating chambers to provide additional program details as well as an online application form in the coming weeks. To read the Buccaneers’ and Glazer Family Foundation full announcement, click here.

  

 

 

Click here to see video 2024: The Year in Review produced by Chamber Member Mad Bear Productions. 

 

44th Annual Small Business of the Year Awards

The Tampa Bay Chamber celebrated its 44th Annual Small Business of the Year Awards November 1 at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, where over 400 guests gathered to honor outstanding local businesses. Five winners were crowned across different categories, including The William Stanley CFO Group for Startup Business, and SBOY categories were winners Gaston's Culinary Services, DCE Productions, EMS Consulting, and Micha Seal of Watermelon Swim as Outstanding Small Business Leader. The emotional acceptance speeches resonated deeply with attendees, particularly meaningful in light of the community's resilience following two recent hurricanes that impacted many local businesses. The prestigious awards, which involve a rigorous 9-month selection process with over 50 Chamber Member volunteers reviewing applications, conducting interviews, and performing site visits, showcased the Chamber's commitment to recognizing excellence in Tampa Bay's business community. Click to read full News Release.

  

Ribbon Cuttings & Member Spotlight Series 

     

  • ReadySpaces offers members 130,000+ square feet of warehouse space with shared conference and meeting rooms, and private offices are available to rent. 
  • Akima is a global enterprise with over 8,000 employees, providing solutions to the federal government. Akima is a subsidiary of NANA, an Alaska Native Corporation.
  • Shake Shack recently opened their Westshore Boulevard location serving juicy burgers, crispy crinkle cut fries, and rich, hand-spun shakes.
  • Elite DNA Behavioral Health recently celebrated the grand opening of their new location in Ruskin! They are thrilled to expand their services and bring compassionate, comprehensive mental health care to the community.
  • Livy O’s, recently celebrated their 10-year anniversary with a groundbreaking ceremony of their first ever restaurant - Kulture Kitchen! They are a family owned and operated entity that offers corporate & private catering. Livy O’s is a graduate of our Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator ’22 Cohort. 

  

Member Spotlight Series

For a second year in a row, our Member Spotlight Series continues. After a brief pause in the weekly publications in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, we resumed the spotlight series. 

Membership Levels

Roll Out of New Membership Levels  - Phase II continued in November with follow up reminders of "Fit Levels" being renamed and fee structure realignment. For the first time in six years, dues were changed across all 5 levels of Chamber membership.

Leadership Tampa

 

LT 2025 Media Day  

Class members visited the Poynter Institute, where they heard from Kelly McBride, Senior Vice President and Chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership. Based in St. Petersburg, Poynter plays a vital role in shaping the media landscape, offering comprehensive training, resources, and support for journalists at every stage of their careers. LT 2025 members also visited the Tampa Bay Times newspaper and heard from Jay Rey, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. The Tampa Bay Times was this year’s Media Day sponsor. Click for full story: LT Class of 2025 Media Day - Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. 

Milestone Moment in LT

Congratulations to the Class of 2025, which becomes the 54th group in Chamber history to go through the Leadership Tampa program. Exclusive to the Tampa Bay Chamber, the signature program has graduated a total of 2,800 individuals to date and is the third oldest program of its kind in the nation. 

Leadership Tampa Alumni

 

LTA Holiday Celebration 

LT Alumni hosted its annual Holiday Celebration in December. Members demonstrated the power of community by raising over $800 in gift cards for the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. Hosted at Hyde House Heights and generously sponsored by KCI Technologies and BayCare, the event embodied the true meaning of the season – coming together to support those most in need. A heartfelt thank you to our members who transformed holiday cheer into meaningful support for our community's most vulnerable. See video by Crisis Center of Tampa Bay CEO Clara Reynolds (LT’99) thanking LTA members for their support. 

LTA Members Champion Hurricane Recovery 

Members of LTA participated in a number of hurricane relief efforts in the region in the days and weeks that followed the historic flooding resulting from Hurricane Helene and the power outages and gas shortages resulting from Hurricane Milton. While these were not organized by Chamber or LTA itself, it’s noteworthy that LTA members were out in the community – giving back in neighborhoods across the region. Lauren Menendez (LT Class of 2015) distributed free food with other local community restaurants to hurricane victims a few days after Hurricane Helene hit on September 27.

LTA Members Play Key Role in Emerging Leaders Program 

The Leadership Tampa Alumni association continues to serve in the Chamber's program for young professionals, ages 21 - 35 - from mentoring Emerge members, serving alongside them on committees, and being Presenting Sponsor for the Annual Meeting of Emerge. LTA 2024 Chair Wendy Ross will be on-hand at the December 12 celebration to present the annual Deanne Dewey Roberts Emerging Leader Award - an award memorializing the LT Alum who helped create Emerge in 2004 to develop, recruit and retain more young professionals in the Tampa Bay business community. ChappellRoberts, the ad agency first founded by Roberts, sponsors the annual prize money donated to a local non-profit that is selected by the award winner. 

Christine Turner, CEO of ChappellRoberts ad agency, with Antoine B. Richards, 2023 winner of the Deanne Dewey Roberts Emerging Leader Award in February. Richards selected the Tampa Bay Chamber Foundation as the non-profit to receive the prize money and directed the funds be used for the Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay Program, as a way of giving back to the program that has helped him in his career path. 

Event Registrations

 

 

12,400+

Number of Registrations for Tampa Bay Chamber Events

 

January 1 - December 31, 2024 

 All Sponsorship Opportunities

Organizational Excellence

Business Continuity & Hurricane Response

Chamber Website: A Resource for Members in Hurricane Recovery

Earlier this year, the Tampa Bay Chamber made a strategic decision to reorganize our Public Health & Safety webpage to serve as a resource for members in advance of the 2024 Hurricane Season. Little did we know the June 1 - November 30 Atlantic Hurricane Season would have historic impacts in our region. We partnered with our Member companies - ABC Action News and Solmart Media Spanish language radio to provide a direct contact with English and Spanish language media, in the event of a storm. After each of the 3 consecutive hurricanes that hit the Tampa Bay region in August, September, and October, the initial content was expanded:  

  • October 1, 2024 – Disaster Relief & Recovery link was added to TBC Homepage for easier access to resources. 
  • October 7, 2024 – Chamber Members Offer Resources for Hurricane Relief - In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Chamber Member companies have stepped up to meet the needs of hurricane victims. From construction to laundromats, member companies in a position to help are doing so. We are curating this online list for victims to easily access. Go to our Business Directory online and enter "HURRICANE" in the Business Category Key Words field. 
  • Florida Business Damage Assessment Survey in Response to Hurricane Milton – October 14, 2024 – Shared on eView Newsletters the damage assessment survey by Florida Commerce and State Emergency Response Team (SERT).   The damage assessment survey is for businesses affected by hurricane Milton, the second hurricane to hit the Tampa Bay region in less than 2 weeks.
  • SBDA Disaster Assistance Loan – Shared resource with member companies that may be eligible for Small Business Administration low-interest loans to help businesses and homeowners recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Chamber Representatives Shared Best Practices with Hurricane Recovery Teams

Hurricane Recovery for Businesses Webinar by State Representative Linda Chaney District 61 - November 4th, free webinar was the first of several business recovery resources we shared with members in the days and weeks after the region experienced 3 hurricanes in 10 weeks.    

The Florida Association of Chamber Professionals also held a statewide call on hurricane readiness in mid November, and our Chamber was invited to share our strategy. Our Marketing Manager highlighted the changes made to our Public Health & Safety Web page in advance of Hurricane Season, adding links to hurricane readiness materials and emergency management resources. The content was updated based on developing needs June 1 - November 30, 2024 and post hurricane season related to assistanc & recovery efforts. Special thanks to Chamber Member companies WFTS TV ABC Action News and the Spanish language radio group SolMart Media for partnering with us on this important initiative.

Connecting Across Multi-Media Platforms 

Social Media Analytics in 2024 – Our Chamber continues to be the lead presence on social media, compared to chambers and economic development orgs in the region. In 2024, our Chamber’s LinkedIn remained #1 in both followers and engagement. Of our three social media accounts, LinkedIn remains the most active of all with 3,026 new followers in 2024 and more than 661,000 impressions. To date, we have 22,887 followers on LinkedIn account. Our Chamber’s Instagram account saw the second highest growth with 841 new followers reaching a total of 7,590 followers. Overall, our content on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram accounts had more than 804,000 interactions. 

 

 Click to read companion story.

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