Name: Leslie Hudock
LT Class Year: LT 2024
Company Name: Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC
1.) Tell us, why LTA? (for you, what separates LTA from other business leadership programs?)
LTA keeps the LT experience alive. It is a catalyst for meeting up with LT classmates and networking with members of other LT classes. After years of watching friends graduate from LT classes, I finally joined a law firm member of the Tampa Bay Chamber. When a colleague invited me to an LT information session, I jumped on the opportunity to apply for LT class membership. I committed myself to the nine month program and absorbed each experience to the fullest. I think I got even more out of the program as an older class member than I might have done earlier in my career, because I have lived experiences that allowed me to see the inter-connectedness of the institutions, industries and services that comprise and enrich our community.
2.) What is a LTA benefit you wish everyone knew about?
I appreciate all aspects of diversity represented by my LT class, but especially the age diversity. I bonded with classmates in all stages of their careers, from budding entrepreneurs, ambitious young workers furthering their graduate education, and recent transplants from out of state, to seasoned professionals approaching retirement, or at least Act II of their careers. Sharing perspectives in a safe space increased our collective understanding of the challenges our community is tackling daily.
Fun Facts About You/Local Knowledge:
- What are you most excited about right now?
I am basking in the glow of a recent trip to Iceland with members of the Executive Council of The Florida Bar Business Law Section. Our relationships as colleagues in service to The Florida Bar are deepened by a shared experience learning about other cultures. On this particular retreat, we were exposed to the dynamic geologic and atmospheric forces that mold the psyche of the Icelandic people. We experienced soaking in hot springs, walking on glaciers, erupting geysirs and the ever-present specter of a volcanic eruption, and finally were treated to a spectacular display of the Northern Lights on our last night.
- Latest movie, book, streaming series or a combination?
My husband and I are hooked on The Pitt. We eagerly await the next episode of Season 2 each week. In the meantime, I read a lot of fiction, punctuating quality literature with bouts of pure entertainment. The last three meaningful books I’ve read this year are Trust, by Hernan Diaz; The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans; and The Dream Hotel, by Laila Lamani.
- Favorite spot to meet friends/colleagues for coffee, lunch, or happy hour?
For the convenience, my go-to spot for coffee is Buddy Brew at Armature Works. However, I enjoy all of the above at the University Club “where everybody knows your name”. There is a lot to be said about being treated by a human as a valued friend in this increasingly anonymized world of online apps, bored service workers and automated food dispensers.
- For a staycation in Tampa Bay, you like to……
My dream staycation day would keep me close to my apartment in downtown Tampa. I would walk on the Riverwalk early in the morning, grab breakfast at First Watch, pop into the Tampa Museum of Art for a stroll through the current exhibits, enjoy the view of the Hillsborough River and Curtis Hixon Park from my balcony, and cap off the day by walking across the street to the Straz Center to see a play or musical.
- When out-of-town guests are visiting, you plan….
I like to show off our proximity to the water and our stellar art and cultural institutions. Walking on the Riverwalk and taking a boat ride up the river and around the channels are always popular. If there are small children involved, a bit of a splash is in order at Water Works Park. I like using the downtown trolley to supplement the ground transportation and taking in a show at Stageworks Theatre in the Channel District. Sometimes we’ll take the Cross Bay Ferry to St. Pete for a visit to the Dali Museum or the James Museum of Western Art to see the architecture designed by local architect, Yann Weymouth, as much as the exhibits.