2017 Annual Meeting recaps historic year for job creation


October 23, 2017



On Tuesday, October 17th, over 500 business and community leaders gathered at Amalie Arena to celebrate the Tampa Hillsborough EDC’s 2017 fiscal year.

President and CEO Craig Richard, CEcD kicked off the evening, highlighting the important role our Investors, community partners, and staff play in attracting and retaining top corporations and talent in Tampa and Hillsborough County. Hillsborough Community College president and 2017 chair Dr. Ken Atwater joined him on stage to revisit the numerous wins for our area since last October, including projects such as Amgen, DAS Health, and USAA, the launch of Make It Tampa Bay, and our international business development missions.

One of the biggest wins of the year involved the Tampa Hillsborough EDC earning its status as an Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO). The AEDO certification is conferred upon EDOs that meet the highest standards of excellence in the profession. There are fewer than 70 AEDOs in North America, putting the Tampa Hillsborough EDC in an elite group of top performing organizations.

Dr. Alan List, president and CEO of Moffitt Cancer Center and the EDC’s 2018 chair, closed out the night, laying a game plan for the future of our economic development efforts.

“This is the best possible time for us to capitalize on our biotech wins and pursue more innovative partnerships, investment and recruitment projects for our rapidly growing life sciences industry,” List told the crowd.

After the program, hundreds of attendees continued the celebration on the Bud Light Party Deck, with food and drinks, Thunder Bug, and spectacular views of downtown.

Thank you to our sponsors who made the Annual Meeting possible:
– Premier Sponsor: Tampa Electric & Peoples Gas: An Emera Company
– Hosted by: Tampa Bay Lightning
– Presenting Sponsor: Hillsborough Community College
– Promotional Sponsors: Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa General Hospital
– Media Sponsor: Tampa Bay Business Journal

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