Over the past year, the Tampa Bay EDC has deepened our commitment to inclusive growth, invested in transformational community development, and advanced our mission of attracting, retaining, and expanding quality employers in Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace.
As we close this fiscal year and look ahead, I am excited by our momentum in target industry development, visionary strategic planning and continued partnership with leaders across business, government, and higher education.
We kicked off the new fiscal year with a move to an innovative new office on the 20th floor of the Bank of America building. While only three floors up from our previous location, the new space is bright, modern and built for collaboration. It features an inspiring new mural from a local artist and views that captivate our visiting prospects. Thanks to all of our Investors who contributed funds to underwrite this important move.
We got busy after the holidays and kicked off our new FY2026-2028 planning process, held our first Aim for Opportunity Clay Shoot Tournament to benefit our Foundation, and accelerated the development timeline for our East Tampa Innovation Center project thanks to the Tampa City Council’s approval of a ground lease that greenlit the affordable housing element of this initiative.
Our Business Development team traveled across the nation at key conferences and trade shows, strengthening our target industry contacts and securing important new project wins for jobs and capital investment. I was honored to lead business missions to New York and London with our Investors and partners to strengthen relationships with allies in these locations.
Our Marketing team continues to elevate Tampa Bay’s reputation as a top global destination for business and talent by securing excellent media coverage, promoting our region’s success on social media, and producing exceptional talent attraction and development campaigns like Make it Tampa Bay and CertUp Tampa that are widely acknowledged as best practices.
As an organization that relies on private and public investment to fund our work, it’s essential that our Investors are impressed with our performance and believe strongly in our mission and purpose. I am pleased to share that our Investors rated the Tampa Bay EDC a 4.5 out of 5 for overall satisfaction with its effectiveness in accomplishing its goals and providing meaningful engagement opportunities.
It’s been an honor to serve as Chair of the Tampa Bay EDC and to witness the positive impact we continue to have on our community. I’m grateful to our Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Investors and EDC team for their dedication to our mission. Our elected officials are our greatest ambassadors, joining the EDC on business trips, meeting with company leaders considering relocation, and attending ribbon cuttings and press events to personally welcome companies that are expanding in or moving to Hillsborough County. We’re very fortunate to have their continued support and partnership.
The progress we’ve made in a year that began with recovery from natural disasters and economic uncertainty is remarkable.
I look forward to seeing you all at our Annual Meeting on October 30, when we’ll take a deeper dive into the year’s accomplishments and introduce our new leadership.
Thank you for all that you do for this EDC and the Tampa Bay community.
Ron
