In honor of Black History Month, I’m dedicating my column to a few of the many Black business and local government leaders who’ve been shaping Tampa and Hillsborough County’s economic success. These leaders are remarkable not only for being best in class in their roles, but for the innovative programs they’ve championed to bring about more equitable prosperity in the region.
Troy Taylor founded Coke Florida in Tampa in 2015. A little over a decade later, Coke Florida is one of the largest Black-owned businesses in the United States and employs thousands of Floridians statewide. In addition to creating jobs, Coke Florida has committed millions of dollars in higher education scholarship, job training and digital literacy programs and donated thousands of laptops and mobile devices to schools and nonprofits throughout Florida.
Since Dr. Ken Atwater arrived at Hillsborough College in 2010, he has led sustained growth in enrollment, program offerings, and institutional impact. HC has become one of the largest in the Florida College System, serving over 46,000 students across multiple campuses and centers and generating $1.3 billion in economic impact annually. Dr. Atwater is a champion of career pathways and workforce programs that give those who are not on traditional four-year degree journeys the best opportunities for good jobs in our market. The number of degrees and certificates HC awards annually has grown from 3,000 when he started to more than 8,000 per year today. A champion of economic development from his first day on the job, Dr. Atwater served as Chair of the EDC in FY2017 and has served as Chair of the Tampa Bay Economic Prosperity Foundation since 2019.
As CEO of Tampa International Airport, Michael Stephens is driving TPA’s largest expansion in nearly 20 years. The new Airside D terminal project will add 16 gates and a dedicated international arrivals facility. Under Stephens’ leadership, TPA is planning to meet demand from an expected population surge and rapidly rising domestic and international air travel over the next decade. Studies suggest the airport could handle over 40 million passengers once the expansion is completed, which positions us well for even greater foreign direct investment that will influence the EDC’s business attraction strategies.
Brian Butler’s impact in Tampa Bay extends beyond running a successful business — he’s helped shape the region’s business ecosystem, fostered public-private collaborations, advanced educational engagement, championed diversity in leadership, and strengthened community organizations through board service and civic participation. He is also a highly decorated combat veteran who served 22 years in the Army. The CEO of Vistra Communications, Brian founded the CEOs in Schools initiative to connect business leaders with Hillsborough County public school principals, fostering partnerships that deliver strategic thinking, mentorship, and resources to local K-12 education leaders. He has been recognized as Outstanding Leader of the Year from the Tampa Bay Chamber and SBA Minority-Owned Small Businessperson of the Year for Florida among his many awards.
AC4S Technologies’ CEO Hugh Campbell, who, like Butler, served in the Army, brought the leadership skills he honed during his military service to the board room. Hugh’s contributions to the Tampa Bay region include leadership in major regional business organizations such as the CEO Council and civic engagement in healthcare and education governance. His contributions are helping to shape the region’s economic development, workforce readiness, and community well-being.
USF graduate and VoltAir CEO Julius Davis built a successful locally headquartered engineering firm, engaged in economic development leadership, and now shapes the next generation of engineers as a member of the University of South Florida College of Engineering Advisory Board, which advises the College on strategic planning, program quality, and industry engagement. He serves as a role model for aspiring entrepreneurs and engineers in Tampa Bay.
Allen Greene II, co-founder of Envision Construction Services, is committed to “building people, not just buildings.” He invests in workforce development and training and supporting supplier diversity initiatives that give minority contractors a more prominent role in the evolution of Tampa and Hillsborough’s built environment.
We are honored to have the guidance and expertise of these individuals on the Tampa Bay EDC board and Investor team.
As I am fond of saying, economic development is a team sport. And I am thankful to have Dr. Cynthia Johnson and Bemetra Simmons on our regional leadership team.
Dr. Cynthia Johnson, Director of Pinellas County Economic Development, has been a driver of Pinellas County’s extraordinary growth over the past 25 years. She has been recognized repeatedly among Tampa Bay’s Power 100 and numerous other awards over the years. Cynthia and I, together with our colleague Bill Cronin of Pasco EDC, have been representing the welcoming, opportunity-rich Tampa Bay region to businesses across the world together for the past ten years via our Global Tampa Bay missions.
Finally, Bemetra Simmons, CEO of the Tampa Bay Partnership, has advanced major regional initiatives in housing, workforce, education, and economic competitiveness that have had measurable impacts on Tampa Bay’s growth and civic well-being. Thanks to her leadership, the Partnership is galvanizing communities across nine counties to tackle some of the most intractable issues facing West Coast Floridians today.
As someone who was welcomed into this incredibly diverse, vibrant, and friendly community with open arms nearly ten years ago, I am proud to see Tampa Bay flourishing precisely because it values the contributions of the broad mix of people who come here to pursue their dreams. And as someone who sells this market for a living, I can tell you, without a doubt, that’s the secret ingredient that has fueled our region’s rise.
Craig
