EDC Investor Categories: Circle of Champions

Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC (Coke Florida)

Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC (Coke Florida) is a family-owned, independent Coca-Cola bottler. Coke Florida’s exclusive territory covers over 18 million consumers across 47 Florida counties, and includes the major metropolitan markets of Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. Coke Florida sells, manufactures and distributes over 600 products of The Coca-Cola Company and other partner companies. Coke Florida is the third largest privately held Coca-Cola bottler and the sixth largest independent bottler of Coca-Cola products in the United States. Coke Florida was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.




Troy D. Taylor

Troy D. Taylor is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC (Coke Florida), a family-owned independent Coca-Cola bottler.

Coke Florida is the third largest privately held and sixth largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the United States. The company markets, sells, produces and distributes a diverse portfolio of leading non-alcoholic beverage brands of The Coca-Cola Company and other partner companies. Coke Florida’s exclusive sales and distribution territory covers most of the state of Florida, including the Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville metropolitan areas. The company is Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Certified and is the fourth largest black-owned business in America. Coke Florida was founded in May 2015 and is headquartered in Tampa.

Mr. Taylor has extensive experience as an operating executive, investor, banker and strategic advisor. He previously founded and was the Managing Partner of Spinel Investment Company, a Houston-based private investment and advisory firm. He was also an advisor to The Coca-Cola Company and previously held senior-level positions at J.P. Morgan, Accenture and BBVA.

Mr. Taylor serves on the boards of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Jacksonville Branch, Florida Chamber of Commerce, American Beverage Association, and Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association. He is a Trustee of the Boys & Girls Club of America Southeast Region and is a member of the Coca-Cola Hispanic Advisory Council and Florida Council of 100. He was previously a member of the Tampa Bay Partnership Council of Governors and the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Board of Trustees.

Mr. Taylor has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance and Business Law from Marshall University. He was the recipient of the prestigious EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2018 award in Florida for the Consumer Products category.

Troy D. Taylor
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Suncoast Credit Union

Suncoast Credit Union is the largest credit union in the state of Florida, the ninth largest in the United States based on membership, and the 10th largest in the United States based on its $17.1 billion in assets. Chartered in 1934 as Hillsborough County Teachers Credit Union, Suncoast Credit Union currently operates 78 full-service branches and serves more than one million members in 41 Florida counties. Since its founding in 1990, the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation has raised and donated more than $32 million to organizations and initiatives that support the health, education and emotional well-being of children in the communities that the credit union serves.




Jennifer Wade Bolivar

With more than 17 years of professional experience in the financial services industry, Jennifer Wade Bolivar is the Senior Vice President of Business Transformation & Retail Branching for Suncoast Credit Union. Bolivar began her career at Suncoast in 2011, transitioning from working with credit unions across the country to becoming an essential part of the credit union movement.

As Senior Vice President of Business Transformation & Retail Branching, Bolivar’s areas of responsibility include accelerating business outcomes across the enterprise and overseeing the agile framework that supports internal application development, portfolio management, and the enterprise project management program. Bolivar also supports propelling the member experience through our retail network, the human brand of Suncoast Credit Union. She oversees 78 retail locations, operations support, education and development along with market optimization and strategy. Bolivar is an experienced, results-driven, leader, motivator, and problem solver. She finds passion in enabling others to see past limiting beliefs and reimaging possibilities.

Jennifer Wade Bolivar
SVP, Business Transformation & Retail Branching

City of Tampa

 

 

The City of Tampa is the largest city in Hillsborough County, is the county seat and is the third most populous city in Florida. It is located on the west coast of Florida, approximately 200 miles northwest of Miami, 180 southwest of Jacksonville, and 20 miles northeast of St. Petersburg. The population of the city represents approximately one-third of the total population of Hillsborough County. Tampa’s economy is founded on a diverse base that includes tourism, agriculture, construction, finance, health care, government, technology, and the port of Tampa. Contributing to the success of our community is the way businesses, City government, and citizens work together to make Tampa a better place to live.




The Honorable Jane Castor

Jane Castor is the 59th Mayor of the City of Tampa. She was born and raised in Tampa, Florida, graduated from Chamberlain High and attended the University of Tampa on an athletic scholarship.

Mayor Castor is a 31-year veteran of the Tampa Police Department serving in nearly every capacity of the department and every area of the city. In October 2009, Mayor Castor became the first woman to be named Police Chief in the City of Tampa, serving for six years in that role. During her time as a senior staff member, Mayor Castor worked to reduce major crimes 70% citywide.

Mayor Castor continues to be very active in the community, serving on the Board of Directors for several organizations including Gracepoint Mental Health and Wellness; Starting Right, Now; RISE Tampa Police Foundation; Bike Walk Tampa Bay; and The Athena Society. She also serves on the GTE Financial Supervisory Committee and is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and a Police Foundation Fellow.

On a national and local level, Mayor Castor has been recognized for her leadership in both law enforcement and community involvement. She is the proud recipient of numerous awards including the 2015 University of South Florida President’s Distinguished Citizen Award, 2015 Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Lifetime Achievement Award, 2014 Tampa Chamber of Commerce Woman of Influence, Leadership Tampa Alumni Parke Wright III Leadership Award, 2014 Florida Holocaust Museum Lobenberg Humanitarian Award, 2013 Crisis Center of Tampa Bay Community Advocate Award, 2011 Tampa Connection Betty Tribble Citizen of the Year Award, 2010 University of Tampa Alumni Achievement Award, 2009 National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executive’s Law Enforcement Executive of the Year Award, 2007 Josephine Howard Stafford Memorial Award for Community Engagement, and a 2006 University of Tampa Athletic Hall of Fame inductee.

The Honorable Jane Castor
Mayor

SouthState Bank

 

 

SouthState operates as one of the largest community bank franchises headquartered in the state of Florida. Both the Company and its nationally chartered bank subsidiary are based in Winter Haven, Florida, between Orlando and Tampa. With over $10 billion in assets, the Bank provides traditional retail, commercial, mortgage, wealth management and SBA services throughout its Florida branch network and customer relationships in neighboring states. The Bank also has a national footprint, serving clients coast to coast through its correspondent banking division.

 




Angel Gonzalez

Angel Gonzalez is the Hillsborough Regional President for SouthState, the largest Community Bank in Florida. He has been with SouthState since 2007 where he began his career as a Management Trainee. He graduated with a B.S. in Finance from Southeastern University. As he rose through the ranks, Angel exceeded expectations in production and leadership. He was responsible for the successful launch of the banks current underwriting and approval software. As a Commercial Loan Officer, he was consistently a top performer finishing in the top 3 year after year. During his short time as the Marion County Market President, he successfully restructured the leadership team, met the market’s production goals for the first time in 5 years, and doubled its ROA in a single year.

SouthState Bank found its first opportunity to enter the Tampa Bay Market in 2017, creating an opportunity for Angel to join a larger market. He is responsible for managing the staff and the growth of the loan and deposit portfolios. The Hillsborough Market was created by acquiring four banks in 2 years. Angel is a true community partner, taking every opportunity to be involved in the continued progress of the communities he serves. He has served on multiple boards for non-profits and government services agencies. He has also been honored with the designation of “40 under 40” by both the Tampa Bay Business Journal and the Business Observer.

Angel has been married to Rosalie Gonzalez for 14 years and they have 2 children. As a family, they are involved in multiple civic organizations, including Keeping Tampa Bay Beautiful, Voices for Children, the YMCA, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, and the Guardian Ad Litem Agency. He enjoys golfing and traveling with his friends and family.

Angel Gonzalez
Tampa Bay Market President

Hillsborough County

 

 

Located midway on the west coast of Florida along beautiful Tampa Bay, Hillsborough County is a thriving, diverse community. Fully grounded in a rich history yet embracing all the opportunities of the technical age, the County’s boundaries embrace a modern skyline, major tourist destinations, world-class entertainment venues, a nationally-recognized airport, one of the largest shipping ports in the country, major educational institutions, a bustling agricultural industry, professional sports teams and more. A wide range of lifestyles offers residents the ability to live in high-energy urban environments, suburban planned communities or rural landscapes. Huge national and international events, including four Super Bowls, NCAA competitions, the Republican National Convention and the International Indian Film Academy’s 2014 Awards, bring global attention and many visitors to Hillsborough’s doorstep. People of all ages from all walks of life and companies representing a vast array of industries choose to make Hillsborough County their home.




Ken Hagan

County Commissioner Ken Hagan is a native and lifelong resident of Hillsborough County. He is the ranking member of the Commission, first elected in 2002. Always an effective and well-liked public servant with a strong record of accomplishments, he was returned to his home district in 2018. As a fiscal conservative and reasonable, common-sense voice on the Commission, he has been chosen by his peers to serve in leadership positions on multiple occasions including as Chaplain, Vice Chairman, and an unprecedented six times as its Board Chairman. Throughout his career, he has been a well-respected advocate for District 2 and Hillsborough County at large.

Commissioner Hagan also serves as the Board of County Commissioners’ representative on key economic development boards including Visit Tampa Bay, Tampa/Hillsborough Expressway Authority, and the Tampa Sports Authority, as well as the Florida Association of Counties and the Hospital Authority. In addition, Commissioner Hagan has been Hillsborough County’s leading voice for a Tampa Bay Rays ballpark in Ybor City.

Ken Hagan
Chair, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners

University of South Florida

 

 

The University of South Florida is a high-impact, global research university dedicated to student success. USF is a Top 50 research university, among both public and private institutions nationwide in total research expenditures, according to the National Science Foundation. Serving nearly 48,000 students, the USF System has an annual budget of $1.5 billion and an annual economic impact of $4.4 billion. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference.




Rhea Law

Rhea Law is a proud fifth-generation Floridian who is passionate about the success of the state. Actively involved in corporate, public policy, civic and charitable work, Law holds top leadership positions with many Florida-based organizations. She received gubernatorial appointments to serve on the inaugural Board of Trustees for the University of South Florida, as well as the Board of the Florida Council of 100, the public policy liaison with Florida’s governor, cabinet, legislative leadership and Supreme Court. Rhea served as Chair of the Board for both organizations. Further, she served on the Presidential Search Committee for the University of South Florida in 1999 and 2019. In addition, she was a two-time Chair of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and the Tampa Bay Partnership during times of reorganization and expansion. She also served as Chair of the University of South Florida Health Professions Conferencing Corporation which operates the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation and Chair of the Stetson University College of Law Board of Overseers, as well as serving on the Board of Trustees of Stetson University.

Currently, Law serves on the Board of Directors of Tampa Electric Company, which supplies electricity to the Tampa area, and Peoples Gas, which provides gas throughout Florida. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, the Tampa Bay Chamber, and on the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center Board of Directors and National Board of Advisors. As a member of the USF President’s Council Society, she is among honored donors who have made a lifetime commitment of $100,000 or more or a legacy gift to USF.

Law is the former CEO and Chair of the Board of Fowler White Boggs, a Florida law firm. She led the merger of Fowler with a national firm, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney in 2014 where she continued to serve as Chair, Florida Offices until 2021. The consolidation of the firms created a powerhouse firm with law offices throughout the country and hundreds of lawyers who specialize in a broad spectrum of business areas such as Energy, Finance, Healthcare and Life Sciences.

Her areas of practice included higher education, economic development, government, environment and land use. Over the course of her 35-year-plus career, Law has worked with clients on land use and strategic planning to meet the needs of a growing Florida.

Recent recognitions include:

  • Florida Trend magazine: Named to Florida 500 – Florida’s Most Influential Business Leaders – since 2018; Living Legend in 2021.
  • Tampa Bay Business Journal: Named #6 in the Power 100 – Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Business Leaders with greatest impact and influence on the local business community.
  • Tampa Bay Times: Named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Business Players in Tampa Bay.
  • The Best Lawyers in America® and Florida Super Lawyers since 2006; “Lawyer of the Year,” Best Lawyers list and in the Top 50 Female Lawyers.

 

 

Rhea Law
President

Tampa International Airport

 

 

Tampa International Airport is the Tampa Bay region’s gateway to the West Coast of Florida, serving nearly 17 million passengers each year with nonstop service to more than 70 domestic destinations as well as locations in Europe and Latin America. The airport is widely regarded as one of the best in the world for its focus on customer service and convenience. The main terminal, built in 1971, features a groundbreaking hub-and-spoke design with the world’s first airport people mover. The airport is a significant economic engine for the region. The airport and its tenants employ more than 7,500 people and have an economic impact of more than $7.1 billion each year.




Joe Lopano

Joe Lopano arrived in Tampa on January 1, 2011, as Tampa International Airport’s new CEO. He has worked 37 years in the aviation industry. Prior to accepting the CEO position in Tampa, he worked at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport for 14 years as its Executive Vice President for Marketing and Terminal Management. His experience also encompasses 19 years in the airline industry, including serving in leadership positions at Continental Airlines.

Joe serves on the boards of the Tampa Bay Chamber, Visit Tampa Bay, the Westshore Alliance, the Tampa Bay Partnership, the Tampa Bay Defense Alliance, the U.S. Travel Association’s Gateway Airports Council and the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization. He is a member of the executive committees for the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, the Airports Council International–North America U.S. Policy Board and the Tony Jannus Society. He is an Honorary Commander at MacDill Air Force Base, and was selected to participate in Leadership Florida.

Joe was named Visit Tampa Bay’s 2015 Ambassador of the Year and received the 2015  Aviation Professional of the Year Award from the Florida Department of Transportation.

Joe received a bachelor’s in finance and accounting from Pace University in New York. He and his wife, Janet, live in South Tampa and have three grown children.

Joe Lopano
CEO

Tampa General Hospital

Tampa General Hospital, a 1010-bed not-for-profit academic medical center, delivers world-class care as the region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. It is one of the nation’s busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Advancing medicine through innovation, Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, an 82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a state-certified spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation center. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

 

 




Robin DeLaVergne

Robin DeLaVergne is Senior Vice President External Affairs at Tampa General Hospital. She previously served as Executive Director of the Tampa General Hospital Foundation and Senior Vice President Development Tampa General Hospital.

Ms. DeLaVergne serves on the Tampa Bay Chamber Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee and Board of Directors and Marketing and Communications Committee for the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council. She serves on the Leadership Council for the Tampa Bay Partnership. Gov. Rick Scott appointed DeLaVergne as a Board Member for the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, where she also serves as Vice Chair and a member of the Executive Committee.

She is a member of Leadership Florida’s Cornerstone Class 38. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida Chamber Foundation, Starting Right Now and the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative. DeLaVergne serves on the Live Tampa Bay Leadership Coalition and Tampa Mayor Castor’s Workforce Council.

Robin DeLaVergne
Senior Vice President, External Affairs

Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas

 

 

Tampa Electric has been the leading provider of electricity in West Central Florida for more than 120 years. It currently delivers 99.98 percent service reliability to more than 830,000 customers, including 90,000 businesses. Tampa Electric offers more energy-saving programs and generates more solar energy per customer than any other utility in Florida. The company engages with economic development partners and invests in reliability to support business growth.

Peoples Gas System, Florida’s largest natural gas distributor, delivers safe, clean, affordable and reliable natural gas to nearly 470,000 customers. Through investments in people, technology, infrastructure and environmentally focused innovations, the company fuels Florida’s clean energy future responsibly and sustainably. Peoples Gas cultivates a diverse, inclusive, respectful workplace and supports its communities through stewardship and economic development.




Archie Collins

Archie Collins is president and chief executive officer of Tampa Electric.

Collins has more than 30 years of experience in the energy industry. He began his career at Nova Scotia Power in 1990, and he has held increasingly senior roles since then. Prior to joining Tampa Electric,
Collins served in leadership roles at Nova Scotia Power and Emera Energy, as president and chief executive officer of Grand Bahama Power Co., and as president and chief operating officer of Emera
Caribbean. Most recently, he served as chief operating officer of Tampa Electric.

Collins is a professional chemical engineer, and he holds a Bachelor of Engineering from St. Francis Xavier University and a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Dalhousie University.

Collins is the 2023 chair of the Tampa Bay Heart Walk for the American Heart Association. He serves onthe boards of the Florida State Fair Authority, Florida Council of 100, Florida Chamber of Commerce and
Tampa Bay Economic Development Council. He also serves on the boards of The Association of Edison Illuminating Companies and Tampa Theatre.

Archie Collins
President and Chief Executive Officer

Port Tampa Bay

Port Tampa Bay’s longstanding supremacy among Florida ports is based largely on its leadership in handling of bulk and break‐bulk cargos, including phosphate, steel and petroleum, as well as in the shipbuilding industry. Over the past decade, Port Tampa Bay has impressively advanced its container-handling capabilities and seen a rapid growth in regional distribution facilities. Port Tampa Bay handles more than 34 million tons of cargo a year, nearly 40 percent of all cargo moving in and out of the state of Florida. This embraces virtually every imaginable commodity, including vehicles and oversized project cargos, from all corners of the world. Top trade partners include India, Mexico, Brazil, Trinidad, Canada, Russia, Australia, Japan, Argentina and Turkey. At the same time, the Port of Tampa has emerged among the top eight U.S. cruise ports, smoothly handling nearly 1 million passenger moves a year.




Paul Anderson

Paul Anderson is a Former Federal Maritime Commissioner and joined Port Tampa Bay as Chief Executive Officer in December 2012 after holding a series of high-profile leadership positions in the public and private sectors. Nominated to the Federal Maritime Commission by President George W. Bush in 2003, and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2004, Anderson served a five-year term ending in 2008. In addition, the president designated Anderson as the Commission’s Chairman and re-nominated him for a second five-year term. A highlight of Anderson’s service included his appointment to the Committee on Marine Transportation, a cabinet-level strategy group responsible for the nation’s seaports and reporting directly to the president.

 

He previously served as the Chief Executive Officer for the Jacksonville Port Authority and spent 10 years as an executive with JM Family Enterprises, a diversified automobile business headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Anderson also served as a senior director of Seabulk Marine, Inc., an international marine transportation company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

 

Anderson has served as an advisor on intermodal issues to multiple governors including former Florida governors Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist. He worked closely with U.S. Senator Rick Scott during his time as Florida’s governor and maintains a close relationship with the state’s current Governor, Ron DeSantis.

 

Anderson holds several leadership positions in national and state-wide trade organizations and foundations. He recently completed a second term as the Chairman of the Florida Ports Council, having been reelected by his fellow Florida port directors. Anderson also serves on the board of the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC). Anderson has lived in Florida for over 35 years, except during the period of his public service in Washington, D.C. Anderson is a 1982 graduate of the University of Florida and completed the Senior Managers in Government program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Paul Anderson
President and CEO

Mosaic

 

 

The Mosaic Company is the world’s largest combined producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash, two essential crop nutrients. Driven by its mission to help the world grow the food it needs, Mosaic is committed to strengthening global food security and protecting critical water resources. They employ approximately 8,900 people in eight countries and participate in every aspect of crop nutrition development. Florida is home to the headquarters of Mosaic’s phosphate operations and 4,000 of its employees. Mosaic’s phosphates business’ main office is in Lithia. The company has five operating mines and four fertilizer facilities in Hillsborough, Polk, Hardee and Manatee counties. Florida’s seventh largest landowner, Mosaic extended its land stewardship activities to the development of Streamsong® Resort, a nature-focused destination resort on formerly mined land in Polk County. Streamsong’s 216-room luxury lodge opened in January 2014.




Benjamin Pratt

Ben Pratt was named Senior Vice President, Government and Public Affairs in April 2020. Previously, Pratt held the position of VP—Corporate Public Affairs, leading corporate communications and U.S. Federal Government relations, as well as Mosaic’s corporate social responsibility activities. In addition, he serves as Owner’s Representative to Streamsong Resort.

Prior to joining Mosaic in February 2012, Pratt was SVP, Corporate Communications at Ameriprise Financial, Inc., in Minneapolis. Earlier in his career, he worked in a variety of communications and investor relations capacities at The PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh, and at Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, both in New York.

Pratt is a graduate of Duke University.

Benjamin Pratt
Senior Vice President, Government and Public Affairs

Hillsborough Community College

 

 

Hillsborough Community College is a comprehensive community college located in Tampa. Founded in 1968, HCC serves over 46,000 students annually at five campuses, three centers and through online offerings. The college offers more than 160 academic programs including the associate in arts and associate in science degrees, college credit certificates and postsecondary adult vocational certificates. Hillsborough Community College employs more than 2,500 and has an annual budget of $212 million. Approximately 85 percent of all HCC graduates remain in the area, and through their contributions in increased business productivity combined with college operations contribute to an annual economic impact of over $1.1 billion in Hillsborough County. HCC is the fifth largest community college in Florida and is the nation’s fifth leading producer of associate degrees among two-year community colleges. HCC is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.




Dr. Ken Atwater

Dr. Ken Atwater became the seventh president of Hillsborough Community College (HCC) on July 1, 2010. He is the past chairman of the board of directors of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), serves on the Museum of Science & Industry’s National Board, and became the chairman on October 1, 2016 of the Tampa-Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation.

Dr. Atwater earned his Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky.

Dr. Ken Atwater
President

GTE Financial

 

 

GTE Financial is a leading not-for-profit financial cooperative with more than $1.6 billion in assets and 21 Community Financial Centers located throughout West Central Florida. GTE Financial offers every needed financial product and service for individuals in the community, such as checking and savings accounts, business services, personal, home and auto loans, credit cards, insurance and investments, but typically at better rates and with fewer fees than traditional banks. Chartered in 1935, GTE Financial remains locally owned and operated in the Tampa Bay area and currently serves more than 212,000 individuals and businesses.




Brian Best

As President and CEO of GTE Financial, Brian Best’s approach to leadership is all about serving others and ensuring that people always come first. With the support and guidance of a seasoned Board of Directors and an invaluable Executive Management Team, he is focused on maximizing return and value to the GTE membership and local community. Through elevating the employee experience, members gain a caring financial advocate that ensures they earn more, save more and live better. Additionally, GTE is focused on providing innovation through a service lens, ensuring the credit union stays relevant within an ever-changing industry permeated by new technology and sophisticated services.

 

Prior to joining GTE, Best worked at Grow Financial Federal Credit Union where he served as the Chief Lending and Operations Officer. He has been in the financial services industry for over 20 years, holding senior management positions at some of the nation’s most preeminent banks and credit unions. He brings a diverse background in commercial and consumer banking, collections, operations, retail strategy, process improvement, investment and risk portfolio management, organizational branding and troubled business restructuring.

 

Best holds a bachelor’s in marketing from Wright State University, as well as a master’s from Saint Leo University. He has also graduated from the RMA School of Commercial Underwriting and Portfolio Management, and has received his accreditation with Six Sigma as a master black belt.

Brian Best
President and CEO

CareerSource Tampa Bay

 

 

CareerSource Tampa Bay (CSTB) serves as the workforce development board under the Workforce Investment Act and is a driving force in delivering workforce solutions that support economic development in Hillsborough County. CSTB has centers located in Tampa, Brandon, Plant City and a satellite office in Ruskin, offering a full range of career planning services for professional and entry-level candidates. CSTB also strengthens the competitive edge of local businesses in measurable ways that lead to the economic vitality of the region. A team of business consultants works as a partner with local businesses to provide a wide range of professional services, including employee referral and recruitment, training and retraining, workshops and business seminars on a variety of human resource and workforce topics, labor market statistics, targeted career fairs, downsizing and retention support strategies, tax credit information and other customized support for a well-trained workforce.




John Flanagan

John Flanagan is the President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CareerSource Tampa Bay. As CEO of the local workforce board, he works closely with businesses, government, and educational entities to find workforce solutions for the more than 1.4 million Hillsborough County residents and businesses.

John proudly graduated from Leadership Tampa Bay in July 2021.  “I am so thrilled to say I was part of Leadership Tampa Bay and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this program,” said CareerSource Tampa Bay CEO John Flanagan.  “It would have taken me years to have met the leaders, businesses, and officials that I did in one year participating in Tampa Bay’s regional leadership program.  I have learned so much about this wonderful community, this gave me a tremendous appreciation for the entire Tampa Bay community.”

During the Covid -19 Pandemic, John worked with the CSTB Board of Directors and the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners to create the R3 – Rapid Response and Recovery Program. The program provided citizens and businesses with badly needed assistance, including:

  • $14.5 million in training and direct placement opportunities
  • 168 Hillsborough County employers
  • 1,788 job seekers who were adversely impacted by Covid -19
  • More than 800 job seekers received occupational skills training
  • 690 job seekers enrolled in work-based training
  • 1,131 people accessed financial assistance while in the program

John serves Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s Workforce Advisory Committee as part of the T3 initiative and serves as a trustee on the U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council. John also sits on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay, the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council and is a member of the Community Impact Committee of United Way Suncoast.

John is an active member of the National Association of Workforce Boards.

Mr. Flanagan is happily married for more than 12 years to his wife, Emily. They have a young son, Jack. The family are avid outdoor enthusiasts.

John Flanagan
CEO