Six years ago, the EDC engaged nationally renowned consultancy TIP Strategies to help us shape a new three-year strategic plan. That plan, Opportunity Tampa Bay, positioned our market to capitalize on our formidable and growing talent pool, build upon unique strengths within our target industry sectors, and develop placemaking initiatives that would enhance our competitiveness and promote economic prosperity for all residents of Hillsborough County.Fast forward to today. The Tampa market has completely transformed – becoming one of the hottest places for people to move to post-Covid, boasting one of the most economically diverse economies in the nation, and witnessing the realization of Water Street Tampa, Midtown, and other developments that have changed Tampa in myriad ways.
At this critical moment in time, the EDC is once again convening our Investors and the team from TIP to shape the next iteration of Tampa and Hillsborough County’s economic future. Late last month, our FY2026-2028 strategic plan steering committee, chaired by TECO President and CEO Archie Collins, kicked off the project with a deep dive into the issues that will present challenges and opportunities for us going forward. The TIP team reviewed their process for discovery, opportunity and implementation. Next month, the EDC will host roundtables with all of our Investors to identify trends in our industry sectors, labor market and more. These teams will reconvene for an Opportunity Workshop at the end of May, when the initial draft of our new strategic plan will be presented.
Over the summer, my team and I will work with TIP to refine the strategy and benchmark Tampa against eight peer markets. Our plan will once again be presented at our board meeting in August and finalized in September in advance of our FY2026 fiscal year.
I am grateful to our Tampa Bay EDC leadership for their remarkable engagement in this process. Our strategic plan is our North Star, and we are incredibly fortunate to have such dedicated, experienced, and visionary Investors engaged in its creation.
I look forward to sharing more updates with you as we go. Thank you as always for your support.
Craig
