Chamber Announces Leadership Tampa Class of 2013 Graduates

Leadership Tampa, the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s leadership development program, is proud to announce the graduates of the Class of 2013.  The graduates were honored at a commencement dinner on Thursday, May 9, 2013.

Mark House, Managing Director of The Beck Group chaired this year’s class, which participated in nine months of biweekly educational sessions, tours and candid conversations with community leaders on topics ranging from economic development and education to health sciences and sports.

The graduates of the Leadership Tampa Class of 2013 include:

Rolfe G. Arnhym, Chairman, Vistage Florida
Maria Baltar, Senior Manager Outreach Latin America, AACSB International
John Bennett, Assistant Chief of Police, Tampa Police Department
Ceci C. Berman, Shareholder, Brannock & Humphries Attorneys at Law
David Bode, Vice President of Human Resources, Busch Gardens & Adventure Island
Noel Boeke, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP
K. Clayton Bricklemyer, Attorney, Bricklemyer Law Group
Charles Michael Brill, Vice President, Investments, Raymond James
Nathan A. Carney, Shareholder, Trenam Kemker
Amy Carrasco, Sr. Human Resources Recruiter, Tampa General Hospital
Jaqueline Causey, Director of Business Development, Creative Sign Designs
Max Coberly, Vice President, Member Investments & Insurance Services, GTE Federal Credit Union
Tina Cotton, Vice President, Financial Foundations, USAA
OT Delancy, Project Executive, Skanska USA Building Inc.
Charlotte V. Diggs, Assistant County Attorney, Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office
Sean Donoghue, Partner, The Structure Group
Magda A. Farren, Audit Senior Manager, Trinity Services Group
Lyle B. Fogarty, Vice President – Acquisition and Development, Redstone Investments
Andrew Fruit, Partner, Shutts & Bowen LLP
W. Todd Fultz, Construction Manager, Hardin Construction Company, LLC
Jeffrey W. Gibson, Attorney, Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen
Rod Grabowski, Sr. Associate Vice President and Campaign Director, University of South Florida
Steven Grieco, Attorney at Law, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP
Elizabeth Hennig, CFO, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo
Keith Wallace Hodgdon, Senior Vice President, Hyde Park Capital Partners, LLC
James S. Judy Jr., Principal, James Swann Design
Gregory R. Kadet, Executive Director, Complex Director, UBS
Willis Chadwick Loar, Sr. Vice President; Senior Client Manager, PNC Bank
Debbie Lundberg, Principal, Presenting Powerfully by Debbie Lundberg
Leslie A. Maher, Lieutenant Colonel, Commander, 6th Operations Support Squadron, United States Air Force
Merritt Martin, State Legislative Affairs Director, Moffitt Cancer Center
Adrian I. Martinez, Managing Partner, EKS Group, LLC
C.J. Mintrone, Vice President/Commercial Relationship Manager, PNC Bank
Jason Moss, Senior Vice President, Delivery Channels, Grow Financial Federal Credit Union
Eric J. Partlow , Partner, Adams and Reese LLP
Woodrow H. Pollack, Attorney, GrayRobinson, P.A.
Sharon G. Price, Sr. Vice President, Central Hillsborough Area Manager, SunTrust Bank
Jason J. Quintero, Shareholder, Carlton Fields, P.A.
Jay Rao, Physician, Emergency Medical Associates of Tampa Bay
Richard Reeves, Director, Corporate Partnerships, Tampa Bay Rays
Emily Rogers, President, First Source Consulting, LLC
Christopher Rux, Manager, Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, LLP
William Sadlowski, Chief Financial Officer, Franklin Street Financial Partners, LLC
Erin A. Schwartz, Major, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 927th Air Refueling Wing, United States Air Force Reserves
Bemetra Simmons, Sr. Vice President/Area Executive, B B and T
Keith Skorewicz, Shareholder, Bush Ross, P.A.
Jimmy St. Louis, Chief Executive Officer, Advanced Healthcare Partners
Amanda M. Uliano, Attorney, Law Office of Amanda M. Uliano, P.A.
Jimmy Ullrich, Vice President, Jones Lang LaSalle
John M. Unger, Vice President, The Bank of Tampa
Jeffrie Van Loveren, Broker Associate, Smith and Associates Real Estate & Title, Inc.
Michael Weeks, Associate Professor of Management, The University of Tampa
Joann Wehle, Director of Sales and Marketing, TECO
Nealy Wheat, Vice President, Finance & Administration, Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce
Yolanda L. Williams, Executive Director, The Corporate Training Center, Hillsborough Community College
Elizabeth Zabak, Chief Marketing Officer, Carlton Fields, P.A.

Members of Leadership Tampa are business professionals who hold mid- to upper-level management positions. In addition, they have demonstrated concern for community issues and have been active volunteers in service organizations. The selection process is rigorous and requires review by an appointed selection committee. Many graduates of the program have gone on to take expanded leadership roles in the community as well as in their own organizations.

The Leadership Tampa year begins in September and runs through May with members meeting every other week for briefings and seminars. Each Leadership Tampa program brings in top-level business, civic and government leaders for panel discussions and question and answer sessions. Topics covered include healthcare, education, law enforcement, the environment, economic development, government and other important community issues. The Chamber is accepting applications for the Leadership Tampa Class of 2014, the submission deadline is May 28.

For more information on Leadership Tampa, please contact Lorrie Hero, director of leadership programs at (813) 276-9445 or at lhero@tampachamber.com.

The Chamber’s Women of Influence committee supports the community

The Chamber’s robust Women of Influence (WOI) committee has had a busy 2013 thus far! In addition to welcoming Viola Davis at their annual luncheon to a record crowd, they’ve hosted a Women’s Series Lunch with a humorous and informative panel of doctors, as well as a Pearls of Wisdom event with a panel of local non-profits. In addition to all of that, the group has started extensive outreach projects throughout the Tampa community, with a focus on women.

Early in the year, the group came together to discuss a committee mission statement. They decided on: “Through our leadership and service, the Women of Influence Committee will inspire and educate women through identification and response to business and community needs in collaboration with community partners.” This statement has given the committee a renewed focus and direction in 2013. Here are a few projects the group has tackled so far.

Teaming up with Hillsborough Community College, a few WOI women attended a mentoring session with students from HCC’s Women’s Mentoring Network group. Sharing their stories and expertise, the WOI committee members gave insight and advice to the students. One student, pictured here with Beth Kerly of the WOI Committee (left), attended the next WOI committee meeting to express her thanks. She was so appreciative of the ladies taking their time to share guidance with the young women.

In conjunction with the March Pearls of Wisdom event previously mentioned, the WOI group held a Dress for Success purse and accessory drive. They encouraged committee members and attendees to the Pearls event to donate their slightly used items to women in need. The group collected a slew of handbags, necklaces, earrings, wallets, belts and more to deliver to the Tampa chapter of Dress for Success. Debra Palmer of the WOI committee, pictured here, dropped off the donated items and they expressed their sincere gratitude to the group.

In mid-April, the WOI committee partnered with the University of South Florida’s EnhancingU program for student athletes. About 10 women went to USF to attend a “networking night” arranged for just the female student athletes. The students attended to learn and practice networking techniques from business professionals. Discussion followed with a Q&A session as well as recommendations from the WOI ladies to help improve their networking skills. The female students played a variety of sports and studied everything from fashion design to environmental engineering – but they were all very eager to learn about the WOI members’ career paths. Both groups truly benefited from the evening’s program.

The WOI committee has extensive plans for future outreach projects and events throughout the rest of the year, so stay tuned to TampaChamber.com for all the details!

The Art of Networking

By Kelsey Curls, Communications Intern

Ever wondered what makes networking such an art form? Some could define networking as a job, others a challenge, some even an exciting new way to get their personality known by others. In fact, networking is both a science and an art form that should ultimately be a fun, exciting and a rewarding approach to career and professional advancement. The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce is a great place for all your networking needs!

According to Forbes, “networking is a demanding process that allows you to test your ideas, refine your ability to communicate and improve your executive presence.” Networking as an art form, requires 100% commitment and contains necessary steps in branding yourself in the best ability.

• Observation is key. When you are at a networking event, observe others around you and be aware of what works best for you and what doesn’t.
• Preparing yourself, you must always be ready. Elevator speeches still matter, always be prepared for a number of instances. Engaging with new people requires quick answers, ready responses and reactions to different conversations you will encounter.
• Take notes while you network, there is always room for improvement.
• Ask non-traditional questions. Make yourself stand out from other networkers in the room by asking questions people wouldn’t expect.
• Challenge yourself and make your intentions clear. When you are reaching out to someone, make the time count and make the most out of the conversation you have by telling them exactly what you are looking for!
• Repetition is very important. Attending networking events repetitively is the best way to make new connections. Attending just one event is not going to build the relationships that could help further your career.
• Use social media strategically! LinkedIn can be the answer to all your networking needs. After meeting new people, reach out to them on LinkedIn and connect!
• The most important step in networking is following up. Receiving and giving a business card are crucial steps, as well as sending an email or placing a phone call. A good time frame to following up is 24 hours.

The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce is an excellent networking source. Whether you are a member that attends our events, a part of Emerge Tampa Bay, Leadership Tampa or an Ambassador, we offer a number of possibilities that could benefit your professional networking and build relationships here in the Tampa Bay Area.

My experience at Leadership Tampa’s Natural Resources/Transportation Day

Tina Cotton
Assistant Vice President, Financial Foundations – USAA 
Leadership Tampa Class of 2013

Our most recent LT-13 (the best class ever) event was Natural Resources/Transportation Day. Our day chairs were Keith Greminger of Kimley-Horn and Chris Smith of Mosaic. I want to give a special shout-out to them for a great day!

We started the day at the Tampa International Airport (TPA). There we were greeted by members of TIA leadership team. Chris Minner, Vice President of Marketing, gave a great overview of the airport, their vision and their journey to continue to make it one of the top airports in the country. After Chris’ presentation, our class was divided into 3 groups to partake in tours of the Airport. My group started our tour visiting the area where you check in to get to the airside. The line was long but manageable. Interesting trivia shared, the top 2 items that are left in the trays once they go through screening are eye glasses and belts. The next tour was to the Airport Operations Center and I can tell you it is all about ensuring passenger safety. You kind of know this already but seeing it action brought it to life. Our host for this segment of the tour noted they have 30 full time dispatchers, 5 Managers and 1 General Manager-all with a total of 250 years of experience!! Incredible! We ended our tour with a visit to the baggage claim area. I don’t know about you but I still had the “old-school” view of the baggage claim process, i.e. there is a person at stations throughout the process manually checking and loading. The process today is nothing short of amazing, including a sophisticated screening system, conveyor belts to move the luggage and manual inspection when there are red flags. Believe me – my brief summary doesn’t do it justice – just know our bags are well taken care of!

Our next event for the day was at the Tampa Port Authority. Now you are starting to see the trend….all about transportation. Our day chair, Chris Smith introduced John Thorington, Senior Director of Communication and Board Coordination of the Tampa Port Authority. John has over 30 years with the port. The longevity of the leaders in the transportation industry proved to be a trend throughout the day. It is great knowing we have this level of leadership in our Tampa Bay community.

John gave us an overview of the many facets of the port. I will confess I thought of the port mainly from the cruise standpoint. And while that is a component of what they do, there are many other facets that are incredibly interesting and valuable to our community. The port has recently partnered with Mediterranean Shipping Company a container shipping line and the largest carrier serving the United States. They also recently expanded operations with Amalie Oil company, an international lubricant blender and packager. Exciting was the enhanced cargo-handling efficiency and connectivity that has been achieved by the Tampa Gateway Rail project.

Our lunch was hosted by the Florida Aquarium where we were greeted by Thom Stork, Florida Aquarium, CEO. During our lunch we learned more about Manatees and the Florida Aquarium partnership with other natural resource entities, including Mosaic, a strong partner of the Aquarium.

We ended our day at the Tampa Electric Company (TECO) plant and Manatee Viewing Center. We received several presentations from the leadership team which included, Gordon Gillette, President, Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas; Tom Hernandez, Vice President of Energy Supply; Paul Carpinone, Director, Environmental Health and Safety. They all talked about their focus on customers and helping to keep rates down through efficiencies and natural resources.

A consistent message throughout the day was: cost of doing business, growth of the organizations, marketing and supporting Tampa Bay and most important making sure their customers are well taken care of!

Chamber Honors Service Members at Military Appreciation Banquet

The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce honored our community’s military personnel at the 2013 Military Appreciation Banquet on Wednesday, February 27 presented by Bright House Networks.  More than 450 attendees, including leadership from all five service branches, were in attendance.

Lieutenant General Russel L. Honore, U.S. Army (Ret) gave a keynote address on the topic of “Leadership in the New Normal.” Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll and Mayor Bob Buckhorn also recognized the contributions of our local service members. This event represented the 15^th year the Chamber has recognized our local military personnel for outstanding contributions to the greater good of the Tampa Bay community.

The 2013 winners included:

Category	Winner
Army Officer of the Year	Major Rhonda L. McRae
Air Force Officer of the Year	Lieutenant Colonel Shawn Patrick Walrath
Reserve Officer of the Year	Major Zachary Glen Davidson
Army Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year	Staff Sergeant Christopher M. Bitwinski
Marine Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year	Staff Sergeant Damon Cecil
Navy Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year	Intelligence Specialist Second Class (EXW/SW) Nicanor P. Mendoza III
Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year	Master Sergeant Danell G. Hall
Coast Guard Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year	Yeoman Third Class Amanda L. McKillip
Reserve  Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year	Senior Master Sergeant Tom Lehmann
Department of Defense Employee of the Year	Mr. Jay Kent
University of South Florida ROTC Cadet of the Year	Cadet Elizabeth S. Stevens
University of Tampa ROTC Cadet of the Year	Cadet Bryana Hedgepeth
Business Partner of the Year	AT&T
Military Affairs Council Bob Cutler Volunteer Award	Brigadier General David M. “Tanker” Snyder (Ret)
JROTC Essay Contest Winner	Thapani Sawaengrsi

Gasparilla Music Festival Goes Green

Awesome bands. Check.  Local food and craft beers. Check. High-tech lighting and sound system. Check.  But, beyond the music, food, and festivities, the Gasparilla Music Festival (GMF) is going the extra mile to ‘go green.’

The second annual festival, taking place on Saturday, March 9^th, in downtown Tampa will implement several sustainability initiatives that will reduce the event’s impact on the environment.   GMF has received a donation of 5 metric tons of Verified Emission Reductions (VERSs) or carbon offsets generated by methane capture and reduction projects across America.

The festival’s carbon offsets from Boulder, Colo.-based Renewable Choice Energy will offset 100% of the event’s onsite emissions.  This commitment by GMF to reduce carbon emissions has an impact similar to planting 128 trees or avoiding the carbon emissions from consuming 560 gallons of gasoline.

To reduce waste and encourage recycling, GMF has partnered with the City of Tampa to recycle all paper, plastic, aluminum and glass used during the festival. Festival organizers have also partnered with Boxed Water^TM to completely eliminate plastic water bottles during the festival.

Organizers also hope to lessen the environmental impact of traveling to and from the festival by implementing a Travel Impact Reduction program. A comprehensive transportation page on the GMF website will encourage attendees to carpool, and promote transit options including HART bus lines, the TECO Line Streetcar as well as biking, walking and using river taxis.

GMF volunteers will also work with food vendors to reduce the amount of non-recyclable materials they distribute, while also encouraging them to use local and organic foods.

GMF has worked with consultant Taylor Ralph, founder and President of Tampa-based REAL Building Consultants, to develop a plan not only for this year’s festival but also for the long term sustainability of the event.

“Hosting a music fest in an urban environment at the mouth of a vital environmental asset, the Hillsborough  River, puts us in a position to lead by example,” said GMF president David Cox. “A music fest is not only the perfect opportunity to implement proven, cost effective solutions to reduce environmental impact, but it’s also a great space for sponsors, vendors and startups to introduce new ideas and technologies.”

GMF will take place on four stages in and around Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Kiley Gardens in downtown Tampa.  This year’s lineup includes The Meter Men with Page McConnell, Best Coast, Dr. Dog, Ozomatli, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, Dawes, Lord Huron, The Iguanas and more.

General admission tickets are available for $25 through the GMF website (gasparillamusicfestival.com) and at select local ticket outlets. Tickets are $30 the day of the festival. Admission is free for children ages 12 and under.

Visit www.gasparillamusicfestival.com for festival updates, including the complete lineup, food and beverage offerings, and sponsorship opportunities.

The Gasparilla Music Festival presented by Tech Data is sponsored by FL Legal Group, the Tampa Bay Times, Yuengling Beer, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Soulshine, Trombley & Haynes, P.A., Tower Radiology Centers, Carte Blanche Wines, Wilkes & McHugh, P.A., Gulf Shore Bank, the Kimmins Foundation, Malio’s Restaurant, Franklin Street, Cigar City Brewing, St. Somewhere Brewing Co., Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, NorthStar Bank, Hill Ward Henderson, Ferman Motor Car Company, and Acidflyers.com.

Connect and Make a Difference, Volunteer Fair with Emerge Tampa Bay

This is your opportunity to get involved in your community and find what you are passionate about.  Come out to support and learn more about your local non-profit and community service organizations!

Volunteering has many benefits. Check out what these sources are saying about why we volunteer! https://www.google.com/search?q=why+volunteer

 

 

When: Saturday, April 27th, 2013 10AM to 3PM
USF Marshall Student Center Ballroom
4103 Cedar Circle, Tampa, FL 33620

Non-Profits: Pricing for tables begins at just $75. For more information about having a table for your non-profit or for sponsorship opportunities please contact the following:

Matt Pierson
Emerge – Connect Chair
813-480-5378

Brian Hahn
Emerge – Connect Vice Chair
813-326-0088

Ashley Ehrman
Emerge Program Coordinator
813-276-9448