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David Denor
Up Front - The Publisher's Column
Falling Ahead
In the coming weeks, Florida Trend subscribers will be receiving their annual edition of the Florida 500, Florida’s Most Influential Business Leaders. This marks our fourth year producing this exhaustive publication. The Florida 500 is a yearlong undertaking. Our editorial team identifies and details Florida’s most powerful leaders across 15 sectors. It is a monumental feat — one that continues to amaze me. The work that goes into producing a publication of its size and scope each year requires talent and dedication from every department at Florida Trend. If you are not a subscriber to the magazine and would like to ensure that you receive a copy of our Florida 500 publication, please contact our audience development department to purchase a copy. Connie Greenblatt, our audience development manager, will be more than happy to help you. She can be reached at cgreenblatt@floridatrend.com.
The Delta variant threw a kink into what had been shaping up as a relatively smooth return to normal operations, but I am hopeful that we’ll soon be able to resume more normal business travel schedules. Many of you have told me that you’re looking forward to more face-to-face meetings — something most of us have sorely missed. The uptick in business travel will support our local hotels and restaurants, which have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. When businesses help and support one another, we all win.
Personally, I am looking forward to things settling down at my house this fall. My wife, an elementary education teacher at a charter school in St. Petersburg, returns to the classroom after a short summer break. Our two youngest sons, both students at Florida Gulf Coast University, returned there for their senior and sophomore years. Our daughter, who graduated this past spring from FGCU with her degree in public health, was accepted into the University of South Florida’s accelerated nursing program at the St. Petersburg campus, where she’ll spend the next 16 months earning her second bachelor’s degree in nursing.
In an added bit of excitement for our family, our oldest son and his fiancée will be getting married Oct. 2. The wedding was originally planned for Oct. 17, 2020, but had to be rescheduled, of course, because of the pandemic.
This issue is an especially strong one. Mike Vogel highlights breakthrough research in Florida that’s having an impact globally; Amy Martinez’s feature looks at Miami’s growing tech influence; and Amy Keller has an excellent cover story on Florida’s efforts to become the center for the burgeoning cryptocurrency industry. Finally, don’t miss our Economic Backbone section on the state’s energy industry. You’ll learn about the latest developments in solar, energy storage and more.
As you begin planning for 2022, I hope you are as optimistic as we are. We expect a year that will bring new energy, excitement and opportunities for all of us.
— David Denor, Publisher
[ddenor@floridatrend.com]
Read more in Florida Trend's September issue.
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