People To Know

• Herbert L. Allen: Shareholder, patent attorney, Allen, Dyer, Doppelt + Gilchrist, Orlando
• Kenneth Atwater: President, Hillsborough Community College, Plant City
• Jake Austin: President/CEO, Plant City Economic Development
• Randy Avent: President, Florida Polytechnic University, Lakeland
• Stephanie Bailes: Executive director, Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention, Gainesville
• Ron Barton: Assistant County Administrator for Economic Prosperity, Hillsborough County
• Alex Beavers: Chief innovation officer, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota
• Gisele Bennett: Senior vice president of research, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne
• Michael Bloom: Assistant vice president, USF Office of Corporate Partnerships, Tampa
• Brooke Bonnett: Director of economic development, Orlando
• P. Barry Butler: President, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach
• George Cheros: President/ CEO, National Center for Simulation, Orlando
• Mimi Coenen: COO, CareerSource Central Florida, Orlando
• Bill Cronin: President/CEO, Pasco County Economic Development Council
• Frank DiBello: President/CEO, Space Florida, Cape Canaveral
• Doug Dombroski: Manager/economic development, Melbourne
• J.P. Dubuque: President, St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corp.
• Tonya Elmore: President/CEO, Tampa Bay Innovation Center
• Christy Fischer: Director of planning and economic development, West Melbourne
• John Flanagan: CEO, CareerSource Tampa Bay
• Kent Fuchs: President, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Luis Garcia: Vice president of emerging technologies, Full Sail University, Orlando
• Judy Genshaft: Retired president, University of South Florida, Tampa
• Tanja Gerhartz: Director of economic development, Winter Garden
• Tim Giuliani: President/CEO, Orlando Economic Partnership; President/CEO, Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Jada Glover: Economic development specialist, Sumter County
• Eric Godet Sr: President/ CEO, Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce
• Sharon Hillstrom: President/ CEO, Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp.
• James Hitt: Development director, Apopka
• Rick Homans: President/ CEO, Tampa Bay Partnership
• Mark Huey: President/CEO, Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County
• Dug Jones: Associate vice president/economic development, Center for Innovation and Economic Development, Santa Fe College, Gainesville
• Chester Kennedy: CEO, BRIDG, Kissimmee

• Anne Kerr: President, Florida Southern College
• Dana Kilborne: Chair, EDC of Space Coast
• Belinda Ortiz Kirkegard: Director of economic development, Kissimmee
• Scott Koons: Executive director, North Central Florida Regional Planning Council
• Alan List: President/CEO, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa
• Mark S. Long: Director of incubation services, University of Florida
• Donna Mackenzie: Executive director, StarterStudio, Orlando
• Sean Malott: President/CEO, Central Florida Development Council, Lakeland
• Brandon Matulka: Executive director, Agency for Economic Prosperity, Lake County
• T. Dwayne McCay: President, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne
• Cathy Mehelich: Economic development director, St. Cloud
• Mike Meidel: Director, Pinellas County Economic Development, Clearwater
• Maj Mirmirani: Dean/ College of Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach
• Marci Murphy: President, CareerSource Brevard
• Pamela Nabors: CEO, CareerSource Central Florida
• Keith Norden: President/ CEO, Team Volusia EDC
• David P. Norton: Vice president/ research; professor of materials science and engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Jim O’Connell: Assistant vice president/commercialization, University of Florida
• Linda Olson: CEO/president, Tampa Bay Wave, Tampa
• Tom O’Neal: Engineering Professor, UCF
• Jack Payne: Senior vice president/ agriculture and natural resources, University of Florida/IFAS, Gainesville
• Valerie Pianta: Economic development manager, Hernando County Business Development
• Leon Portelli: Dean/ engineering and computer technology, Seminole State College of Florida, Sanford
• Troy Post: Executive director, North Brevard Economic Development Zone, Titusville
• Craig Richard: President/ CEO, Tampa-Hillsborough Economic Development Corp.
• James Richey: President, Eastern Florida State College
• Paul Sanberg: Senior vice president, research, innovation and knowledge enterprise, University of South Florida
• Shannon J. Schmidt: Economic development director, Clermont Ed Schons: President, Florida High Tech Corridor Council
• Daniel James Scott: Executive director, Tampa Bay Technology Forum
• Thad Seymour Jr.: Interim President, University of Central Florida, Orlando
• Samia Singleton: Economic development specialist, Cocoa
• Craig Shadrix: Development services director, Ocoee
• Mark Sharpe: Executive director, Tampa Innovation Partnership
• Crystal Sircy: COO, senior vice president, Orlando Economic Partnership
• Sri Sridharan: Director/ COO, Florida Center for Cybersecurity at USF, Tampa
• Karl Strauch: Vice president of brand development & strategic alliances, Port of Tampa Bay
• Gary Sulski: Manager/ information technology sector strategy program, CareerSource Brevard
• Ronald Vaughn: President, University of Tampa
• Sherrick T. “Rick” Wassel: Managing director, IQ Orlando
• Lynda Weatherman: President/CEO, Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast
• Sherryl Weems: Associate vice president, College of Workforce and Continuing Adult Education, Daytona State College
• Michael Zaharios III: Program director, Florida Virtual Entrepreneur Center, Daytona Beach
• Karl Zawoy: Director, Innovative Product Development Center, Santa Fe College, Gainesville