TAMPA BAY – 2017 saw markets rally to new heights. Will that trend continue? What will dominate business headlines in the year ahead. What will it mean for you?
Get some perspectives at Focus on 2018: A Tampa Bay Economic Forecast. This annual signature event is presented by the Central Pinellas Chamber of Commerce. It features Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis and Visit Florida CEO Ken Lawson along with business experts who will share predictions and provide insight on significant global, national and regional issues destined to impact the Tampa Bay economy.
This year’s Focus panelists and their topics include:
State of the State Forecast
” src=”cid:image004.jpg@01D38E0F.19DE77A0″ alt=”CFO Jimmy Patronis” align=”left” hspace=”9″ vspace=”9″ v:shapes=”Picture_x0020_6″ class=”Apple-web-attachment Singleton”>• Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is a native Floridian born and raised in Panama City. He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2014, representing his hometown region in the Florida Panhandle. He was appointed to serve on Florida’s Public Service Commission, as well as the Constitution Revision Commission. Governor Rick Scott officially announced the appointment of Mr. Patronis to the CFO cabinet position in June 2017, following the resignation of CFO Jeff Atwater. Among many things, theCFO oversees the state’s accounting and auditing functions, monitors the investment of state funds and manages the deferred compensation program and risk management program for the state Insurance consumer service. The office is responsible for the licensing and oversight of insurance agents and agencies, as well as funeral homes and cemeteries. It also oversees insurance fraud investigations, as well as ensuring businesses have workers’ compensation coverage for employees and assisting injured workers with benefit payments and re-employment.
Construction Industry Forecast
” src=”cid:image006.jpg@01D38E0F.19DE77A0″ alt=”image006.jpg” align=”left” hspace=”12″ v:shapes=”Picture_x0020_5″ class=”Apple-web-attachment Singleton”>• Steve Cona III, President and CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, leads the commercial construction trade association serving over 400 member companies on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The association’s mission is to help members develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically, profitably and for the betterment of the communities in which ABC serves. Known as the voice of commercial construction, ABC is a national construction industry trade association representing nearly 21,000 members across the country.
Energy Industry Forecast
” src=”cid:image008.jpg@01D38E0F.19DE77A0″ alt=”Stacy-1 (003)” align=”left” hspace=”12″ v:shapes=”Picture_x0020_4″ class=”Apple-web-attachment Singleton”>• Stacy S. Dochoda is President and CEO of Florida Reliability Coordinating Council, Inc.The FRCC is a not-for-profit Florida company that’s mission is to identify, prioritize, and assure effective and cost efficient mitigation of risks to the reliability and security of the peninsular Florida power system. The FRCC serves as a regional entity with delegated authority from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) for the purpose of proposing and enforcing reliability standards. Stacy has over 30 years’ experience in the electric utility industry, including 25 years with Reliant Energy Inc. and its predecessor, Houston Lighting and Power Company.
Tourism Industry Forecast
” src=”cid:image010.jpg@01D38E0F.19DE77A0″ alt=”https://www.frla.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Lawson-headshot_edit.jpg” align=”left” hspace=”12″ v:shapes=”Picture_x0020_3″ class=”Apple-web-attachment Singleton”>• Ken Lawson, President and CEO of Visit Florida, is responsible for leading the state’s official tourism marketing corporation, which serves as Florida’s official source for travel planning to visitors across the globe. VISIT Florida has 136 full- and part-time positions in Florida and an international team of contracted staff covering Canada, China, India, Germany, Latin America and the United Kingdom. Mr. Lawson is a former federal prosecutor and Marine Corps captain, Assistant Secretary of Enforcement for the U.S. Department of Treasury, and Assistant Chief Counsel for Field Operations at the Transportation Security Administration. He was also was an assistant U.S. attorney in the Criminal Division for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa.
Presenting sponsors of the program are Regions Bank, Duke Energy and Sheraton Sand Key Resort.
Cost to attend is $48 for open seating which includes breakfast or reserved tables of eight for $360. Tickets can be purchased at the Chamber office at 801 West Bay Drive, Suite 602 or online at www.CentralChamber.biz . For more information, call 727-584-2321.
The Central Pinellas Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1952, is the official voice of the Central Pinellas County business and professional community representing more than 500 companies