TAMPA (May 3, 2018) – Tampa Downtown Partnership is pleased to announce that it’s Acting CEO and President, Lynda Remund, has been selected as one of the industry’s brightest professionals for the International Downtown Association’s 2018 Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program. Remund is one of 30 senior staff members that hail from 3 countries and 21 provinces or states, including Cape Town (South Africa), Calgary (Alberta), Honolulu, New York City, Anchorage, Sioux Falls, Sacramento, Houston and Denver.
Alumni of the International Downtown Association (IDA) Emerging Leaders Fellowship program are fast becoming sought-after leaders for the future of city building around worldwide. In just two years, the IDA program has resulted in at least 20% of its graduates receiving promotions, including Tampa Downtown Partnership staff member Shaun Drinkard, who was in 2017’s program and promoted to Senior Director of Public Programming and Operations in April of this year.
“The success of our Fellowship program, launched in 2016, underscores how critical this training is to our growing industry,” said David Downey, President and CEO of IDA. “This is the only program of its kind created specifically for urban place management professionals. IDA is looking to further illustrate the importance of our industry by elevating leaders with the necessary skills to champion inclusive city building.”
The Emerging Leader Fellowship is a week-long experiential program bringing together a cohort of IDA professionals from within the urban district management industry. The fellows learn essential leadership and place management skills and gain practical tools in the areas of place-based economic development, the live-work-play experience, and public-private partnerships.
“It’s an honor to be selected for the Emerging Leader Fellowship,” said Remund. “I’m confident that the relationships and knowledge gained from this experience will benefit the Tampa Downtown Partnership in ways we have not yet imagined.”
“The International Downtown Association is looking to build the future of our industry, and these accomplished executives are the rising stars of our profession,” said Downey. “With this program, we’re educating and inspiring the next generation of leaders.”
The program takes place June 17-22, 2018 in New York City featuring intensive instruction delivered by IDA partners at Baruch College, City University of New York, Times Square Alliance and Coro New York Leadership Center. Professionals from several business improvement district organizations across the city provide technical in-the-field training. The event takes place at various locations throughout Manhattan with field visits provided by several local BID leaders.