Remund’s five years as CEO are pinnacle of more than 23 years with innovative organization
TAMPA, FL (April 3, 2023) – Lynda Remund, president and CEO of the Tampa Downtown Partnership, announced plans to retire today after more than two decades of service to Tampa’s Downtown. Long time senior staff member Shaun Drinkard will serve as interim president while the organization begins a nationwide search for her successor.
During Remund’s five years as president and CEO, the partnership launched new landmark public events such as Boom by the Bay and Eggsploration, supported businesses and residents through the COVID-19 pandemic, and helped shape newly emerging neighborhoods in Tampa’s rapidly growing Downtown core.
“Under the leadership of Lynda, Tampa’s Downtown has grown into the live, work, and play powerhouse of this region. We cannot thank her enough for her decades of service to this community and appreciate that she is leaving us with an organization ready to continue that legacy,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
“Lynda’s service to our city has had an immense impact,” said Abbey Ahern, chairwoman of the Tampa Downtown Partnership’s Board of Directors and principal at Dohring Ahern. “When she joined the team in 2000, most people couldn’t imagine the growth ahead for Downtown Tampa—but Lynda has understood all along how to hold onto all the things we love that make Tampa so special, even as our city has grown tremendously.”
With Remund as president and CEO, the partnership:
- Launched two new signature public events: Boom by the Bay, a multi-location 4th of July fireworks bash in partnership with the City of Tampa, and Ashley’s Eggsploration, Tampa’s largest Easter egg hunt with 40,000 hidden Easter eggs
- Secured 501(c)(3) status for the Tampa Downtown Partnership Foundation, reducing costs and increasing sponsorship opportunities for public events
- Expanded its Special Services District boundaries for the first time since 1994, incorporating much of the Tampa Heights and Encore neighborhoods
- Hosted the International Downtown Association’s 2021 Annual Conference, bringing thousands of Downtown management professionals from around the world to Tampa’s Downtown
- Partnered with the City of Tampa for the Lift Up Local initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic, distributing Downtown Dollar vouchers, supporting grant programs, and commissioning street murals
Those efforts have produced remarkable results and widespread praise, with the latest honor coming just days ago as TIME Magazine named Tampa to its list of 50 “World’s Greatest Places.”
“When you can dedicate yourself to a cause that’s as important as your community’s future; work with the finest team in the world; and manage to add in some fun with fireworks, ice skating, and turning a river green—you know you’ve helped create something special,” said Remund. “I am confident we have put the right pieces in place to continue Downtown Tampa’s incredible story.”
Remund joined the nonprofit organization, which fosters vibrant neighborhoods and supports Downtown’s stakeholders, as director of district operations in October 2000 before rising to chief operating officer and ultimately, in January 2018, to acting and then permanent president and CEO. Prior to her career at the Tampa Downtown Partnership, Lynda served as community and events coordinator for Chase Manhattan Bank.
“Lynda is a caring and principled leader. We are all so thankful she has dedicated herself to making her hometown of Tampa the best it can be,” said Kevin Plummer, former Tampa Downtown Partnership Board chair and Tampa Preparatory School’s head of school. “The Tampa Downtown Partnership is seen by its peers around the country as a respected trailblazer, and Lynda has been vital in shaping the partnership into the outstanding organization it is today.”
Remund is a Tampa native, a 2023 BusinessWoman of the Year honoree, and has served on the boards of several community organizations, including the board of the Tampa Bay Chamber. She is married to her husband, Rene, and is the proud mother to her daughter, Lindsay, and her late son, Bobby, and nana to four grandchildren.
About the Tampa Downtown Partnership
Tampa Downtown Partnership is a private, membership-based not-for-profit 501(c)(6) comprised of companies, organizations, and individuals with a common goal of advancing Tampa’s Downtown. Through an annual contract with the City of Tampa, Tampa Downtown Partnership administers the Special Services District. In addition to Tampa’s Downtown Guides and Clean Team, Tampa Downtown Partnership serves Downtown through marketing, business development, transportation, advocacy, public space activation, planning, and beautification.