National experts from as far away as California and Utah participated with key leaders across the seven-county Central Florida region in the three-day Strategy Session of the Regional Leadership Academy conducted by myregion.org.
In concert with the Orlando Regional Chamber’s Regional Board of Advisors Community Leadership Forum on Wednesday, sixty elected officials, business and civic sector professionals gathered with 300 other Forum attendees to discuss regional cooperation and collaboration.
Academy participants reassembled Wednesday afternoon, all day Thursday and Friday morning to drill down on the most important question facing Central Florida, “How Shall We Grow?” Working in teams since the Academy Orientation Session in January, the participant teams provided reports on their research into the most pressing issues of transportation, environmental protection, affordable housing, education and regional leadership. The group then used electronic polling technology to rank the region’s challenges according to priority and urgency.
Very weighty discussions followed centering around the fact that the issues are not “either/or” but more of how and when. Encouraged by periodic feedback from local technical professionals and a wide range of national experts in regional leadership, Academy participants learned that Central Florida is ahead of the game in many cases citing the extensive research that has been compiled by myregion.org addressing community values, social capital, growth projections, environmental assets and more. They were cautioned as well, not to fall into “analysis paralysis” noting that some communities get stuck on the research component of regional development, never moving into action and implementation.
Discussions on inclusiveness reinforced much of what was learned at the recent 2006 Hispanic Summit that the growing Hispanic, African-American, and Asian populations must be at the table to provide input on everything from job creation to affordable housing. The tipping point of riots in Los Angeles should provide a warning to Central Florida that regional growth and development must be conscientiously planned and collaboratively implemented.
A brainstorming session provided a number of viable “breakthrough" ideas that should be explored further. Community education through cooperative media outlets was applauded. Representatives of both the Orlando Sentinel and WMFE TV/90.7 Radio indicated their support of public programming and news coverage to “educate, educate, educate” the public at large so that they will be informed and supportive of tough decision-making that may result as elected officials and community leaders grapple with these important regional issues.
To honor their commitment to the Regional Leadership Academy and Central Florida’s future, participants were presented with an original Florida painting by R.L. Lewis, one of the legendary Florida Highwaymen artists who lives in Brevard County.
Below is a list of the graduates of the first ever Central Florida Regional Leadership Academy.
Academy Deans
Ms. Linda W. Chapin
University of Central Florida
Mr. R. Randolph Lyon, Jr.
Xentury City Development Company, LC
Participants
Mr. Patrick D. Blucker
United States Air Force
Ms. Susan Bodner
Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando
Mr. David Bottomley
METROPLAN ORLANDO
Mr. Mark Brewer
Community Foundation of
Central Florida, Inc.
Ms. Maria Brous
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
The Honorable Frank T. Bruno, Jr.
Volusia County Council
Anthony J. Catanese, Ph.D.
Florida Institute of Technology
Mr. Roger E. Chapin
Mears Transportation Group
The Honorable Nancy Clutts
City of Tavares
The Honorable Fred Costello
City of Ormond Beach
Ms. Kanika Dailey
Florida High Tech Corridor
Ridge Community Senior High School
Duane E. De Freese, Ph.D.
Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute
Mr. Robert Dent
Osceola County Council on Aging, Inc.
Ms. Carmen Dominguez
Home Builders Association of Metro Orlando
Homes by Carmen Dominguez
Mr. P. Shannon Elswick
Orlando Regional Healthcare
Mr. José Estorino
Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc.
Mr. José A. Fajardo
WMFE-TV/FM
Mr. T. J. Fish
Lake-Sumter MPO
Mr. Donald S. Fisher
Seminole County Manager's Office
Mr. Raymond Gilley
Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission
Ms. Charlotte Hall
Orlando Sentinel Communications
Ms. Cindy Hall
Lake County
The Honorable Catherine C. Hanson
Lake County Commission
Mr. Joel W. Hass
American Red Cross of Central Florida
Mr. Clay Henderson
Holland & Knight LLP
Ms. Betty Holness
Volusia County
Mr. Edwin J. Hunzeker
Osceola County
Mr. Gregory Jones
Castalia Consulting
Ms. Janet Kersey
Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Mr. Chris King
King and Blackwell
Ms. Margot H. Knight
United Arts of Central Florida, Inc.
Mr. John W. Koenig
O-Force: The Orlando Regional Partnership for Tomorrow's Workforce
Ms. Candace Lankford
Central Florida School Board Coalition
Volusia County Public Schools
Mr. Charles Lee, Sr.
Audubon of Florida
Ms. Dori Madison
Tucker Hall, Inc.
Mr. Henry Maldonado
WKMG TV - Local 6
Ms. Mercedes F. McCall
Banco Popular North America
E. Ann McGee, Ed.D.
Seminole Community College
Mr. Mark B. McHugh
Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Gatorland
The Honorable Jack R. Myers
Polk County Commission
Mr. James Payne
Deseret Ranch
Mr. Craig E. Polejes
Florida Bank of Commerce
The Honorable Ron Pritchard
Brevard County Board of Commissioners
Mr. John Provance
United Way of Lake & Sumter Counties
Mr. Jon B. Rawlson
East Central Florida Regional Planning Council
Akerman Senterfitt
The Honorable Sandra Robinson
Central Florida School Board Coalition
Seminole County Public Schools
Mr. John P. Saboor
Central Florida Sports Commission
Ms. Debbie Salamone
Orlando Sentinel Communications
Mr. Ray San Fratello
South Lake Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Mark W. Shamley
Tupperware Brands Corp.
Sanford C. Shugart, Ph.D.
Valencia Community College
Mr. Ricardo Soto-Lopez
Town of Eatonville
Mr. Daniel Stetson
Polk Museum of Art
Mr. Ed Timberlake
Bank of America
Mr. Derrick D. Wallace
Construct Two Group
Ms. Linda S. Watson
LYNX
Mr. Doug Weaver
Volusia County
National Experts
Dee Allsop, Ph.D.
Harris-Wirthlin Brand and Strategy Consulting
Ms. Christine A. Chadwick
FOCUS Saint Louis
Mr. Robert Grow
O'Melveny and Myers LLP
Mr. Doug Henton
Collaborative Economics
Mr. John Kaliski
Cambridge Systematics
Mr. John Melville
Collaborative Economics
Mr. John Parr
Center for Regional & Neighborhood Action
Ms. Katherine Perez
Southern California Transportation & Land Use Coalition
Ms. Joan Riehm
New Metro Government
Mr. Steve Seibert
Florida Century Commission
The Seibert Law Firm
Mr. George Vradenburg
Vradenburg Foundation
Technical Team
Andre Anderson, AICP
Orange County Planning Division
Ms. Kristin Bakke
Leadership Brevard
Mr. Harry Barley
METROPLAN ORLANDO
Owen Beitsch, Ph.D.
Real Estate Research Consultants
Ms. Colleen Burton
Polk Vision
Mr. Jeff Jones
East Central Florida Regional Planning Council
Mr. Michael Ketchum
Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce
Ms. Shellie-Ann Minnis
Metropolitan Orlando Urban League
Ms. Kirsten Palacios
Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Greater Orlando, Inc.
Mr. Tom Tomerlin
East Central Florida Regional Planning Council
