Summer is for Strategic Thinking


July 25, 2019



It’s July, and that means most of us are enjoying or looking forward to some well-deserved vacations. It’s also my favorite time of year to do strategic planning. Stepping away from my daily routine helps me to recharge and think more expansively about the future. And our future here in Tampa Bay is full of exciting possibilities.

 

This spring, the EDC engaged Austin-based TIP Strategies to help us craft our next three-year strategic plan. Over the course of the next several months, the TIP team interviewed dozens of EDC Investors and community stakeholders about our region’s strengths, opportunities, and challenges. They conducted research to better understand what drives our competitiveness, and spent time with our staff and local companies to get a sense of what growing businesses need most.

 

Our management team has been working intensively with TIP to chart a course that will position this region for optimal competitiveness and prosperity. The EDC will continue pursuing its mission to attract and retain high-wage jobs and bring in capital investment to Hillsborough County. That is, after all, why we exist. But leaping ahead of our competitors and positioning Tampa and Hillsborough County as the best place in America to grow a company or build a successful career is going to involve some bigger thinking and disciplined planning.

 

Next month, the EDC’s board will review our ambitious new strategic plan draft and shape the final version.  We’ll share this plan with the entire community at our Annual Meeting on October 29 at the Straz Center. I encourage you to mark your calendars for this must-attend event. More information including tickets and sponsorships is available here.

 

I am confident that, with this strategic plan, the EDC’s second decade is going to get off to an incredible start. I look forward to working with all of you to strengthen our region’s economic competitiveness and enhance the quality of life for all of us who call Tampa and Hillsborough County home.

 

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

 

Craig

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