 LEADING THE WAY FOR TOMORROW
Since 1971, Leadership Tampa has been introducing its class members to major facets of the greater Tampa community through an intensive nine-month course. Founded by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Tampa’s members participate in educational sessions, tours and candid conversations with community leaders. Topics including law enforcement, education, social services, the environment, economic development and the arts – to name a few – challenge members to see their community as they never have before.
Members of Leadership Tampa are business/professional people who hold mid-to-upper level management positions within their companies or organizations. Additionally, they have demonstrated a concern for community issues and volunteered their time with service organizations, from Boy Scouts and Little League to church activities and professional organizations. The selection process is rigorous and competitive for each of the 50-60 seats available in each class.
The Leadership Tampa year begins in September and concludes in May. Members meet every other week for briefings, tours, seminars and hands-on learning. In addition, the class participates in an Opening Retreat and a Leadership Development Retreat in March. The Leadership Tampa program agendas bring in top-level business, civic, and government leaders for discussion and question and answer sessions.
Applications for the 2011 Class will available in mid-March.
If you have questions about the program or applying for the program, contact Kelsey Bokor, Director of Leadership Tampa Programs, at (813) 276-9445 or email kbokor@tampachamber.com.
LEADERSHIP TAMPA CLASS OF 2010
Chair: Renée Benton Gilmore (LT’94), President and CEO, Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance, Inc.
Vice Chair: Jeffrey Mount, President, Wright's Gourmet House
Adam Alpert, Shareholder, Bush Ross, P.A.
Lori Baggett, Attorney, Carlton Fields, P.A.
Jennifer Bakunas, President, Magnetic
Natalie Bedore, Manager, Member Services, AACSB International
Philip Bell, Director, External Communications & Public Affairs, Gerdau AmeriSteel
John Bertram, Director of Financial Management, Lykes Bros. Inc.
Wendy Bowman, Director of Sales, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida
Charlotte Brittain, Research & Development Manager, Mosaic Fertilizer, LLC
Michael Brooks, Shareholder, Bricklemyer Smolker & Bolves, PA
Evan Brownstein, Partner & Co-Chief Creative Officer, Bright Monkey Marketing, Inc.
Stephen Busbee, President, Spectra Contract Flooring
Bob Busch, CPA, Senior Audit Manager, Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, LLP
Jeff Cathey, Senior Vice President, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Aaron Cohn, Director, Corporate Partnerships, Tampa Bay Rays
Rama Danan, MD - Physician, JSA Medical Group
David DeVaney, Project Manager, The Beck Group
Linda Devine, Vice President for Operations & Planning, The University of Tampa
Afira DeVries, Vice President, Resource Department, United Way of Tampa Bay
Joe Escobedo, Chief of Operations, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART)
Sarah Freeman, Marketing Manager, Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc.
Ryan Freking, Associate, Studley, Inc.
T. Truett Gardner, Partner, Gardner Law Group, P.A.
Scott Garlick, Broker, Cushman & Wakefield of Florida, Inc.
Anne Gormly, Dean, College of Social Sciences, Mathematics & Education, University of Tampa
B. Lee Green, Vice President, Moffitt Diversity, Moffitt Cancer Center
Andrew Hall, Area Director, AT&T Florida
Mark Haney, Vice President of Advancement, The Florida Aquarium
Gordon Hill, Attorney - Shareholder, Hill, Ward & Henderson, PA
Marcos Ibarguen, Senior Architect/Central Florida Team Leader, Reynolds, Smith & Hills, Inc.
Craig Johnson, Vice President - Academic Affairs, Hillsborough Community College
Shirin Kanji, Vice President - Acquisitions, Impact Properties, Inc.
Chris Karlo, Partner, Mercury New Media
Eric Kishel, President, Johnson Bros.
Mike Kraskow, Director, Human Resources, Busch Gardens & Adventure Island
Nate Lacktman, Associate Attorney, Foley & Lardner LLP
Tracie Lowe, CPA, MACC, Controller, Kawasumi Laboratories America, Inc.
Jill Manthey, Vice President of Sales, Yacht StarShip
Andy Mayts, Jr., Shareholder, GrayRobinson, P.A.
April Monteith, CMM, Commercial Relationship Manager, Vice President, Regions Bank
T. Corey Neil, Senior Vice President, The Bank of Tampa
Bert Oliva, Principal, Gensler
Jud Parker, Founder & Principal, Digital Legal Tampa, LLC
Barb Powers, Director of Customer Service, TECO
Jay Saxena, Executive Vice President, ASC geosciences, inc.
Danielle Nunez Seaberg, President, Grand Events Of Florida, LLC
Rich Shannon, Vice President, Williams Company
Tom Stewart, Vice President of Workforce Solutions, Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance, Inc.
Chris Torres, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
Gar Urette, Managing Partner, Tampa Palms Professional Center, Ltd.
Charles Wachter, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP
Leslie Wilson, MS, President/CEO, Wilson Resources, Inc.
Laura Woodard, President, GrassRoots Marketing, Inc.
Andrea Zelman, Attorney, Fowler White Boggs PA
History of Leadership Tampa
It was 1970, and Parke Wright III gathered the members of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce's Executive Committee along the shoreline. As Chairman that year, he had tasked the group to help solve a major water pollution problem in the bay. The director of the Environmental Protection Commission was to take them by boat to the source of the problem - the City of Tampa's sewage discharge point. This group of Tampa's elite - a dozen or more - stood in disbelief, as Roger Stuart pulled up in what looked like a 12-foot boat. In order to fit, everyone stood precariously as they motored slowly over to where the sewage was being dumped into the bay.
At one point somebody nervously joked about who would be left to run the city if the boat capsized. Parke Wright III chuckled, until a sinking feeling set in. There was no one under 50 in this elite group. Where was the next generation of civic leaders? Convinced that training tomorrow's leaders was critical for Tampa's success, he worked quickly to develop a program. Within a matter of months, Leadership Tampa was up and running.
Leadership Tampa Tuition Assistance
For those seeking tuition assistance, some scholarship opportunities are being offered. The Dr. Ike Tribble Minority Scholarship, given to minority applicants who demonstrate a commitment to community involvement; The Leadership Tampa Alumni Non-profit Scholarship, awarded to candidates who work in the Non-profit sector and need tuition assistance; and the newly established Parke Wright III Leadership Scholarship, given to candidates who exhibit exemplary leadership abilities are all available. Requests for tuition assistance must be made prior to the application deadline.
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