It’s my experience that effective leadership requires passion and a sense of community. It’s one thing to set goals and priorities for one organization, one city, one county; to work up the career ladder; or to reach a certain level of success. It’s a different story to make the prosperity of an entire region, or Super Region, a personal goal.

Great leaders make big things happen because they think big. They move concepts to ideas; plans to actions. They think outside of the box. They innovate. They’re forward thinking. They think beyond their organization’s self interest, toward a greater community good.

Each year with the Chair’s Cup for Excellence in Regionalism, the Tampa Bay Partnership recognizes individuals who’ve made significant contributions, exhibited leadership and advocated for resources to enhance economic development in the Tampa Bay region.

We’ve celebrated a wide variety of strong leaders throughout the years, from Gov. Jeb Bush to Congressman Bill Young to Central Florida’s own Jacob Stuart, president and CEO of the Central Florida Partnership. Each one of the recognized leaders has advanced the region, and the state, towards greater prosperity by embracing regionalism and super regionalism; by thinking big and taking action on bold, innovative ideas. That’s what leadership is all about: the ability to create and identify bright ideas for the advancement of the community and moving forward on them.

As the 2010-2011 chair of the Tampa Bay Partnership, I am honored to present the 2011 Chair’s Cup to three outstanding regional leaders who have thought big and brought the community together to act upon a larger vision for Tampa Bay: Dr. Judy Genshaft, president of the University of South Florida; Teri A. Hansen, president and CEO of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation; and Mayor Frank Hibbard of the City of Clearwater.

Genshaft’s impact reaches far beyond Tampa Bay into the Super Region. She is a committed believer in the power of partnerships and has exemplified super regionalism in leading USF’s partnership with the University of Central Florida. Together, USF and UCF have made the I-4 Corridor a huge state influencer in innovation, voting power and beyond. Recognized as a leader for economic development, Genshaft has played a momentous role in attracting innovators and job creators such as SRI and Draper Laboratory to the region. She leads the nation's ninth-largest public research university, which has a $3.7 billion annual economic impact on the region and is one of Tampa Bay’s top employers.

Hansen leads the efforts of Florida’s largest community foundation and, together with its donors, is transforming the region through bold and proactive philanthropy. She was instrumental in forming CareerEdge, the first Funders Collaborative designated as a National Fund for Workforce Solutions site in the Southeast, uniting philanthropy with workforce development. Hansen’s leadership benefits her community and beyond through funding of major community initiatives such as an analysis of Florida’s 9-1-1 system, which helped secure passage of a milestone public safety law in Florida in 2010.

Mayor Hibbard has demonstrated an undeniable understanding of regionalism. He worked closely on that Partnership’s ONE BAY visioning efforts in mapping out what the region needs to do now to ensure that its future growth is inclusive, productive and sustainable. He has supported initiatives outside of Clearwater and Pinellas County, understanding that the potential impact of issues can reach far beyond one county into the entire region. Through his leadership on transportation and planning issues and work with the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority, Pinellas Metropolitan Planning Organization and Chair’s Coordinating Committee, Mayor Hibbard has not only advanced the City of Clearwater but the entire region.

These extraordinary leaders deserve to be celebrated.

Beyond celebration, it’s crucial that we continuously promote entrepreneurial spirit and game-changing ideas. The value of the Tampa Bay Partnership is in its ability to convene the region’s most dedicated and passionate leaders in taking the steps needed to advance prosperity for the region as a whole.

Chair’s Cup for Excellence in Regionalism

Past Recipients

(2010-2001 in descending order)

Stuart Rogel, Tampa Bay Partnership

Jacob Stuart, Central Florida Partnership

Jeff Lyash, Progress Energy

Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority

ONE BAY: Livable Communities

Tampa Bay Rays

Joe Smith, Joe Smith Enterprises

Rhea Law, Fowler White Boggs Banker

State Rep. Bill Galvano

State Sen. Mike Fasano

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush

Richard A. Beard, Realtor

Dr. Jack Critchfield, Educator

State Sen. Jim Sebesta

Ed Turanchik, Florida 2012

Ed Timberlake, Bank of America

John Sykes, Sykes Enterprises

Sandy MacKinnon, Yale Industrial Trucks

U.S. Rep. Bill Young

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

You have probably heard that Florida is the Sunshine State, and you would probably agree that each state has its own defining characteristic. New York has its city, California has its movie stars and Illinois has its high taxes.

Many people may look at Florida and think of sunshine, Disney World, orange juice and beaches. These are great reasons for people to think of Florida, but as governor, my goal is to make people immediately associate our state with jobs and opportunities.

During my campaign last year, Florida was continuing to lose jobs by the thousands, and I pledged to get the state back to work by implementing seven steps to help businesses create 700,000 jobs over seven years. Implementation of the initial phases of my seven-step plan and creation of an emphasis on economic development have Florida already heading in the right direction. Eleven months into my term, Florida has already surpassed 100,000 net jobs, including 118,000 new jobs in the private sector.

The best way to ensure all Floridians the opportunity to have a job is to make Florida the best state in the country for businesses to start, relocate or expand. This doesn’t just mean large corporations; it means small and locally owned businesses, too. It is the smaller businesses that add one or two jobs here and there that will play the biggest part in getting our state back to work, and I am grateful for those who have the foresight to take a risk and invest in Florida.

Every state and country competes for jobs, and it is my goal to make sure Florida is the obvious choice for businesses by providing new opportunities and job seekers.

When we as individuals shop, we’re not willing to pay more for a product or service because the business is located in a state or country with higher taxes or fees, with the additional cost of unnecessary or redundant permitting or regulation, or with increased litigation risk. If businesses are to thrive and hire more employees here in Florida, we need to ensure that they aren’t at a competitive disadvantage because of higher taxes and fees, and a burdensome regulatory and litigation environment.

The process of making Florida the “Jobs State” and improving its business climate began last legislative session, when we successfully closed a $3.4 billion budget gap and reduced state spending by $2 billion while simultaneously cutting taxes for Floridians. We eliminated the business income tax for nearly half of the businesses that were required to pay it and delivered $210 million in property tax cuts, meaning more money for businesses and families. In addition, I vetoed $615 million in wasteful spending from the state budget, streamlined government by consolidating its multiple economic development agencies into one Department of Economic Opportunity and began eliminating more than 1,000 unnecessary government rules and regulations—a process that is continuing today. We also brought Florida into line with the rest of the country by having state workers contribute to their own retirement just as private sector employees do.

My first legislative session in office was marked by an unprecedented number of reforms focused on getting our state back to work. As a result, Florida is rapidly growing jobs, and we have experienced a declining unemployment rate, from 12 percent last December to 10.3 percent in October.

Clearly Florida means business.

Job Creation and Economic Growth

The key priorities of my 2012 jobs agenda will build on the progress made in 2011. We are on the right path, but with close to 900,000 Floridians still out of work, being on the right path is not enough. With that in mind, here are my seven job creation and economic growth priorities for the upcoming legislative session:

• Streamline business permitting and eliminate burdensome rules and regulations.

• Provide tax relief and reform for Florida’s working families and businesses.

• Reform Florida’s unemployment system to create a reemployment system.

• Restore accountability and credibility to Florida’s Workforce Boards.

• Prioritize vital transportation projects to facilitate economic development opportunities.

• Offer stability to Florida businesses by balancing the budget without raising taxes.

• Prioritize science, technology, engineering and mathematics in education.

I am pushing for Florida to take one step closer to completely phasing out the business income tax, and I’m seeking to exempt around half—roughly 150,000—of businesses from paying the tangible personal property tax, which can be as burdensome for small businesses just to file as to pay. Working with the Legislature and the Department of Transportation, we will prioritize transportation projects that will have the greatest economic development impact; maximize incentives for manufacturers to open and expand; increase training opportunities for unemployed Floridians; and ensure our students are prepared to compete in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. And I will demand more accountability from Florida’s 24 locally controlled Workforce Boards and tightened scrutiny of special taxing districts, which have $15.4 billion in budget authority annually.

International Trade

Shortly after rolling out my 2012 Job Creation and Economic Growth Agenda, I had an opportunity to travel to Brazil with a delegation of Florida business leaders. The Florida businesses that participated in the trade mission came away with $94 million in expected new sales with partners in Brazil. We met with key Brazilian business leaders interested in investing in Florida and shared with them Florida’s plans to be the best place to do business. It was a successful trip that capped off a year that also included successful trade missions to Panama and Canada.

During these trade missions, Florida businesses highlighted the significant benefit our state will experience from the recent passage of the free trade agreements with Panama, Colombia and South Korea. In 2011, I urged President Obama to send the three previously negotiated free trade agreements to Congress for immediate ratification, with no strings attached. The agreements were approved in October and are projected to create nearly 12,000 jobs in Florida and save American companies $3 billion-plus in tariffs.

These agreements will be a catalyst for expansion of the maritime cargo activities at Florida ports that are responsible for generating more than 550,000 direct and indirect jobs and $66 billion in total economic value. With these factors working in our favor, Florida is well positioned to become a national leader in international trade as well as job creation.

Job Announcements

Companies are beginning to notice that we are making Florida the best place to realize a return on their investments of capital, time and people. The companies discussed here, which recently announced plans to grow and expand here in Florida, are evidence that the state is doing the right things to grow jobs and opportunities for its residents.

Time Warner decided to build its new shared services center in Tampa instead of Atlanta. The company has projected creation of 500 jobs, primarily focused in human resources and information technology, during the next five years. It chose Florida because of our talented workforce and our business environment.

In November, I announced that The Boeing Co. will add 550 private-sector aerospace jobs at Kennedy Space Center. By choosing to manufacture its commercial spacecraft in Florida, Boeing is tapping into the built-in talent on Florida’s Space Coast.

IRX Therapeutics is relocating its corporate headquarters from New York to Tampa Bay, a move that is expected to create 280 new jobs in five years.

Colt’s Manufacturing Co. LLC has committed to create 63 jobs in Osceola County for its new regional headquarters and product manufacturing center. Engineering and manufacturing jobs, among others, are included. In 2012, Colt is projected to begin phasing in the first of 63 jobs, paying an average salary of $45,060. The company is making a $2.5 million capital investment in a vacant building that is owned by Osceola County, which it will lease.

Global Components Inc., a division of United Kingdom-based plastic component manufacturer TCB-Arrow, has chosen Manatee County for its U.S. operations and plans to establish 50 jobs over three years, with hiring beginning in early 2012. Officials from the company called Manatee a “great jumping-off point” for continental expansion.

Also, Coca-Cola Refreshments is investing $99 million to expand its Main Street juice production facility in Auburndale. The expansion includes adding 60 new jobs in Polk County, with an average compensation above both the county and state levels.

These are major announcements for Florida. However, it is also the work and risks small businesses take by adding one or two jobs that are helping get our state back to work. Companies around the world are recognizing that Florida is on track to be the best state in the nation in which to do business. And I am proud to welcome them to our great state.

 About Richard L. Scott

Becoming the 45th governor of Florida in January 2011, Rick Scott has spent his professional career in business, healthcare and politics.

After law school at Southern Methodist University, he worked for the city’s largest law firm, Johnson & Swanson, primarily representing companies in the healthcare, oil and gas, and communication industries.

In 1987, while still practicing law, Scott made an offer to purchase HCA Inc. When the offer was rejected, he started Columbia Hospital Corp. By the time he left Columbia in 1997 at age 44, it had grown to become the world's largest healthcare company, with more than 340 hospitals, 135 surgery centers and 550 home-health locations in 37 states and two foreign countries.

Much earlier, while enrolled at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (where he earned a degree in business administration) and working full time at a local grocery store, Scott made his first significant foray into the business world by buying two Kansas City doughnut shops for his mother to manage.

Also notably, Scott was in the U.S. Navy as a radar man (active duty aboard the USS Glover), and he lived in public housing as a schoolboy.

 5 Questions for the Governor

 What's been the toughest decision so far?

“The toughest decision is just trying to figure out how to allocate the dollars in the budget. That's the hardest thing, because there are a lot of things you'd like to do. But in the first year I walked in on a budget deficit over $3 billion. And for the fiscal year starting next July 1, it's almost a $2 billion budget deficit. So the hardest thing is making sure you try to allocate the dollars as well as possible.”

What about the greatest challenge?

“It's making sure you have the wisdom to figure out the right way to get people back to work.”

Have there been any surprises as governor?

“Probably the biggest surprise is how much I've enjoyed the job. There's no better job than trying to have a positive impact on 19 million Floridians. That's probably been my biggest surprise—how enjoyable it is.”

Entering the 2011 holiday season, days before 2012 begins, what keeps you up at night?

“My biggest concern is whether the federal government will do the right thing and get its fiscal house in order, so we can have a good federal partner and get jobs. We've done a good job at getting jobs coming into the state. If the federal government would do what we're doing in Florida, it would be a lot better. The thing I worry about the most is whether there’s going to be a day of reckoning if they don't figure out how to control their budget, and how it's going to impact our state.”

What is your view of the collaboration that is occurring across Tampa Bay and Central Florida, and the need for such working together in the quest for economic growth and global competitiveness?

“I applaud the collaborative efforts of the business communities in Central Florida and the Tampa Bay region to create economic development opportunities that extend beyond the I-4 corridor. The state has added more than 100,000 jobs this year, and partnerships like these help make Florida the best place to live, get a good job and have a great vacation.”

Open for Business

On Dec. 9, the more than 250 attendees of the Regional Business Summit agreed that Central Florida is “Open for Business,” as did key leaders representing Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s Jobs Council: Dale A. Brill of the Florida Chamber Foundation, Tom Beck of the Department of Economic Opportunity, Chris Hart IV of Workforce Florida Inc. and Melissa Medley of Enterprise Florida Inc.

The “Open for Business” Regional Business Summit focused on three regional work groups that have been examining barriers to business success and a vibrant economy. The event was presented by project manager myregion.org—one of the Central Florida Partnership's four lines of business— on behalf of the “Open for Business” Organizing Committee: Associated Builders and Contractors Inc., Central Florida Partnership; Home Builders Association of Metro Orlando; Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission; Orlando Regional Realtor Association; and Workforce Central Florida.

The three regional work groups are “Creating Access to Capital,” “Reviewing Transactional Fees” and “Streamlining Permitting and Licensing.”

In responding to presentations, guests representing Gov. Scott committed their respective agencies to help “build capacity” for the region’s work across Florida by providing assistance in monitoring, measuring and moving the work to market.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

In September, word arrived that, with the help of Melbourne-based National Solar Power, one of the largest solar farms in the world is heading for Florida—a $1.5 billion solar farm in Gadsden County. The plan is to build a 400MW solar farm that would generate enough electricity to power some 32,000 homes, with the company selling its electricity to utilities.

Then in November, National Solar Power announced its intent to establish a 200MW solar farm in Hardee County, a $700 million project. The company plans ten 200-acre farms, each at a cost of $70 million. Additionally, the company—a market leader in utility-scale solar power solutions—announced the creation of Green Infrastructure Partners LLC to help fund renewable energy infrastructure projects like those in Gadsden and Hardee counties. This new company offers a platform for institutions and accredited investors to participate in “the inevitable transition to a renewable energy infrastructure in the United States.”

At that time, National Solar Power CEO James Scrivener proclaimed: “Florida is the new frontier when it comes to solar farm development.”

Quite apparently, others agree about those large swaths of land on which panels are built that absorb energy, which can then be dispersed from a single power plant to thousands of homes. Indeed, while solar farming doesn't have much history in the state, with locations spotted only about as often as a Florida panther, the concept is getting hot.

Earlier in 2011, a consortium of European businesspeople visited St. Petersburg to explore the possibility of investing in a solar farm along with a factory to manufacture solar panels. Reportedly, while the project wouldn't be inexpensive, the German and Austrian executives were encouraged by what they saw. The timing appears right.

In Orange County, that time has arrived. The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC—The Reliable One) is building the county’s first solar farm, located at the Curtis H. Stanton Energy Center. The 5.9MW solar photovoltaic (PV) array is expected to generate enough renewable energy to power more than 600 homes. Duke Energy and Regenesis Power LLC are installing, operating and maintaining the system, and OUC plans to purchase that power for the next 20 years. The solar farm not only increases OUC’s portfolio of clean generation, but it also provides the opportunity to study the impact a large-scale solar array will have on an electric distribution system, according to OUC Board President Maylen Dominguez.

The Stanton Solar Farm will employ 25,172 solar modules and 600 tons of steel, while 17 miles of wire will connect the modules to the electric grid. Nearing completion, the farm adds to an already diverse fleet of clean, reliable generation at OUC’s 3,280-acre Stanton Energy Center, which is home to natural gas, landfill gas and coal.

Meanwhile, Lakeland Electric is constructing a 5.5MW solar farm at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. The 45-acre farm will feature 18,000 solar panels and generate an estimated 9 million kWh of solar electricity annually. The first phase of the project is nearing completion, and the second is expected to be completed in 2012.

Over 25 years, the solar farm will produce enough clean energy to power more than 15,500 Lakeland homes for one year. In that same amount of time, the solar farm will offset more than 299 million pounds of carbon dioxide, equal to removing more than 29,000 cars from the road for one year. The project comes by virtue of a strategic solar power service agreement between Maryland-based SunEdison and Lakeland Electric, where SunEdison finances and deploys the solar farm with no upfront costs paid by Lakeland Electric. In return, Lakeland Electric purchases the power produced at long-term, predictable rates for 25 years.

Call this more than solar speculation. All these projects represent potential win-wins for the utilities and companies involved, as well as for energy consumers. And, if forecasts are correct, they're a real sign of activity to come. According to the Institute for Energy Research, most of Florida’s electric power comes from natural gas (54 percent), coal (25 percent), nuclear (13 percent) and petroleum (4 percent). Yet, some industry experts contend that solar power could supply half the world's energy needs by 2060. Notably, the solar industry grew 67 percent in 2010—faster than any other U.S. industry—cites the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Ironically, given the weather, in Florida, solar has just taken a while longer to shine here than in other parts of the country. Some experts say the Florida Legislature hasn't exactly been in solar's corner. For example, it didn't renew a property tax exemption for homeowners who installed solar PV or solar thermal water heating in their homes.

Now, however, the climate is changing. Not coincidentally, the price of solar is declining by roughly 10 percent a year. Better technology and greater financial incentives also are heightening interest. The result: Within the next five years, some experts predict, the cost to produce solar energy could be less than the cost to burn fossil fuels.

The landscape is growing fertile.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

Impatient. Dissatisfied. Restless.

Probably not the first adjectives you’d expect to describe one of Florida’s largest community foundations, right? But at Gulf Coast Community Foundation, we wear such labels with pride. Because they speak directly to why we do what we do.

Together with our donors, we transform our region through bold and proactive philanthropy. We are profoundly dissatisfied with the status quo, bored with excuses—in philanthropy and in our community. So, we figure we have a choice. Sit back and merely respond to community challenges as they surface. Or proactively apply our energy and intelligence to a battle plan for transforming our region.

We choose the latter. Here’s how.

LEAD: It’s in our DNA. Right risks, right rewards. That’s our mantra at Gulf Coast. Take the opportunity that arose in 2011 to bring a world-renowned genetics-research institute to Sarasota County. We didn’t blink. Instead, we mobilized a coalition of government, businesses, and citizens who worked together to try to make The Jackson Laboratory-Florida a reality.

While the facility did not materialize here—you’re welcome, Connecticut!—I tell my staff that our hard work was neither time nor effort wasted. The experience showed our community just how quickly it can coalesce to pursue a game-changing goal. Key players remain committed to bringing personalized medicine, with its health and economic benefits, to our region.

If scientists already knew the outcome of every experiment before they undertook it, there would never be a new discovery. The way we see it, our efforts on the Jackson Laboratory project were groundwork for the breakthrough.

LEVERAGE: From job boards to springboards. While the bid for Jackson Labs recently topped a local business magazine’s “best of 2011” list, I would venture that Gulf Coast’s greatest success of the year was another jobs-focused idea: the CareerEdge Funders Collaborative Manatee-Sarasota.

Two years ago, Gulf Coast helped create, fund and incubate this upstart workforce-development model. Other investors included the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, with a $1-million grant; Bradenton’s Central Community Redevelopment Agency, co-chair of the investors committee along with us; and other local governments and national businesses.

What set CareerEdge apart—besides this diverse group of funders—was its dual focus on employers and employees. Rather than train people for jobs that don’t exist, CareerEdge went to the source, employers, to understand and meet their specific labor needs. We did the research and focused on our region’s most promising growth industries: healthcare, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, and technology. And we made sure employers had skin in the game, with jobs and career paths awaiting the workers we helped train.

The results have been amazing. CareerEdge surpassed its 2011 annual projections by midyear, outperforming similar collaboratives nationwide. Hundreds of local residents have been hired or promoted at growing employers, thanks to the training the received through CareerEdge. Meanwhile, of nearly $4 million secured for this initiative, much has come from outside our region, a part of our strategy from the outset.

With a relatively small amount of our own funding but a lot of big thinking, Gulf Coast helped create a leverage point that has lifted the philanthropic resources in our region while inspiring  individuals with the real promise of—and path to—a brighter future.

INNOVATE: Creating (Steve) Jobs. In typically quotable fashion, University of Central Florida economist Sean Snaith told Gulf Coast’s board of directors last quarter that Florida’s economy needs cogs as well as dreamers: cogs to keep the economic machine humming; dreamers to imagine the next great machine. The recent loss of innovator Steve Jobs helped crystallize this insight for me.

Jobs, a liberal-arts dropout, changed the world by combining technology, design and marketing in new and innovative ways. He needed an army of engineers and technologists to create the iPhone and iPad. They needed creative design experts to craft the beautifully simple designs of his products. And they all needed finance and accounting majors to document the wealth of one of the world’s richest companies.

Through CareerEdge, we are creating cogs, but they are cogs with dreams of their own. Meanwhile, we know that our economy needs both STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and liberal arts majors, but right now the facts say we are falling short on STEM. That’s why Gulf Coast has committed millions of dollars to a multiyear project to revolutionize STEM education in our community.

At Gulf Coast, we are inspired pragmatists. We are practical dreamers. We strive to create the next good jobs in our community, and the next great Jobs. We are impatient and dissatisfied, yet we are here to stay. What others might see as inherent contradictions, we consider the foundation of community.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

“I will survive” is the anthem for a majority of Florida small business owners, according to the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor, a biannual sampling of attitudes among owners/managers of companies with fewer than 100 employees.

Fifty-five percent of owners say they are “staying afloat,” with their businesses managing to survive despite being negatively affected by the economy. Forty-five percent believe the most important thing to do to stay motivated is to focus on their work, and 73 percent are stressed out by the economy. In addition, only a little more than one-third (39 percent) of Florida small business owners are paying themselves a salary.

Other noteworthy Florida highlights:

• Business owners are less likely to have a positive outlook for their business prospects over the next six months (32 percent) than are their counterparts in the South (46 percent) and than they were last fall (49 percent).

• Seventy-six percent plan to grow their businesses over the next six months, down significantly from last fall (87 percent).

• Twenty-six percent will make capital investments over the next six months, down dramatically from last fall (46 percent).

• Twenty-six percent plan to hire within the next six months, down from last fall (35 percent).

• Twenty-seven percent will spend marketing money on search or social media advertising. On average, they will spend $3,400, a much higher amount of marketing dollars than their counterparts in the South ($1,800) or overall ($1,600).

Economic Healing

The Nicholson Center, housed in the campus of Florida Hospital Celebration Health, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary by opening a new 54,000-square-foot facility. The center also has the distinction of being the world’s largest facility solely dedicated to physician training.

Can you say “economic driver”?

The center brings together physicians, clinical industry leaders and researchers to advance technology in the latest minimally invasive and robotic surgical techniques. In the past 10 years, more than 43,000 clinical learners have been trained. With the new facility, it's projected that more than 20,000 clinical learners will be trained annually, as more patients demand that their physicians perform minimally invasive, more precise procedures that reduce hospital stays.

The center features some of the most advanced medical technology and equipment, including six da Vinci robots, more than 40 fully equipped endoscopic surgical stations, two 935-square-foot team-training operating rooms, a medical simulation and robotics center of excellence, and an innovation and technology accelerator. It has more surgical stations and trains more physicians on the da Vinci robot than any other location worldwide.

Its prowess and potential have caught the attention of regional promoter Gary Sain, president of Visit Orlando, who believes the center can draw professionals from around the world.

Broadband Bonanza

How powerful is the Internet for businesses statewide? Plenty, reveals a report by Connect Florida, in coordination with the Florida Department of Management Services.

The Business Technology Assessment report confirms that Florida businesses with a broadband connection generate more revenue and jobs than those without one. In fact, Florida businesses with high-speed Internet connections report median annual revenues $130,000 greater than businesses that lack those connections. Currently, 74 percent of Florida’s business establishments use broadband, and Internet-connected businesses in Florida earn 32 percent of their revenue from online transactions. The research estimates that approximately 134,000 Florida businesses still don't use broadband technology. Another interesting tidbit: Nearly one-quarter of state businesses allow employees to telework.

Connect Florida, as the contractor for the Department of Management Services, is working to expand broadband, with funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration under the State Broadband Initiative.

New Snail Mail

E-mail may soon become the new snail mail, a new Robert Half Technology survey shows. More than half (54 percent) of chief information officers interviewed said real-time workplace communication tools will surpass traditional e-mail in popularity within the next five years.

Robert Half Technology, a provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis, outlines three workplace benefits of a transition to real-time tools:

• Speed. Instant messaging (IM) allows employees to have conversations at the click of a button without opening e-mails or waiting for responses. IM also enables employees in different locations to have real-time conversations, thus resolving issues more quickly.

• Convenience. Many programs include a host of features like IM, microblogging, forums, and document collaboration and management. This eliminates the need to switch between programs to communicate. Not only does this have the potential to improve efficiency, but it can also increase collaboration on projects and reduce the need for meetings.  

• Social aspects. Enterprise social networking sites such as Yammer or Chatter are useful for collaboration and for sharing ideas and best practices within a company. This technology also has the potential to foster teamwork and camaraderie among employees.

E-mail—err, IM—this to a friend.

Swimming Success

Add another notch to the belt of the Sarasota sports industry.

The 2013 Pan American Masters Championship will be held at the Selby Aquatic Center, part of the Sarasota YMCA’s Evalyn Sadlier Jones branch. This marks the first time the United States has hosted the biennial event, which includes synchronized swimming, Masters swimming and open water swimming. U.S. Masters Swimming, the national governing body for adult swimming, was awarded the event by the Union Americana de Natacion, an organization that oversees amateur aquatic sports competition in the Western Hemisphere.

To be held May 31-June 10, the championship is expected to attract up to 2,000 swimmers. The result: Sarasota County, home to the U.S. Masters Swimming organization, stands to gain an economic boon. The 10 days of competition will deliver adult participants and their families from South America, Central America and the Caribbean, along with Canada and the United States. Nearly 90 percent of the participants will come from outside Florida, and more than half from outside the country.

The First of Many?

Orlando's first transit-oriented, mixed-use development tied directly to SunRail has been announced. Called Central Station, the project will be designed as a model for aligning mixed-use development with multimodal connectivity and maximized access to public transportation.

Occupying an entire city block along Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando, Central Station will sit directly alongside the region’s most active transit hub and include the existing LYNX Central (Bus) Station in its site design. Aside from connectivity to public transportation, the development will include a mix of residential, retail, office, hotel and meeting space. It will also incorporate several public spaces, including a pedestrian breezeway, for SunRail and LYNX riders’ access to the central business district.

As the developer of Central Station, RIDA Development Corp. has committed roughly $100 million in private investment for the project. Upon completion of Phase I, targeted to occur with the implementation of SunRail in second quarter 2014, RIDA will move forward with Phase II. Total project cost is penciled at $200 million. Central Station will create 650 full-time construction jobs for Phase I and more than 1,000 in its entirety.

Ships, Ahoy!

One of the Super Region's chief assets cruised home with a year as gigantic as one of its liners.

For the first time in Port Canaveral’s history, it had more than 3 million multiday cruise passengers, contributing $40 million in cruise revenue during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. Cruise traffic rose 16.08 percent to 3,100,199 passengers, as newer and larger cruise ships as well as 66 additional ship calls boosted the count. Overall, Port Canaveral’s revenues surged dramatically to nearly $57.8 million, eclipsing the previous port record of $51.2 in 2006.

The port’s year began with arrival of the new Disney Dream and ends with Carnival Cruise Lines’ expanded presence and the addition of the Carnival Ecstasy in November.

ETC.

Cenek, a learning content management system firm headquartered in Medellin, Colombia, is the first company to join the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program’s Soft Landing Program. The firm specializes in simplifying the process of training large groups of employees geographically dispersed by using its cloud-based platform, Cenek 3.0. The UCF Business Incubation Program’s “soft landing” enables companies to test their products and services in Florida and elsewhere in the United States before locating permanent offices here.

Cancer patients may benefit from the research findings borne out of the first medical research collaborations between UCF and the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute at Lake Nona. Two independent teams of cancer researchers, chemists and bioinformatics engineers have published discoveries that may lead to new methods of diagnosis and treatment. One team has pioneered an invention that may someday replace biopsies with a new, noninvasive technique to detect cancerous tumors, while another has documented the role of specific microRNAs— small pieces of genetic material—in melanoma. While both teams are years away from creating FDA-approved products that will benefit patients, the union of expertise between disciplines and institutions is especially noteworthy.

The Nursing Program at Seminole State College of Florida received the 2011 Chancellor’s Best Practice Award in the Workforce Education category, presented by the Association of Florida Colleges. Seminole State’s Nursing Program won the award for its integration of simulation throughout its curriculum, including sophisticated patient simulators and lab settings that replicate a hospital environment. Area healthcare organizations report that Seminole State’s simulation-enhanced curriculum prepares nursing students to excel in skills such as prioritization, delegation, communication and conflict resolution. In the most recent testing, Seminole State graduates achieved a 97 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination, surpassing the state average of 88 percent and the national average of 85 percent.

From Tampa to Orlando: Burger 21, a Tampa-based fast-casual concept founded by the owners of The Melting Pot Restaurants Inc., has targeted Orlando as its first-priority growth market for franchise expansion. In October, the company launched an aggressive growth strategy to bring its 21 chef-inspired burger creations and hand-dipped signature shakes to more cities nationwide. According to company officials, Orlando was chosen because of its proximity to Tampa and potential for economic development. The first corporate-owned Burger 21 restaurant opened in Tampa in November 2010; a second opened in October.

From Hernando County to Turkey: NAC Dynamics, a manufacturer of airport safety equipment located at Hernando County Airport Industrial Park, has been awarded a $2 million contract to produce equipment that will be used in 32 airports in Turkey. It's also establishing a service center in Istanbul to provide mechanical and training support to airport operators. The company specializes in making friction-measuring devices used to evaluate runway surface conditions during inclement weather. Having a service facility in Istanbul, cites one company official, ensures at least a decade of presence there as well as bolstering efforts at additional overseas expansion.

Having a hotel built near a college isn't such a big deal. Having it built by the college is bigger. Rollins College recently broke ground on The Alfond Inn at Rollins, a roughly 100,000-square-foot facility that will feature approximately 112 guest rooms, along with ballroom and meeting space, an iconic conservatory, a signature restaurant, an elevated pool deck, a bar, a fitness center and a series of courtyards. Moreover, located at the former historic Langford Hotel site, one block from the campus, the hotel will enable Rollins to host events and attract professional and academic conferences that cannot currently be accommodated on campus. In late 2010, Rollins received a $12.5 million gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation to construct the facility, with the gift structured to create a permanently endowed fund from the hotel’s revenues to provide student scholarships.

In a celebration of America’s young people and the communities most dedicated to helping local youth graduate from high school, America’s Promise Alliance announced the 2011 list of 100 Best Communities for Young People—and included Manatee County, St. Petersburg and Tampa/Hillsborough. More than 300 communities across the nation and Washington, D.C., were nominated. The winners came from 39 states, chosen by a panel of judges that included well-known civic, business and nonprofit leaders. Founded in 1997, America’s Promise Alliance is a partnership of 400-plus corporations, nonprofits, faith-based organizations and advocacy groups that seek to improve lives and change outcomes for children.

On a related topic, the National League of Cities has named Tampa one of the 27 most advanced cities in the nation for its efforts to coordinate after-school opportunities for children and youth. Among the other cities were Boston, Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., and Jacksonville, the only other Florida city represented. The announcement identified six key elements as being essential for building sustainable, coordinated after-school systems: committed leadership, a public or private coordinating entity, multiyear planning, reliable information, expanding participation and a commitment to quality.

The Port of Tampa has a new golden goose: the 2,348-passenger Norwegian Star. Through early April 8, the vessel will make a series of seven-day Western Caribbean cruises, resulting in significant local economic impact. Over the season, it's estimated that passenger and crew spending resulting from the Norwegian Star will have an impact on the area's economy of more than $8 million. In total, Norwegian Cruise Line’s presence will bring some 130,000 guests to the port’s growing passenger numbers; projections call for 950,000 passengers to arrive and depart via Tampa in 2012.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

To Larry Langebrake, the past five years must feel like a blur. Or perhaps a wave that continues to build.

The tide of activity has risen, fast.

Prior to 2007, Langebrake led the Center for Ocean Technology at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science, partly working to attract research companies to Tampa Bay. By January of that year, he was director of SRI International's Marine Technology Program in St. Petersburg, heading an operation that he had actually helped to recruit to the area. Call it a watershed moment. To complement existing players, other marine researchers, state and federal agencies, nonprofits, private enterprises and education efforts have flooded in and remain at crest today—bringing acclaim to the region as a marine industry cluster.

“[The company’s move to St. Petersburg] provided a great avenue for SRI to begin generating intellectual property and technology in the maritime domain,” Langebrake recounts. “USF got an internationally known partner. And it helped [add] another attractive piece to the state's emerging general tech cluster. From every perspective, it was a positive. … So we brought it all together.”

Fatefully.

Silicon Valley–based SRI International (founded as the Stanford Research Institute) is an independent, nonprofit research institute conducting client-sponsored research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses, foundations and other organizations. SRI also commercializes its innovations by licensing its intellectual property and creating new ventures. SRI's Marine Technology Program specializes in the study of surface and subsurface marine environments. Those studies involve experiments, research, development, deployment and operations of advanced sensors and their systems. The staff conducts research and engineering in optics, acoustics and assorted related marine sciences. The center also brings together national experts on detecting, preventing, responding to and recovering from terrorist events in the maritime domain.

The impact of SRI-St. Petersburg, though, extends far beyond those disciplines. Such is the role of an economic magnet. Langebrake points to the St. Petersburg Ocean Team, composed of more than 1,400 researchers, engineers and scientists and including, among others, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the International Ocean Institute along with the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Coast Guard. Their presence isn't fully attributable to SRI, of course, but a ground swell has been evident since SRI's arrival.

When SRI arrived in the region, Tampa Bay was touted for great potential. At the time, Curtis R. Carlson, president and CEO of SRI International, commented: “When we decided to broaden our R&D to include marine technology, Florida—and the Tampa Bay area in particular—became the logical choice. The institutional infrastructure is in place, and the broad-based support we have received is already creating momentum and terrific potential for our new operation."

The momentum has stopped.

“I would say all of this activity is part and parcel to the emerging technology cluster in Florida,” says Langebrake these days. “My view is that as the cluster continues to grow, we're beginning to build the foundation of what I would call an ecosystem, where you have the right sorts of business infrastructure.”

Peter Betzer, another former USF leader, agrees. At USF for 37 years, he was dean of the College of Marine Science and now is president of St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership Inc. He labels the marine cluster a “huge economic driver,” one that he could hardly have envisioned even as he became dean in 2000. “I sure hoped for it,” he says, “but I'd be lying if I said I thought it would have gone this far.”

Betzer remembers the late 1980s, when the city of St. Petersburg worked with the state legislature, USF and others to vie for a new national marine science center. The odds were long, but the work paid off in the form of the U.S. Geological Survey's St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center. Now, that USGS facility is across the street from a Johns Hopkins hospital and near the USF Center for Ocean Technology, SRI and like entities. “There's a wonderful synergy between the medical, marine science and the other research facilities that are there,” he says.

In April, for example, All Children’s Hospital officially became part of the Johns Hopkins Health System, enabling All Children's to benefit from Johns Hopkins' global health resources, including physician training, collaborative research and clinical care. Some of that research involves Johns Hopkins' sensor development program, which can be transferred to embryos, premature babies and children. Because the composition of ocean water is similar in pH and ionic strength to the human body, that research could affect future treatment at All Children's.

In August, a research consortium led by USF's College of Marine Science was awarded more than $11 million through BP’s Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative to continue assessing the impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico’s ocean and coastal ecosystems and to build better ways of predicting damage from future spills. Previously, USF, through its Ocean Circulation Group and its Optical Ocean Laboratory, had played a leading role in tracking the movement of the oil spill through the Gulf.

Abundant collaborative effort. And marine cluster partnerships are possible across the Super Region, adds Betzer, noting: “There are logical kinds of [other] synergies that exist.”

Langebrake, who has expertise in marine technology, ocean sensors and microsystems—but obviously also knows a bit about economic development—contends “marine” and “St. Petersburg” are linked on an international scale: “Absolutely, positively, yes. Now, to try to wrap something quantitative around that, yes; then you're going to get a myriad of answers.”

A myriad of good answers.

St. Petersburg Ocean Team

City of St. Petersburg Planning & Economic Development

Eckerd College Marine Science Program

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Florida Institute of Oceanography

International Ocean Institute

National Marine Fisheries Service

SRI International

Tampa Bay Estuary Program

The Pier Aquarium

U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg

U.S. Geological Survey

USF College of Marine Science

USF Office of Research and Innovation

USF St. Petersburg

Textbook Synergy

Having SRI International in the Super Region brings benefits that go beyond its core mission. A case in point is the SunBay Digital Mathematics research project, targeted at middle school students.

In 2009, the Helios Education Foundation and the Pinellas Education Foundation, in partnership with the Pinellas County School District, funded SRI International and the College of Education at USF St. Petersburg to conduct a one-year pilot study on the use of digital mathematics resources and teacher professional development in Pinellas. The study was launched with the goal of setting the future direction of middle school mathematics education in Pinellas.

Still in effect, the program uses computer applications, Web resources, an interactive SMART Board and group collaboration. The premise is that students build mathematical meaning by thinking critically to solve complex problems and understand proportionality and linear functions in a connected, coherent way. By leveraging technology, students visualize, interact with and analyze mathematical representations (graphs, tables, algebraic expressions) connected to dynamic simulations of real-life phenomena.

Since the project was launched, 18 Pinellas middle school teachers in 10 schools have participated.

“Success in mathematics, particularly algebra in the middle grades, is directly correlated with future success in the learning of advanced mathematics and science,” comments Vivian Fueyo, dean of the College of Education and principal investigator on the project.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

Leveraging Depreciation

If your company owns a building, you may be sitting on a cash reserve and not even know it.

By Jill Kling / LarsonAllen

Attention: Building renovations, additions, newly purchased buildings and tenant improvements are all eligible for tax incentives that significantly increase cash flow. Additionally, there are a host of energy, historical rehabilitation and other incentives available to reduce your tax burden.

Cost Segregation

Depreciation is founded on the concept of an asset class life, which represents the amount of time an asset is deemed to be held in service. Property holds a longer or shorter class life, depending on how long the asset is expected to remain in service. For example, carpet wears out faster than the building structure, so carpet is assigned a shorter asset class life.

To determine depreciation expense, divide the total cost of the asset by the asset class life and claim that amount ratably over the life of the asset. Commercial real estate is depreciated over a 39-year life, and residential real estate is depreciated over 27.5 years. So a $3.9 million building is depreciated $100,000 per year.

A cost segregation study involves examining the separate assets within the “building” and reclassifying the assets into their permissible asset class instead of the broader 39 year building asset class. For instance, exterior items such as landscaping, parking lots, lighting, signs and so forth may be depreciated over 15 years. Interior items such as cabinetry, specialty lighting and equipment, floor coverings, and other fixtures may be depreciated over five years. Communication and computer wiring and equipment may be eligible for treatment as seven-year property.

Shortening depreciable lives has the effect of increasing tax depreciation expense, which in turn decreases taxable income. Decreasing taxable income reduces your tax liability, thereby retaining capital in the company and increasing operating cash.

Accelerated depreciation from a cost segregation study may be claimed at any point after an asset is placed in service. Typically, a building that has been in service may still benefit from a “cost seg” as many as 10 years after being placed in service. In this case, after the cost seg is completed, all of the previously unclaimed depreciation is claimed on one year’s tax return, which can return significant previously paid tax dollars to the taxpayer—an immediate injection of much need operating cash.

An engineered cost seg involves computations for assets that a nonengineered study would miss. For example, load calculations of electrical and plumbing systems frequently enable reclassification of as much as 20 percent in additional assets. Engineered cost segs also receive much more favorable treatment in the event of an IRS examination, increasing peace of mind.

Bonus Depreciation

The IRS has authorized bonus depreciation amounting to a 100 percent first-year depreciation deduction (complete write off) for qualifying property placed in service after Sept. 8, 2010, and before Jan. 1, 2012. One important note is that bonus depreciation only applies to qualifying new assets; used assets are not eligible for bonus depreciation treatment.

One advantage of bonus depreciation is that the amount of property eligible for such treatment is unlimited. Therefore, all new personal property, and some software, regardless of amount is allowable for bonus depreciation.

Bonus depreciation is slated to decrease from 100 percent of the asset purchase cost to 50 percent in 2012, which may cause you to accelerate planned purchases into this year.

Section 179 Deduction

Section 179 is available for new and used items. Remember that Bonus Depreciation is only available for new items. Additionally, Section 179 terminates for tax years beginning in 2012, as opposed to Bonus Depreciation which ends on Dec. 31, 2011. The Section 179 provision is available for the purchase price or lease of equipment and software and currently allows these items to be 100 percent first-year depreciated (written off) under Section 179.

Section 179 is limited to $500,000 in purchases of qualified items. Further, Section 179 is phased out dollar for dollar when purchases exceed $2 million. As such, $2,200,000 in purchases would reduce the allowable deduction to $300,000.

What It All Means

The list of available tax incentives for capital assets is quite extensive. There are energy efficiency incentives, rehabilitation incentives, solar, wind, micro-turbine, geothermal, and many state and local incentives. Planning to optimize your tax situation is crucial to making the most of these incentives.

The bottom line: In these trying times, good tax planning can significantly improve your operating cash and position your company for the future.

Marketing

Green Alert

Attention: When seeking to procure services, many federal agencies are thinking about the environment and sustainability. Here's what you need to know.

By Lourdes Martin-Rosa / American Express OPEN

Going green has become big business. And government contracting firms are cashing in on the greening trend, led in part by sustainability initiatives backed by the Obama administration.

Ever since Executive Order 13514 (Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance) was signed in October 2009, requiring 95 percent of new contract actions, including task orders, to be green, there is a growing consciousness among federal agencies of procuring green services.

The federal government, for instance, spends about $80 billion annually on information technology, and it is using its formidable buying power to encourage vendors to go green. One example is the Department of Defense (DOD), which is developing a Green Procurement Strategy. Requirements and preference programs may be assessed at the “DOD Goes Green” Web site: defense.gov/home/features/2010/1010_energy.

The General Services Administration (GSA) Public Buildings Service has taken it to the next level. In 2009, the agency announced that every federal building—roughly 9,000 in the nation—must meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver standards by 2017. By 2030, the GSA would like to see all federal buildings meet net-zero in energy saving and sustainability. As part of the GSA’s leadership initiatives, it teamed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the DOD to lead an interagency workgroup to determine whether contractor greenhouse gas emissions can be used in the federal procurement process to make the government’s supply chain more sustainable.

Recently, the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy released a report acknowledging that small businesses are leading the way in green technology. The report, “Analysis of Small Business Innovation in Green Technologies,” highlights the differences in patent activity between small and large firms in green technologies and industries. Several small firms have patent portfolios that are almost entirely green, which is not the case for any of the large firms that were surveyed.

Increasingly, these initiatives are compelling the federal government to use green contractors, and with the advent of green technology, government leaders have a goal of earmarking funding for research and project plans to include green ingredients. In 2010, small businesses received about $98 billion in contracts, but the government still missed its goal of awarding 23 percent of its contracts to small businesses. That means small businesses have left hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of opportunities on the table.

So what do business owners need to know to take advantage of the government's green initiative?

Federal purchasers usually have one of two things in mind when they hear about green services. The first is a service that directly addresses environmental issues, such as waste management or energy metering. The second is any service performed in an environmentally friendly manner.These are things business owners should keep in mind if they’re thinking of becoming a green business and/or trying to get a federal contract. 

Other essentials:

• Explore the SBA’s Green Contracting Opportunities. Visitsba.gov/content/green-contracting-opportunities and become familiar with the way the federal government purchases green products and services.

• Broaden your industry codesto open up green contracting opportunities. Visit the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Web site, naics.com/search.htm, to determine your codes.

• Develop a green-specific capability statement. A capability statement is a necessity when doing business with the government. A successful capability statement includes, but is not limited to, company overview, core competencies, past performance, differentiators, company data and contact information.

• Work with green government contractors. Register on teamingUSA.com to find potential teaming partners that can help you compete for green contracts.

• Visit the EPA’s Web site. At epa.gov/epp/pubs/guidance/index.htm, you can learn about the Five Guiding Principles, which provide a framework for green federal purchases.

• Take advantage of free webinars. Go to the Department of Energy (DOE) Web site, energy.gov, wheresmall businesses can attend to learn more about ways to green their businesses.

• Learn what makes a green building. Also learn about the different levels of environmental commitment. Go to the GSA Public Buildings Service Web site at gsa.gov/portal/content/104444.

• Follow those who preceded you. Go back to school and learn a few lessons about available resources that can save you time and money. Through American Express OPEN’s Victory in Procurement program at openforum.com/governmentcontracting, you can find how-to articles, guides, videos and tips for business owners looking to do business with the government. You can also learn about free events and workshops that are coming to Florida.

Think about how you could incorporate those measures into your business. Any small business having the capability to help the government meet its green initiative is definitely going to have a huge edge in the world of government contracting.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

Even though the iPhone and various Google Android phones have been on the market for a while, I still get lots of questions related to which one to choose. So here is David’s guide to choosing between iPhone and Android. And remember this: Determine which of these criteria are most important to you when making your buying decision.

Let’s start with ease of use, an Apple trademark. Here, the iPhone, as expected, wins hands down. Turn on the power, slide to unlock and touch one of the icons to get your app. The icons are large, well labeled and consistent, and there is only one hardware button on the face of the phone. Not much thinking involved.

But ease of use usually means less flexibility, which is why Android phones win handily on the flexibility front. Not only can you buy lots of different Android models from various manufacturers, but they are also more flexible in the way you can set them up and configure them to your individual preferences.

Battery life isn't bad on the iPhone 4. I find it needs to be charged daily, but there's usually no problem with battery life during the course of the day. Most Androids are similar, although some of the 4G Android models are horrid on battery life. Your usage patterns and your distance from a cell tower have a huge impact on how long your battery lasts. The iPhone’s battery is sealed and not replaceable, which means it will never win this battle in my mind. Yet, it won’t always lose either— because some Android models don’t let you replace the battery either. Most Androids I’ve reviewed do allow you to do so, giving a slight edge to Android here. (Choose your Android model carefully if you want a removable battery.)

How well does the phone react to your touch? This is a combination of whether it recognizes your touch on the screen and whether it has the performance to act promptly after you touch the screen or hardware key. This is the toughest criterion to judge because the answer depends on what you’re doing with the phone: playing a game, watching a video, surfing the Web, texting, phoning and so on. While I have found results vary significantly, I’d have to give the edge to Android here; the iPhone 4 often takes a long time to respond to my touch. This morning, it waited 3 seconds per touch to enter my letters while I was texting, and then it didn’t seem to send. Two minutes later, I noticed the phone sending my text message. Most of the time, it responds immediately. Still, that delayed performance has occurred frequently enough for me to know it’s an issue.

A lot has been made about the larger app store for the iPhone. But let’s face it, it matters only if the app you want isn't available on your phone. I haven’t yet found myself unable to do something because I could find the app for only the phone that wasn’t in my hand. So, with thousands of apps available for both phones, this is a clear tie.

I’m still not a fan of having a proprietary connector on the cord that connects to your PC. Apple uses its own connector; most Androids use a standard micro-USB. It’s less a concern these days, though, because Apple has been consistent over the past few years.

The final consideration is whether you want the ultimate “cool” factor. If that’s your most important decision point, there’s still no choice other than the iPhone.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

Tom Wallace knows startups. For more than 20 years, he's been both a serial entrepreneur and a manager of technology companies, successfully building and selling two of them during that time. One of the startups, The Waldec Group, a Tampa-based network integrator, grew to more than 300 employees and $75 million in annual sales before being sold to IKON Office Solutions, a Fortune 500 company. Additionally, Wallace helped to create the Tampa Bay Technology Forum—a professional association of tech companies—and then served as its first president and chair. Now, he's chair of the Forum's Entrepreneurs Network while steering another entrepreneurial enterprise in Tampa, RedVector, a leader in online Florida contractor continuing education and a pioneer in green building and online LEED training.

In an edited transcript of a recent interview, Wallace talks technology and what it takes to make a business work.

You've said that “you learn more from failure than success.” Why?

“What's the saying— that ‘people will go to much greater lengths to avoid pain than to gain pleasure’? When we experience failure, in terms of lost business or lost money, it’s painful. And once people get through these experiences, they say they have to learn, because they don't want to go through them again. To me, failure is a great learning opportunity.”

What are the key elements of good business?

“I think good business starts with vision. As an entrepreneur, you've got to have the vision—where your company is going, what you’re going to accomplish, what solution you're bringing to the customer. And you have to be able to communicate that vision to the team.

“The second thing is that business is a team sport. So, once you have the vision, you have to put the right team together. I'm a very strong believer in having an eclectic team. I want people from all walks of life, because the more eclectic the background, the stronger the team and the more creative it is. I've seen some very homogeneous teams over my years in business, and I haven't seen them work too well.

“I'm also a big believer in goal setting and really raising the bar. My experience is that if you get the right team together and you set the right goals—and say, ‘You do this and you do this and you do this‘—it's amazing what teams can accomplish.

“I'll throw another word in there: culture. You've got to have a culture where people want to achieve, where they want to be held accountable and where they want to hold other people accountable. It's the entrepreneurial culture.”

You've said that building a company is a journey, not a destination. What's your explanation?

“I absolutely believe that. I've never started a company with an exit strategy. There was no planned exit. I've built companies and sold them. Oftentimes, after you sell them, you really miss your teams and what you were doing. I never really felt that I did what I did for money. People get caught up in selling a company and getting a big check, and thinking that life will then be grand. Life doesn't work that way. What I find with entrepreneurs is that long after they cash the check, they're looking to get back in the game. They're missing their team, their industry. So, I really believe it's about the journey. If you can keep your team focused on this month, this quarter, this year, they'll have vision. But it won't be ‘We’re going to do this, and we're going to sell out in five years.’ I've never said that to anybody.”

Does continuing education factor in for lead executives?

“It's one of our core values here (at RedVector). We're a learning company. I'm in a CEO group, where I meet with CEOs once a month and share ideas. And I'm constantly going to conferences. If your organization isn't learning, trust me, one of your competitors is. Show me a great organization, and I'll show you an organization that invests in its people.”

You spent time as part of Microsoft's Partner Advisory Council. At that time, you believed Microsoft was arguably the best-run large company in the world. Why?

“Because they were very entrepreneurial, and they were very tenacious. Even though they were big, they moved quickly. They were nimble, and they crushed competitors. Here's the most impressive thing: If you look at technology, no company has ever really dominated one era and then gone on to dominate the next one. Microsoft owned the desktop. When the major shift in technology moved from desktop to the network, the company made that quantum leap and owned the network. They went from completely owning the desktop to that next major technology shift. The next major shift was to the Internet, and they weren't able to do it a third time, but at least they did it twice.”

You've also been on record as not being a great admirer of big companies. Why?

“They get in their own way; they don't innovate. The companies that I admire today are obviously Apple; how they do what they do is nothing short of amazing. Google is a really well-run company. I like Southwest Airlines; for a big company they do a darned good job. Richard Branson's Virgin company does a phenomenal job.”

You once served as a judge for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award. What did you look for in candidates?

“First of all, I looked for entrepreneurs, because a lot of times people are nominated who aren't really entrepreneurs; they haven't put a lot at risk. I wanted to see someone who'd bet the house. I wanted to see someone who'd started with nothing and built it into something. The second thing is, I liked to see that they were humble. I looked at their story—where did they come from, what was their background and who were their team members? And I liked to see that they were not flashy. Humble people who worked with their team have always impressed me the most.”

You also believe that growing our technology base is vital to our future and to our children’s future. How so?

“If you look at where job growth is going to come from in this country over the next 40 years and even further, it's small technology companies that grow into the next Google, the next Groupon and ones that don't—ones that grow into 100 employees and 200 employees. I don't think they're going to come from the citrus industry or from tourism. And while technology is where the job growth is, it's where the money is too. It's technology that is really going to differentiate us [the state of Florida].”

RedVector has made recent advancements into green and sustainability education. So, those areas aren't trends that will go away in time—correct?

“Absolutely. If you look back at the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program, five years ago, there were 5,000 or 10,000 (certifications); now there's a couple hundred thousand. We've got to get off fuel; everybody knows it. There are so many ways that we can conserve energy in the way we build things, so we're less dependent on foreign oil. I don't think there's anybody in this country who doesn’t need to be less dependent on foreign oil.”

It's been said that you've never had a real job. True?

“I did have a real job. When I first got out of college, for two years I worked for Alcoa, the Aluminum Company of America, in Pittsburgh. I was a business systems analyst in their IT group. It was a real job and a real paycheck. But I started my first company when I was 23. So that's probably the only real job I've ever had.”

Startup America Partnership

Technology-related entrepreneurship burned brightly in November, when Tampa Bay officially launched Startup America Partnership’s Florida initiative.

Startup America Partnership, created by President Barack Obama last January, is a coalition of mentors, advisors, funders, major corporations and service providers formed to strategically help entrepreneurs start successful companies. At a special event, Startup America Partnership announced the organization’s plans for supporting efforts in Florida, including Tampa Bay WaVE.

Founded in 2008, Tampa Bay WaVE is a nonprofit public charitable organization dedicated to helping entrepreneurs turn ideas into growing tech businesses in Tampa Bay. With more than 60 members, Tampa Bay WaVE provides peer-level mentoring and other support for 80-plus launched Web and mobile tech ventures. Notably, one of its members, Wufoo.com, was acquired earlier in 2011 for $35 million.

“Because of a strong collaborative spirit, Tampa Bay WaVE and other like-minded organizations continue to make even more resources available to our local business and technology innovators,” says Tampa Bay WaVE Founder and Executive Director Linda Olson. "It’s a great time to be an entrepreneur in Tampa Bay,” she says.

More information: tampabaywave.org.

DID YOU KNOW?

If you're looking for a single location in Orlando where you can access a variety of business resources, technology and research tools, the National Entrepreneur Center offers the assistance of resident support organizations. Among the services are free one-on-one business coaching; low-cost seminars; networking events; certification assistance for minority-owned businesses; connections to procurement opportunities; and publicity opportunities. Since its 2003 founding as the Disney/SBA National Entrepreneur Center, the center has provided support that has facilitated $125 million in loans; coached and trained 70,000 businesses; and guided 700 new startups.

The resident organizations:

Hispanic Business Initiative Fund

Orange County Government

Orlando SCORE

Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida

UCF Business Incubation Program

U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Center

African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida

British American Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando

Central Florida Disability Chapter

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando

National Association of Women Business Owners Orlando

Central Florida Chapter of the National Black MBA Association

More information: nationalec.org.

FORWARDFlorida - The Voice of Florida's Super Region

The county’s Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program has received the Carl N. Becker Stewardship Award, one of the highest honors bestowed by the Natural Areas Association, in recognition of excellence and achievement in managing the natural resources of reserves, parks, wilderness and other protected areas. According to the Natural Areas Association, the Brevard EEL Program is recognized as “one of the true leaders of the conservation and restoration of natural areas at a regional level, as well as an organization that made significant contributions that will effect conservation on a global scale.” The mission of the association is to advance the preservation of natural diversity by working to “inform, unite and support persons engaged in identifying, protecting, managing and studying natural areas and biological diversity across landscapes and ecosystems.” The EEL Program was established in 1990 to protect the natural habitats of Brevard by acquiring environmentally sensitive lands for conservation, passive recreation and environmental education.

CITRUS COUNTY

The county is conducting a feasibility study on the quality and quantity of landfill gases, with the study focusing on whether those gases could be used as a source of fuel for an energy-generation facility. It's estimated that the amount of gas available at the landfill, if turned into energy, could power a 1.1MW generator, which would provide approximately 8.8 million kWh/year of electricity, enough to power almost 1,000 homes. Options other than electrical generation are possible, such as compressing the gas and using it as fuel for natural gas–powered vehicles, or scrubbing it and selling it to a gas company for use in homes or to a commercial business for direct use at its facility. The study is expected to be completed by year end, followed by a presentation to the Citrus Board of County Commissioners. If the numbers work and the county can recognize additional environmental benefits, construction could begin in early 2012, according to officials.

HERNANDO COUNTY

The county has been awarded approximately $1.95 million for its Neighborhood Stabilization Program 3, which may be used for down payments, mortgage buy-downs, minor rehabilitation and related assistance to income-qualified households and individuals. The federally funded program provides emergency assistance to state and local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that might otherwise become abandoned, creating blight in their communities. The program, authorized under Title III of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, provides grants to every state and certain local communities, including Hernando, to purchase foreclosed or abandoned homes. The funding is also used to rehabilitate, resell or redevelop these homes to stabilize neighborhoods and stem the decline of values of neighboring homes.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

Despite a sagging economy and a hard winter, agriculture has made a strong recovery in the county. According to a study by the county’s Agriculture Industry Development Program and its Cooperative Extension Service, the 2010 estimate of sales of Hillsborough County agriculture products is almost $816 million, up nearly 5 percent from 2009. The total land area devoted to agriculture in the county is 258,979 acres; although the amount of farmland has decreased 2.4 percent since 1997, the production value of the land is up 65 percent due to the increased farming of higher-value-per-acre commodities, such as strawberries and blueberries. Hillsborough covers more than 1,000 square miles, 39 percent of which is used for agriculture production. The county ranks as the fourth-largest producer of agricultural products in the state, and 59th of 3,076 counties in the nation. Hillsborough has 2,843 farms, the second-most of any county in Florida. Also notably, the county produces 90 percent of the strawberries grown in Florida and nearly 11 percent of those grown nationwide.

LAKE COUNTY

The county’s Office of Economic Development & Tourism held its First Annual Economic Development Summit in November, with an agenda that featured nationally known speakers presenting best practices in workforce development, economic development, site selection and strategic planning. An estimated 300 business leaders, entrepreneurs, educational and workforce partners attended, as did elected officials. Among the speakers were Rick Weddle, president and CEO of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission; Sean Snaith, director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Competitiveness; and Ed Morrison, a member of the staff of the Center for Regional Development at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Charles Mojock, president of Lake-Sumter Community College, served as master of ceremonies.

MANATEE COUNTY

The county government has a newly revamped Web site at mymanatee.org, which is intended to reflect an improved, customer friendly, accommodating style of operation. Both content and layout have been modified, with a goal of making the content easier to find and understand than was possible on the old Web site. Perhaps the most convenient feature of the new site is the Search window located in the upper-right-hand corner of each page. Also, for the first time ever, users are able to customize their searches for information by browsing as a Resident, Visitor or Business. A tabbed portal for each option offers pertinent facts to those who live in the county, want to visit there or do business with county government. Customized drop-down menus on each portal offer a host of quick links for users to apply for jobs, request building permits, find bus routes and more. And, under the Government portal, pages are arranged similarly to their organization under the former county site. In all, the site contains more than 1,500 pages dedicated to unique content.

ORANGE COUNTY

The city of Ocoee recently launched its Web-based self-service permitting portal, in partnership with Clear Village Inc. The process allows citizens and contractors to apply for permits whenever they wish and from anyplace that has Internet access. Jim Washington, Ocoee’s building official, views the initiative as win-win for staff, citizens, contractors and the environment, noting: “We used to require multiple copies of plans as part of a permit-application package. Now with Clear Village’s support, citizens and contractors can submit their plans electronically, eliminating printing costs and trips to the office to deliver plans. Supporting electronic documents is efficient for staff and the applicant, and it is better for the environment.” Ocoee’s online permitting is available at www.permits.ocoee.org. Ocoee government eServices include permit applications, contractor registrations, inspection requests and/or tracking the progress of a permit.

OSCEOLA COUNTY

As the first Florida jurisdiction to deploy electronic plan submission and review services to the public, the county hosted the first ProjectDox Electronic Plan Solution Users Conference, promoting digital streamlining. Seventeen jurisdictions from Florida, Texas and Indiana attended the conference, along with representatives from private architectural and technology development partners. The conference presentations and proceedings were live-streamed through the county’s Web services infrastructure. Also recently, Osceola was awarded the National Streamlining Vision Award, which recognizes jurisdictions that demonstrate extraordinary commitment to streamlining initiatives and the promotion of streamlining among the regulatory community. The county has assisted numerous other communities with their streamlining and electronic plan (ePlan) initiatives, including many jurisdictions in Florida. The award was presented by FIATECH, an international, public-private construction industry consortium sponsored by the University of Texas at Austin that is focused on advanced, applied technologies for construction, oil and gas, and regulatory industry best practices.

PASCO COUNTY

The Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved amendments to the Land Development Code, ushering in a more user-friendly set of documents. The restated Code encompasses reformatting, streamlining and clarifying the previous documents and follows recommendations made by the Urban Land Institute Advisory Panel after its visit to the county in April 2008.  Since then, staff from County Administration, Development Services and the County Attorney’s Office have met with the appointed Land Development Code stakeholders and incorporated public feedback to create the new set of documents. The board also passed a schedule of amendments, which allows the Code to become a “living” document and evolve as Pasco grows and changes.  

PINELLAS COUNTY

Pinellas County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District are partnering on a habitat restoration project at Sawgrass Lake Park in St. Petersburg. The $543,000 project, funded by SWFWMD’s Surface Water Improvement and Management Program, is expected to be completed in spring 2013. Plans call for the removal and control of non-native and nuisance vegetation throughout the 400-acre park, with the purpose of providing greater diversity of habitat for local and migratory wildlife. To ensure the safety of park visitors, sections of the boardwalks and trails will be closed at various times while work is under way. Sawgrass Lake Park was designed for people interested in observing and learning about nature. The Sawgrass Lake project began in 1972 to provide flood protection to the city of Pinellas Park. A water-control structure was built to facilitate drainage canal improvements and to maintain desirable water-level fluctuations in Sawgrass Lake and the surrounding swamp. The district retains responsibility for operating the water-control structure. The lake and swamp system also provides natural water treatment to enhance the quality of water draining into Tampa Bay.

POLK COUNTY

With the November official land transfer of 61 miles of railroad track—from CSX Transportation to the state of Florida—to be used for the Orlando SunRail commuter transportation system, came word that Evansville Western Railway will begin construction of a new rail terminal site in Winter Haven. Evansville Western Railway is a subsidiary of CSX. The 318-acre property was purchased from the city of Winter Haven in 2007. To make way for the operation of SunRail, the Winter Haven railyard will replace one that has operated in the Orlando area. Construction of SunRail is expected to bring thousands of jobs to Polk County. Those numbers include an integrated logistics center that's planned on another 932 acres adjacent to the Winter Haven railyard site. SunRail will use existing railroad tracks as its main artery, with the Phase I route extending from DeBary, in Volusia County, to Sand Lake Road, in Orange County. Ultimately, SunRail will provide service for commuters traveling from Daytona Beach on the northern end and from Polk County on the southern end. Service for Phase I is expected to begin in early 2014.

SARASOTA COUNTY

County Tax Collector Barbara Ford-Coates recently was honored as one of 12 tax collectors earning the 2011 Excellence in Finance Operations Award from the Florida Tax Collectors Association. The awardees are selected by a panel of finance professionals. In addition, Distinguished Service Awards were given to staff members Diana Chadwell, Liz Klaber, Laurie Dupuy and Sherri Smith for dedication, service and commitment to the Florida Tax Collectors Inc. Ford-Coates joined the Tax Collector's Office in 1975. She was first elected to the top position in 1984 and re-elected in 1996, 2000 and 2004 without opposition. In 1988, 1992 and 2008 she was re-elected with the highest vote count of any candidate (local, state or federal) on the Sarasota County ballot. She is the longest-serving Sarasota County elected official currently in office and was named the 2008 Outstanding County Tax Collector in the United States.

SEMINOLE COUNTY

The state of Florida and the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority reached a tentative deal to build the $1.8 billion Wekiva Parkway, a 25-mile toll road that would complete the beltway around Metro Orlando. The deal is pending approval from planning groups in Orlando and Lake County, along with the authority's board. The parkway would connect with Interstate 4 near Sanford, extend west through Seminole County into Lake County and south into Orange, connecting with State Road 414 north of Apopka. According to the expressway authority, the parkway would create more than 11,500 construction-related jobs and another 5,200-plus support jobs. The Florida Department of Transportation and the state agency that runs Florida's Turnpike would own most of the parkway, or about 15 miles. That would include all the road in Seminole, most of it in Lake and a small part in Orange. The expressway authority would be responsible for almost 10 miles, almost all of it in Orange, but also a small section in Lake. Dirt could be turned as early as next fall.

VOLUSIA COUNTY

Using funds from its ECHO (environmental, cultural, historic and outdoor recreation) program, the county is accepting applications through Dec. 31 from persons interested in selling waterfront property that provides public access to the Atlantic Ocean, the St. Johns River or the Halifax/Indian River. The Volusia County Council agreed to use up to half of future ECHO funds (estimated at $20 million over the next 10 years) to purchase strategically located land at attractive prices. Priority is being given to properties that have acquisition partners or that are offered at a purchase price substantially below appraised value as determined by the county. Funds will be distributed geographically, and acquisition will focus on properties that provide maximum public access. The ECHO program, approved by voters in 2000, provides funds for acquisition or construction of environmental, cultural, historic and outdoor recreation facilities for the public.

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