News

Business leaders from across Florida, including many Volunteer Leaders with the Central Florida Partnership, gathered at the White House last week to meet with senior administration officials to discuss specific ideas that can help generate economic activity in their communities. Hosted by the White House Business Council and Business Forward, the dialogue will help create the blueprint for an American economy built to last.

Click here to view the event agenda.

Aaron Gorovitz, Chair-Elect of the Central Florida Partnership, provides greetings.	Waymon Armstrong, Gary Sain and Rick Weddle share in the discussion.

This interactive dialogue about what's working and how the private sector and government can collaborate more effectively to foster greater opportunity, innovation and job creation was attended by:

Waymon Armstrong
Chair of Orlando, Inc.
Engineering & Computer Simulations,

Allie Braswell
myregion.org Executive Board of Advisors and Central Florida Regional Caucus Member
Central Florida Urban League

Des Cummings
Founding Chair, Central Florida Partnership
Florida Hospital Foundation

Aaron Gorovitz
Chair-Elect, Central Florida Partnership
Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, P.A.

Debra Harvey
Central Florida Partnership Board of Directors
Ron Jon Surf Shop

Jeffery Jonasen
Chair, Central Florida Partnership
Perez, Bruce & Jonasen LLP

John McReynolds
BusinessForce Board Member
Universal Orlando Resort

Gary Sain
Central Florida Regional Caucus Member
Visit Orlando

Augusto Sanabria
"Open for Business" Management Committee and Central Florida Regional Caucus Member
Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Florida

Rick Weddle
"Open for Business" Management Committee
Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission

Click here for a complete list of attendees.

"It was gratifying to see the high level of participation by the Central Florida Partnerships volunteer leaders, along with business and community partners across Central Florida and Floridas Super Region," said Aaron Gorovitz, Chair-Elect of the Central Florida Partnership. "Any time we can have this kind of direct access to tell our story and advance our regional priorities to Administration officials, while learning more about Administration policies and direction, it is a win-win proposition."

In attendance were Volusia County Chair Frank Bruno, Allie Braswell and other familiar Central Florida faces.	Panel Members on Innovation and Job Creation (see attached agenda).
U. S. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, provides an update.	Panel on Job Creation and Economic Competitiveness (see attached agenda).

"I was particularly interested to learn about a program designed to aid employers in hiring military veterans," said Jeffrey Q. Jonasen, Chair of the Central Florida Partnership. "Through a partnership with Google, employers will be able to evaluate how military skills translate into private sector jobs."

Materials provided information that Florida is home to 94,529 service members including 57,558 Active Duty and 36,971 Select Reserves. Orange County is home to nearly 69,870 veterans. Orlando is also within 45 miles of Patrick Air Force Base, which comprises 4,029 sponsors and dependents.

In the fiscal year 2011 alone, 273,300 service members separated from active duty, 656 of which returned home to the City of Orlando. These soldiers bring with them a diverse array of backgrounds, experiences, aptitudes and training, but the one thing that each separator shares is that they are making a transition into new careers in the civilian sector.

Our nations veterans bring an extraordinary array of skills and training to any position. Effectively understanding how these skills can translate into local job markets is a vital step toward effectively hiring veterans in the workplace. Click here for a Guide to Hiring Veterans.

Central Florida Partnership - Ideas to Results
The Central Florida Partnership is a collaborative of business and civic leaders committed to procuring a better tomorrow for Central Florida's seven counties - Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia. We are thoughtful leaders united by a single, guiding principle - that we have both the power and the responsibility to make change happen.

Working together, through four lines of business Orlando, Inc. (Regional Entrepreneurship), BusinessForce (Regional Public Policy Advocacy), myregion.org (Regional Research & Resolves) and Leadership Orlando (Regional Leadership) the Central Florida Partnership is moving "Ideas to Results."

About the Central Florida Partnership
Click here to learn more about the Central Florida Partnership.
Click here for the Central Florida Partnership Board of Directors.