LTA April 2016 Newsletter

April 2016

In This Issue

Stay Connected

Chair's Message March Madness brings not only basketball but lessons to be learned in all areas of life. Take the court here ...	Upcoming Events The Mayor will be Facing the Chamber in April. Learn more, and find out how to register here ...
Community Outreach Find out more about Operation Partnership and how you can help Tampa Bay's veterans ...	Connecting with Our Members Have you been #LTASpotted yet? Learn more here ...
Leadership (T)Amplified Get to know MaryBeth Williams, the Chamber's new Senior Director of Leadership Programs ...	Membership Learn more about what membership in LTA can do for you by clicking here ...
LTA: Did You Know? Did you know the Chamber offers information sessions for prospective Leadership Tampa members? Find out more here ...	Sponsorship Profile CI Group is dedicated to creating efficient, attractive and forward-thinking spaces. See how they can help your business here ...
Leaders in Action See how your fellow LT alumni are advancing theircareers, their businesses and our community ...	Member Spotlight Linda Cox (LT '14) has not only led Cox Fire to several Bay Area recognitions, but also is dedicated to giving back to the community. Read more here ...

Chair's Message

Don't look now, folks, but it is APRIL. One quarter of the year is gone. What have you accomplished this year? You are reading this, so one thing you have accomplished is renewal of your LTA membership for 2016. Thank you for doing so. As always, it will be worth your while, but it is up to you to make the most of it.

Hopefully, you have managed to make one or more of the programs LTA has put on in 2016. Spring Fling, with our annual LT recruiting theme, was held March 30 at CI Group's newly expanded HQ downtown on Franklin Street. In addition to a great LTA member turnout, we also had an impressive number of guests among us, i.e., potential future LT applicants, who got to hear a little about the LT experience from those who know - LTA members. We also had the current chairman of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Guy King, speak at the gathering. Guy shared his thoughts on the importance of LT and LTA to the overall Chamber mission. And, of course, there was a lot of socializing and members making connections.

LTA also mixed it up on the diamond with EMERGE at The University of Tampa for some friendly but competitive kickball. No face plants, torn hamstrings, twisted ankles or other injuries resulted from the game, although numerous physical conditions of a different nature apparently resulted from the post-game debriefing at a local watering hole.

This month, the Mayor's annual "Face the Chamber" luncheon will be held at the Marriot Waterside on April 15. Those of you who have been, know this an extremely well attended event and typically quite entertaining. It is always interesting to see what questions the mayor gets thrown at him. It also presents a great opportunity to get some of your classmates together, buy a table and reconnect. Again, this is a Chamber-wide event, literally hundreds of connections are waiting to be made. I hope you will take advantage of that opportunity and join us.

Work continues on our Outreach program for this year, being conducted by LTA jointly with EMERGE, Women of Influence and the Chamber's Military Council. A lot of thought and work are going into this program, which is going to help assure the veterans at MacDill AFB and elsewhere in our community have the tools they need to move confidently into the civilian job market. Be on the look-out for information on how you can get involved. Or better yet, contact Adrian Martinez or Lt. Col. Erin Schwartz of the LTA Outreach Committee and let them know you want to be a part of Operation Partnership.

Finally, a personal note: I am a huge college basketball fan, and I look forward all year to March Madness. I am constantly impressed (and surprised, even though I should not be at this point in my Hoops life) by what individuals can accomplish working as a team. Ask Yale or Middle Tennessee State or Arkansas-Little Rock. Great things happen when people work together - when they put team (others) over self. A recurring lesson for us all, every March. Happy April .

Best regards,

Reid

Reid Haney

LT '96

Hill Ward Henderson

Upcoming Events

Face the Chamber: 2016 Mayor's Luncheon

Date: Friday, April 15, 2016
Time: 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM
Where: Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina
Address: 700 S. Florida Avenue, Tampa, FL 33602

Join us for the Mayor's annual address to the Chamber and Leadership Tampa Alumni membership including the popular "Face the Chamber" segment. We'll put the mayor on the proverbial hot seat as we ask him the tough questions on behalf of the business community. Come hear his response and learn what we as a Chamber can do to help move Tampa forward.

Click Here to Register!

Save the Dates

May 4 - LTA Reception for LT 2016 Graduation

June 22 - Connect with Coffee

August 4 - Educational Evening Program - UT Entrepreneurial Center

September 20 - Educational Lunch Program

October 29 - LTA Reunion

November 15 - Connect with Coffee

December 13 - Holiday Party

Jill Manthey (LT '10)

2016 Programs Chair

Yacht StarShip

[email protected]

813-471-1536

Community Outreach

Save the Date

Operation Partnership

Employment Workshop

May 13, 2016 at MacDill AFB

Volunteers from LTA are needed to assist military service members transitioning to civilian life in the Tampa Bay area. Volunteer opportunities are available to assist in reviewing resumes, conducting mock interviews and assisting these military men and women find employment leads and/or networking opportunities. Please contact Adrian Martinez at (813) 451-7160 for further information.

Adrian Martinez (LT '13)

2016 Community Outreach Chair

EKS Group

[email protected]

813-451-7160

Leadership (T)Amplified

Meet MaryBeth Williams

By Kerry O'Reilly, Tampa Bay Times Marketing Director, LT '15

The Tampa Chamber welcomes MaryBeth Williams to the team as Senior Director, Leadership Programs. This position, most recently held by Lorrie Hero, carries the responsibility for shaping and coordinating much of the programming for Emerge, Leadership Tampa and Leadership Tampa Alumni.

Tell us about your background and what drew you to the opportunity at the Chamber?

I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida and went on to earn my Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida. I was an assistant principal with Pinellas County Schools for six years and a middle and high school mathematics teacher for nine years prior to that. My experience with recruiting and developing leaders will certainly enhance the work of the Chamber. As an assistant principal of curriculum, multi-tasking and prioritizing were crucial skills in a fast-paced setting with constantly changing district and state requirements. I believe that my experiences with the school system and as a social worker prior to that can benefit the Chamber as well as the Leadership Programs. My passion for making a difference in the community has guided my career and led me to the Tampa Chamber.

Any pleasant surprises in your role thus far?

My first few weeks with the Chamber have been amazing. On my third day, I had the opportunity to visit Tropicana Field, Amalie Arena and One Buc Place with the Leadership Tampa 2016 class. Last week, I visited the Strawberry Festival and the Tampa Port Authority. I've really enjoyed meeting new people and learning so much about Tampa.

Coming to the Chamber with fresh eyes, are there opportunities that you noticed in the short term or long term?

Certainly, in my first few weeks I've been very busy learning procedures and programs. Building relationships and learning the culture of the Chamber are very important to me. There are many wonderful programs here at the Chamber. Being in education for so many years, I can't help but look at programs through the lens of an educator. I think the Chamber does a great job of gathering data and analyzing their programs to determine their effectiveness and impact. I look forward to working collaboratively with various committees to continue to improve the quality of our programs and events.

What three qualities do you think the most effective leaders possess?

Honesty, the ability to inspire and confidence.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I have been married for 22 years. My husband, Mark, is an electrical engineer. We have two sons, Drew (20) and Zach (16). We enjoy anything outdoors including the beach, boating, camping, biking and sports. I'm a big Florida Gators fan! I also love animals. We have three dogs, a gecko and a squirrel.

Connecting with Our Members

Have you connected with your fellow Leadership Tampa Alumni on Facebook yet? This social site is a quick link to the latest member events and LTA news. Check it out here.

#LTASpotted!

Building on our 'connected' theme of the year, send your photos of LTA friends you run into while out and about! Send your selfies/snapshots to Lisa Patterson at (813) 924-2418 or [email protected]!

Lisa Patterson (LT '14)

2016 Social Media Chair

St. Joseph's Hospital

[email protected]

813-554-8134

Sponsorship Profile: The CI Group

The CI Group with its headquarters in Tampa Bay and 6 offices across the Southeastern U.S., provides a wide range of products and services to assist companies and government clients in outfitting their facilities. The company sells both interiors products and industrial equipment and provides a wide range of related services such as space planning, project management and facilities consulting. The company has tripled revenue since 2009 and, in addition to their Tampa flagship showroom, has offices in South Florida, Jacksonville, St Petersburg, Columbia SC and Baton Rouge, LA.

As a company dedicated to creating efficient, attractive and forward-thinking spaces, The CI Group is committed to sustainability as a guiding principle in everything they do. This philosophy is reflected not only in the company's commitment to creating spaces that uplift their communities but also supporting causes that share their values in each community in which they operate. Take a virtual tour here .

Membership

THANK YOU LTA!

Your Leadership Tampa membership team would like to THANK YOU for renewing for 2016! We appreciate your support and look forward to providing a year packed with exclusive programs and events. We are over 520 members from classes starting in 1971.

If you are reading this and have NOT yet renewed - or if you know classmates who are not yet members of LTA - there's still time to CONNECT or RECONNECT. Our 2016 Calendar of Events offers phenomenal leadership educational opportunities and programs throughout the year. You don't want to miss out!

Membership in Leadership Tampa Alumni will:

Allow you access to exclusive, members-only LTA events
Enable you to share your leadership experience with other Tampa leaders
Link you to issues facing the community
Help you extend your Leadership Tampa experience
Renew your enthusiasm for advancing our community
Confirm that you can make a difference
Improve your personal contribution to the community
And it's a HUGE VALUE at only $100 per year!

For more information regarding LTA membership and a link to the registration page, click here .

Danielle Nunez Seaberg (LT ' 10)

2016 Membership Chair, Recruitment

Grand Events of Florida, LLC

[email protected]

813-248-0200

LTA: Did you know?

Do you know a prospective Leadership Tampa member? Did you know the Chamber has information sessions for prospective members? There are two more left!

April 25, 2016 - 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
April 29, 2016 - 8:00 am - 9:30 am

Leaders in Action

Congratulations to Paul Huszar (LT '15) whose company VetCor, LLC was honored with the Bright House Networks Regional Business Award for Startup of the Year . For information on all winners click here .

Member Profile

Linda Cox (LT '14)

Cox Fire Protection

Linda Cox is a third-generation Tampa Bay native, and is CEO of Cox Fire Protection. Linda holds a Master of Science degree from the University of South Florida (Go Bulls!) and is a licensed fire sprinkler contractor. Cox Fire is based in Tampa and has branch offices in Ocala and Jacksonville. It provides a full spectrum of life safety services. Cox Fire was among the top 25 Women Owned Businesses in the Greater Tampa Bay area, recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal in 2014 and 2015, and has been named one of USF's Fast 56 - top 56 Bull-led businesses in 2016. Linda partners with her husband Ron in developing and leading the business strategies of the company. Community involvement has always been a core value for Cox Fire Protection, and Linda has been deeply involved in encouraging company-wide participation, as well as being involved on a personal level with various charitable organizations. She is a founding member of Hospice Women of Philanthropy and is involved on an on-going basis with House of Blessing Orphanage in Haiti. Linda currently serves on the Board of Directors for Lutz Preparatory School in Lutz, as well as the not-for-profit organization -BagayKi Bon, based in Haiti, and is an active member and supporter of Associated Builders and Contractors Gulf Coast Chapter.