We live in Tampa Bay. This is where we own businesses, have built our careers, and established professional networks. Many of our closest friends live here, we have children that have gone to school here, we have taken in shows, sporting events, and visited museums here. We have started and volunteered with non-profits in this region to make our community better.  We may have been patients in our hospitals or visited people close to us who were.  We rely on the seaport and the airport for commerce and travel. We’ve caught tarpon in the bay, swam in the Gulf of Mexico, and paddled the lakes and rivers here.

The fact that all these opportunities exist can never be taken for granted.  Looking at the growth here over the past decade it is clear people are attracted to what Tampa Bay offers, but a great place like this does not just happen – it takes a thoughtful focus to ensure good governance, good growth, and a good outlook.

There is no business, government office, or civic organization that is responsible for making all of this happen; no one entity can or should cover all of this. Rather, it takes people. It takes people willing to lead; people that understand it takes constant work on many levels to maintain and foster a great place like Tampa Bay.  It takes more than just running a company, sitting on boards, being a parishioner, and talking with like-minded people about the challenges we face in our community.

Forward Tampa Bay is a platform to help people lead, to help people engage, and to help people understand how to direct the positive outcomes they desire in their community.  We have a responsibility to the place where we live. We can build an organization to lead the development of informed and engaged citizens across Tampa Bay to ensure freedom, economic opportunity, a sense of community, and confidence and respect in our local institutions.