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A coalition of Central Florida business associations, appropriately labeled Open for Business – the Central Florida Coalition for Growth & Prosperity, has been established to address the region’s economic recovery. Focused first on identifying economic and regulatory barriers, this broad-based coalition represents thousands of employers in the eight-county Central Florida service footprint made up of Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia counties.
Included on the coalition’s Organizing Committee are: Associated Builders & Contractors, Central Florida Partnership, Florida Bankers Association, Home Builders Association of Metro Orlando, Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, Orlando Regional REALTOR Association, and WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA.
Supporting the Organizing Committee are three other Committees (Steering Committee, Technical Advisory Committee, and Community Advisory Committee) that can ensure widespread input and agreement as to how to remove barriers to economic prosperity and growth. A broad sampling of regional employers involved in the supporting committees includes organizations such as: Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce, Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Haines City Economic Development Council, Kissimmee Convention & Visitors Bureaus, National Center for Simulation, Orlando, Inc., Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority, Seminole County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Visit Orlando, multiple county school boards and other educators, a wide range of civic & environmental organizations, and other private businesses.
Shared Goals
The first goal of Open for Business – the Central Florida Coalition for Growth & Prosperity is to collaboratively identify, analyze and seek correction to current regulatory and other economic barriers that prevent or complicate economic recovery in Central Florida. Within 100 days, the coalition will present its short-term recommendations on ways to collectively encourage economic prosperity across the Central Florida Region by reducing the barriers to business growth and expansion, allowing more Central Floridians to “get back to work.”
The second goal, once barriers are identified and correction is sought, is to conduct research, build consensus and recommend a new model of revenue funding that will link regional and state priorities such as transportation, education and social services with a “21st Century” funding model.
Timeline
Baseline research to determine the economic and regulatory barriers affecting Central Florida businesses will be completed by April 15, 2011. These results will be shared with elected officials, business leaders and the community at large through May 2011.
Project Management
The project will be managed by myregion.org, a “Line of Business” of the Central Florida Partnership focused on Regional Research and Resolves, with over ten years of successfully encouraging unprecedented cooperation and collaboration among community leaders to ensure Central Florida’s standing in the global economy and improving opportunities for generations to come.
