FPU Sponsors Breakfast for Enterprise Florida, Inc.

Florida Public Utilities sponsored the breakfast meal during the Enterprise Florida Board of Directors & Stakeholders meeting held last month at the Marriott West Palm Beach. The two-day event featured Committee meetings for the organization’s audit, business development, marketing and stakeholders committees as well as the BOD meeting.

Enterprise Florida, Inc. is a public-private partnership between Florida’s business and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for Florida. Their mission is to expand and diversify the state’s economy through job creation. In pursuit of its mission, EFI works closely with a statewide network of economic development partners and is funded both by the State of Florida and by private-sector businesses.

L-R Lyn Cacella, Florida Public Utilities and Senator George LeMieux

The Honorable Ron DeSantis, Governor of the State of Florida, serves as Chairman of the Board and Joe York, President of AT&T Florida, Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands, as Vice-Chair.

Presentations included reports from Mr. Frank DiBello, President and CEO of Space Florida, on the exciting growth opportunities in the space industry in Florida and a report from Jason Gonzalez and Ben Gibson of the law team at Shutts and Bowen, LLC, regarding our state’s legal challenges and business opportunities. Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee spoke about Governor DeSantis’ commitment to developing relationships with foreign partners to attract new businesses to the state, working hand-in-hand with the members of EFI.

A panel discussion entitled “Energy, Resiliency, the Economy and Disaster Response” included Dr. Julia Nesheiwat, the Governor’s newly appointed Chief Resilience Officer. Dr. Nesheiwat is tasked with preparing Florida for the environmental, physical and economic impacts of sea level rise. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, Nikki Fried, reported that the emerging hemp industry in Florida provides a multitude of economic development and job growth opportunities and that she was working with a group of farmers from Israel to work together with Florida farmers on specific crops.

Senator Lemieux and Enterprise Florida’s Vice-Chairman Joe York

Florida native and former Florida Deputy Attorney General and Florida Senator, George LeMieux was the featued speaker during lunch, giving attendees an interesting glimpse into his new book entitled “Florida Made, the 25 Most Important Figures Who Shaped The State.”

Vice-Chairman York and Jamal Sowell, President and CEO of Enterprise Florida, encouraged all in attendance to support EFI’s political/legislative efforts in Tallahassee when session begins in January and closed the meeting with the recommendation that all in attendance should help share the great work that our educators and legislators are doing to ensure that new business owners will have access to a quality workforce and business-friendly government policies here in Florida.