T.J. Lewis, Business Development Manager For the first quarter of 2021, nearly a year into the coronavirus pandemic, new data shows that apartment developers have drawn back on multi-family activity nationwide. Currently in the United States, 565,000 apartments are under construction compared to more than 700,000 at this point in 2020. Large declines have been
Richard Fetchick, Business Intelligence Manager The Covid-19 pandemic created a fast-acting recession with immediate impacts to employment and business bottom lines. Unlike the 2008 sub-prime mortgage crisis, Leon County’s employment dipped by 20,000 in April 2020 – just the second month of the crisis – whereas employment hit its low point following the sub-prime crisis
From driving innovation to promoting social change, entrepreneurship plays a major role in the economy of our city, state, and nation. Entrepreneurship enhances economic growth, creates job opportunities, and enables new markets to be developed through the unique offerings of new goods and services. Great innovators have the ability to change the world for the
Dan Lucas, Division Coordinator Tallahassee’s universities have a constant flow of incoming students and outgoing graduates. Florida State University and Florida A&M University together account for around 80% of the 65,000 students enrolled in higher education in Leon County. According to data from the Board of Governors of the State University System of Florida, about
Drew Dietrich, Deputy Director Tallahassee is known for many things – endless outdoor adventures, Southern Hospitality, unrivaled festivals, and you guessed it, college football. But hiding just beneath the surface is a little known truth – there’s an awful lot of knowledgeable and skilled people walking around. In 2020, Tallahassee ranked as the 17th most
Chrissy Souders is a woman of multiple talents, a seasoned broadcast journalist and innovative founder of Kitschy Wearable Art. Her collaborative spirit and unique eye for new trends made her a natural for Women Wednesdays, a local grassroots initiative to make Tallahassee a #1City4Women. When COVID19 hit, she jumped into action to transform Women Wednesdays’
Richard Fetchick, Business Intelligence Manager In an effort to improve the re-entry pipeline for the formerly incarnated, Leon County Government and the Office of Economic Vitality partnered with MIT Sloan School of Management-USA Lab. This study included housing, transportation, counseling, and career opportunities. From the USA Lab Partnership, the importance of connecting re-entering citizens to
Kevin Gehrke, Business Development Manager, Applied Science Happy March everyone! I am pleased to announce that this first quarter has been very successful for the recently Big Bend Manufacturers Association (BBMA). We have filled our board with the addition of the heads of two successful local manufacturing organizations and a local accounting firm. These members have
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Office of Economic Vitality (OEV) recognizes the many women-owned businesses here in our community. We celebrate the accomplishments of women and women-owned businesses, and I am excited to share their stories of doing business right here in Tallahassee-Leon County. I love what Barbara Wescott, Founder of Women Wednesdays,
AMWAT Moving Warehousing Storage Owner Gloria Pugh Takes the Helm [Tallahassee, Fla.] – The Professional Movers Association of Florida (PMAF) has recently announced that the association’s Board of Directors unanimously elected Gloria Pugh to serve as President for the 2021-2022 year. This vote marks a historic event for PMAF, as Gloria will be the first
The Minority, Women, and Small Business Enterprise (MWSBE) Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) explores strategies for engaging and empowering MWSBEs to meet goals identified in the Economic Development Strategic Plan. This citizen-led committee provides critical input, oversight, and transparency toward OEV’s MWSBE goal attainment, and will form subcommittees and a task force to determine milestones and
The Economic Vitality Leadership Council is responsible for meeting quarterly to increase the community’s competitiveness across the six economic development initiatives, provide advice upon implementation of the strategic plan, encourage collaboration across all sectors of the community, and recommend improvements to improve competitiveness.