Micah Cho, WTXL TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — With Christmas now a month away, the holiday shopping season is in full swing. Now more than ever, it’s important to shop small because of the pandemic. Socially-distanced shoppers across North Florida and South Georgia flocked to shops hoping to get a head-start on the holiday shopping season. With […]
Cristina Paredes This year, local, small businesses have been faced with many unprecedented challenges. The impact of COVID-19 on small businesses has been nothing short of devastating as owners have had to innovate and reimagine their operations considerably when COVID-19 hit the community in March. Restaurants, like Jeri’s Midtown Café and Catering with Care, shifted […]
Kristian Thomas, ABC27 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Highlighting businesses that have had a tough year with the pandemic is what the Love Your Local campaign aims to do. For many, COVID-19 is still impacting their ability to make money. Some are dealing with a tough reality that they might not make it through the holidays. […]
TaMaryn Waters, Tallahassee Democrat The Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality (OEV) has three words for residents this year — Love Your Local. Sounds simple, but the sentiment when put into action can plunge desperately needed dollars into Tallahassee’s bruised economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. OEV Director Cristina Paredes said the “Love Your Local” concept is about spreading […]
Kevin Gehrke This is an exciting time of year for the manufacturing industry. October is designated, nationally, as Manufacturing Month. Here in the Big Bend area, we have an additional reason to celebrate. The Office of Economic Vitality is pleased to announce the launch of the Big Bend Manufacturers Association. In September, the Intergovernmental Agency […]
By Cristina Paredes, Director of the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality Tallahassee-Leon County has a special place in my heart. From the award-winning parks and outdoor adventures to the innovation that thrives from our world-class universities and research institutions, there are a lot of incredible and unique qualities that keep our community beating strong. […]
In October 2016, OEV had the privilege of preparing a response to Amazon’s RFP for its second headquarters facility, dubbed HQ2. Amazon recently announced it identified 20 communities to focus on after evaluating the 238 submissions it received in response to its RFP. Though Tallahassee-Leon County did not make the short list, the Office of […]
Significant investments in public and private infrastructure have transformed Florida’s Capital into a top destination for businesses and residents alike. In tune with the growing demand for urban space, Tallahassee-Leon County has started to reap the rewards of smart, intentional investments such as gateway corridors, complete streets, a downtown trail network, stormwater systems, sidewalks, parks, […]
Engaging the Community through a New Structure Last month, the Office of Economic Vitality (OEV) officially kicked off four new leadership committees: the Competitive Projects Cabinet (CPC), the Economic Vitality Leadership Council (EVLC), the Economic Vitality Competitiveness Committee (EVCC), and the Minority, Women, & Small Business Enterprise (MWSBE) Citizen’s Advisory Committee. This committee advisory structure […]
The Economic Vitality Leadership Council is responsible for quarterly meeting to increase the community’s competitiveness across the six economic development initiatives, provide advice upon implementing the strategic plan, encourage collaboration across all community sectors, and recommend improvements to improve competitiveness.
OEV and the Leon County Government are hosting the 2025 Leon Works Expo. The event aims to connect employers, academic institutions, and students to allow students to explore skilled trades.