An Excellent Chamber Conference

Congratulations to Chair Glenda Thornton, President Sue Dick, and the entire team at the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce for another outstanding Chamber Conference. The sessions couldn’t have been more relevant and timely and touched on issues that we have been discussing on a regional basis over the past year: air transportation, managing natural resources, economic development, and regional identity, just to name a few.

I was especially interested in remarks made by Barbara Stephenson, U.S. Ambassador to Panama, about the potential opportunities between our region and the economic centers of Central America. Panama aspires to be a leader in the Western Hemisphere for transportation, logistics, and distribution. New trade routes to the southeastern United States will create opportunities for areas such as our region. Nearby ports (Panama City, Port St. Joe, and Jacksonville), rail lines, and road infrastructure such as I-10 make our area a natural fit for expansion in the logistics and distribution industry.

We’re looking forward to ORT’s upcoming series of meetings. We will convene the Advisory Board on September 10 in Midway and will hear reports from each of our Task Forces. Check in on the site for updates or make sure you are signed up for our announcements.

-Randy