Orange County Regional Economic Summit Highlights Importance of Regional Partnerships
Mayor Jerry L. Demings joined partners from across Central Florida and the Orlando Economic Partnership to host the 2019 Orange County Regional Economic Summit on March 29 at the Orange County Convention Center.
This year, hundreds of attendees and community leaders joined the Summit to hear about the region’s flourishing economy. Spectrum News 13 anchor Ybeth Bruzual presided as the event’s Master of Ceremonies.
“We want Orange County to be known not only as the premier place to do business, but a home for the entrepreneurial spirit and a hub for innovation. That starts with invigorating a culture of top-notch customer service in our Orange County Government operations,” Mayor Demings said during his remarks. “From the top down, we are evaluating our policies and procedures to help optimize the development process and seek out efficiencies. We must not forget that time is money for businesses.”
Mayor Demings said Central Florida continues to lead the state in job growth, creating more than 52,000 jobs in 2018, a 4.2 increase from the prior year. Additionally, Mayor Demings provided an overview of Orange County’s unparalleled quality of life, robust workforce pipeline and world-class talent pool highlighting regional powerhouses Lockheed Martin, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems and the $6 billion modeling, simulation and training industry representing 30,000 jobs with an average salary of over $78,000 annually.
Mayor Demings also presented a video titled, Voices of the Region, which highlighted representatives from various local small business and entrepreneurial programs. Following his presentation, Mayor Demings joined a panel discussion on the Orlando Economic Partnership’s 2030 report with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Seminole County Chair Brenda Carey, Osceola County Chair Cheryl Grieb and Lake County Chair Leslie Campione. The panel was moderated by CEO and President of the Orlando Economic Partnership Tim Giuliani. The report includes input from industry leaders on where the Orlando region is headed in 2030.
Panelists discussed Central Florida’s strong industry sectors, growing and expanding industries and the importance of regional mobility through transportation. Their priorities are nurturing and growing a regional ecosystem and developing Central Florida as a hub for innovative entrepreneurship providing high paying jobs and economic advancement for all residents.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Central Florida still ranks number one in the nation for job growth for the fourth consecutive year. Additionally, Central Florida has ranked number seven on the Milken Institute’s Best Performing Cities index for two consecutive years.
Sean Snaith, Ph.D., director of the University of Central Florida Institute for Economic Competitiveness, provided his annual forecast. In additional to insight on federal regulation, he provided an overview for Florida’s strong economic standing and Central Florida’s continued prosperity.
“Our job projections are similar to the state but stronger and growing at a faster rate. Orlando continues to outpace Florida and the national economy,” said Snaith. “We are in a pretty good position.”
In fact, the Central Florida region is the 47th largest economy globally, just behind Portugal and Romania. With a renewed focus on regionalism, what’s good for Orange County also benefits Lake, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard counties, Snaith said.
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center is the second largest convention facility in the United States. Each year the OCCC attracts more than 230 events to the Central Florida area. As a result, roughly 1.4 million attendees contribute approximately $2.4 billion to the area’s economy each year.
Photo Caption: Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings joined Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Seminole County Chair Brenda Carey, Osceola County Chair Cheryl Grieb and Lake County Chair Leslie Campione for a panel moderated by Orlando Economic Partnership President & CEO Tim Giuliani at the Orange County Regional Economic Summit.