Brewery owner joins tourism board
Mike Bishop, owner of Big Storm Brewery, has been selected to fill a vacancy on the Tourist Development Council. Bishop will serve for a four-year term, running through June 2023. The board is made up of nine members.
Economic board opening
The Jobs and Economic Opportunities Committee is seeking new volunteer members to take part in the committee that oversees the use of Jobs and Economic Opportunities Trust Fund portion of the Penny for Pasco.
Responsibilities of JEOC members include ensuring Penny for Pasco spending meets the requirements to promote projects creating new jobs and economic growth. The committee consists of nine members, appointed by the Pasco County Commission, representing diverse knowledge and expertise from each of the following areas: finance/banking, agriculture, real estate, manufacturing and other private industries.
Anyone interested in serving on the JEOC is asked to submit a letter of interest and resume to Economic Growth Manager David Engel at: .
Applications are being accepted through Aug. 2.
The Committee meets, at minimum, on a quarterly basis and presents annual updates to the BCC. Each member of the committee serves a two-year term.
East Pasco Networking
Leja Apple, a professional actress and model, and former Miss Pasco, will be the featured speaker at the East Pasco Networking Group breakfast on July 9. The group meets from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at IHOP, 13100 U.S. 301 in Dade City. For more information, call Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491 or Vicky Jones at (813) 431-1149.
Zephyrhills chamber breakfast meeting
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have its business breakfast on July 11 from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at Golden Corral, 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.
Coffee First
Network before work at Coffee First, on the fourth Tuesday of each month, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., at the First National Bank of Pasco, 23613 State Road 54 in Lutz.
Power Gals with a Latin Twist
This networking group for women meets the first Friday of each month from noon to 2 p.m., at Bahama Breeze, 25830 Sierra Center Blvd., in Lutz.
Power Gals
The next meeting of this no-obligation networking group for women is July 18 at 11 a.m., at Pizza Villa, 21501 Village Lakes Shopping Center Drive in Land O’ Lakes. For more information, call Karla Arita at (813) 408-2038.
Pasco offers matching program
Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, the destination management organization for Pasco’s County’s tourism efforts, has launched a Marketing Matching Sponsorship Program. The program aims to support special event organizers and events that have the potential to attract tourists to the county. The sponsorship program provides up to $5,000 in funding to expand the overall marketing reach to visitors outside the Tampa Bay region.
For more information, call Experience Florida’s Sports Coast at (727) 847-812-8129, email , or visit bit.ly/FSCMarketingMatching.
Chamber goes global
Hope Allen, the president and CEO of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce was invited to take part at the 2019 U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Summit in Washington D.C. The summit brought together hundreds of state leaders together to discuss the importance of global development and diplomacy for local success, according to a posting on the North Tampa Bay Chamber’s website.
On the website, Allen told chamber members: “I was absolutely honored to be on the elite list of attendees, as there were only 13 other leaders from across our state that were invited to be a part of this annual event.”
The chamber executive also said the summit involved high-level networking, foreign policy briefings, and an opportunity to meet members of Congress. Allen said she “quickly learned that The North Tampa Bay region has not only received the attention of fellow Floridians, but also families, individuals and policymakers of all generations at a national level.”
Pasco planning wins award
Pasco County Planning and Development has received its fourth award related to Connected City: America’s First Smart Gigabit Community Built From the Ground Up.
The latest accolade is the Florida Counties Foundation 2019 County Government Best Practices Award, recognizing Pasco County’s outstanding achievements in creating new, efficient and effective solutions to challenges facing local governments, according to a Pasco County news release.
The project also has received awards from the American Planning Association, Florida Chapter; The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council and the American Planning Association Florida Chapter Sun Coast.
Hillsborough offers new special events grant
The newly appointed Cultural Assets Commission of Hillsborough County has recently announced the Special Events Partnership Grant program. This grant program seeks to expand and support special events aimed at placemaking and community-building outcomes, and to promote the county’s economic and community prosperity goals.
The new Special Events Partnership Grants are project-specific grants with two funding categories: “Pilot Effort” and “Next Level.”
The Pilot Effort category is intended for events that are new or have not occurred for more than three years and the maximum amount awarded under this category is $50,000.
The Next Level category is intended for events that are well-established, and seek to grow and enhance event offerings above and beyond current levels to significantly increase attendance, community-wide impact and appeal. The maximum funding amount under the Next Level category is $100,000.
Examples of eligible events include: Art festivals, local food festivals, film festivals, river celebration events and local community historic events.
Applications must be submitted by Aug. 2.
