ITFlorida's Blue Ribbon Commission

Mission: ITFlorida will convene a special Blue Ribbon Commission to conduct an extensive review of Florida's progress in high tech economic development and of the implementation of technology statewide, and to issue a series of recommendations of next steps for making Florida a leader in high tech advancement.

Bringing Together a Diverse Membership. The Commission will be comprised of a cadre of public and private leaders in Florida who will represent the primary policymaking components of state and federal government, the major industries and sectors of the state, and representatives from each region of the state. Members of the Commission will be Florida's leaders: elected officials; C-level leaders of corporations or small businesses; presidents of universities, colleges, and research institutes; and proven economic development leaders.

A Focused Mission. The Commission will begin by evaluating Florida's current efforts and initiatives to enhance its reputation as a leader in high tech economic development and compare its success to that of other states and nations as well. It will then collect and analyze feedback by conducting several Business Leader Roundtable meetings across the state. These Roundtables will represent an opportunity for communities across the state to provide the Commission with feedback on their successes and engage in a discussion regarding their goals and aspirations. Each Roundtable will attract local community leadership, city and county elected officials, local chamber and economic development leadership, regional tech group leadership, and concerned citizens.

Key Policy Recommendations for the Future. The Commission's analysis and conclusions will come together in the form of a comprehensive set of Policy Recommendations that will integrate all the Commission's findings. The ultimate goal of the Policy Recommendations will be to assess Florida's progress toward enhancing its reputation as a high tech state and propose a series of next steps for fostering its reputation. The report will be delivered to the Governor, the presiding members of both houses of the Florida Legislature, Enterprise Florida, and the ITFlorida membership. It will also be made available to the general public.

Background. Florida is in the midst of an ambitious, policy-driven transformation of its economy. It has built upon the historic successes of its tourism and agriculture industries and of its small businesses by focusing on becoming a high tech center. Its early successes in this area have attracted new businesses and strengthened existing industries. But much more can be done. Florida needs a strong investment capital community; a university system on par with those in Massachusetts and California; and a large, capable, high tech workforce. In order to attain these goals, Florida's political and industry leaders must continue to be creative in the way they build the state's economy.

Convening a Blue Ribbon Commission of the state's public and private leadership will enable Florida to best identify catalysts for change and therefore ensure the state's long-term economic success.

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ITFlorida is an umbrella, not-for-profit, membership organization that represents Florida's diverse technology community on a statewide basis.

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