Contact

The Central Florida Development Council

Staff

Rodney Carson

As Director of Economic Development, Rodney is responsible for the development and implementation of the organization’s overall economic development strategic plan including, the formulation of target industry strategies for marketing of new business recruitment (domestically and internationally) as well as local business expansion/retention and entrepreneurial development.  In addition to his economic development responsibilities, Rodney oversees the overall operations and strategy implementation of the Small Business Development Council of Polk County.

 Prior to joining the CFDC, Rodney has served as vice president for a 3 state – 15 county regional economic development program, a senior economic development representative with a Fortune 250 company, an international business consultant, and an international operations manager for an internet company.  He is also an accomplished entrepreneur, having started and sold several different small businesses in Texas and Hawaii. 

Rodney obtained his undergraduate degree, with a double major in international business management and business finance, from the University of Hawaii.  He holds an MBA with a focus in international internet and e-commerce management from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  In addition to his degrees, Rodney is also a certified economic developer (CEcD) and an Adjunct Professor at Polk State College where he teaches International Business.  Rodney is a recipient of Progress Energy’s highest employee award – the Pinnacle Award – for his leadership in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.

Rodney is actively involved in local, regional and state economic development organizations, having held various board positions with Tampa Bay Partnership, Florida’s Great Northwest, Opportunity Florida and the Haines City Economic Development Council.  He is currently a board member on the USF Poly Incubator Review Committee and USF Poly Global Council.  Additionally, he is an active member of the Florida Economic Development Council and the International Economic Development Council.

Rodney is an accomplished scuba diver, having reached the ranks of master scuba instructor, and now spends his free time with his wife and keeping up with his children’s competitive swim activities.

Jim DeGennaro

Jim DeGennaro is the Senior  Marketing Manager. Jim is responsible for marketing the assets of Polk County and manages communications and public relations activities. He supports all of the CFDC’s initiatives.

Jim is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma at Norman and is a Certified Public Manager. He was honored as Florida’s 1995 Economic Development Professional of the Year by the Florida Economic Development Council.

Jim serves as a volunteer on the Board of Directors for Florida First Capital Finance Corporation and is a 30-year employee of the Board of County Commissioners and the Central Florida Development Council.

He has three grown children and six grandbabies. When he was younger, Jim rode a bareback bronco in a rodeo, parachuted from a perfectly good airplane and bungee jumped stone cold sober from a 200-foot tall tower crane on Daytona Beach. Today he is careful to hold the handrail when walking down the stairs.

Mark McDuff

As Senior Business Development Manager, Mark’s primary focus areas include target industry business attraction and recruitment, implementing marketing strategies to promote the advantages of our region to national site location consultants, national corporate real estate consultants and target industry corporate level executives. He also attends target industry trade shows and consultant events to increase awareness of the Polk County brand, create relationships with key location influencers and generate investment in Polk County.

Prior to joining the CFDC, Mark served as Community Services Director for the City of Lake Wales, where his department was responsible for providing a diverse range of community and municipal services.

He retired from the United States Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1999 after 20 years of service and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration (Organization & Management) from Golden Gate University and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology from the University of South Florida. In 2001 he completed the University of South Florida’s basic Economic Development Course and completed the International Economic Development Council’s Economic Development Marketing and Attraction course in 2008.

He is originally from Winter Haven where he lives with his wife, Lynda. Mark is an avid runner, surfer and loves bass fishing and Florida archaeology.

Amy Palmer

Amy Palmer is the Senior Business Development Manager for the Central Florida Development Council (CFDC) of Polk County, a public-private partnership between the Board of County Commissioners and all the Chambers of Commerce in Polk County, where she is responsible for the Business Retention and Expansion Program.

Amy has a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Florida State University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. She is also Secretary for the Heart of Florida Section of the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association. She attended undergraduate school at Catawba College in Salisury, NC, where she and her husband Andy Palmer met in their freshman year.

Prior to joining the CFDC, Amy was the former Staff Planner and Community Development Director for the City of Auburndale. She lives in Winter Haven where she enjoys entertaining family and friends, cooking, exercising and traveling.

Brandy Skinner

As the Administrative Assistant, Brandy supports staff responsible for implementing the division’s strategic plan. She is also the assistant to the CFDC, Inc. Board of Directors.

Prior to joining the Economic Development department, Brandy was employed at the 911 Communications Center for Polk County Fire and EMS.

Brandy currently lives in Fort Meade with her husband and two sons.

Lindsay Volpe

Lindsay is the Research and Business Analyst for the Central Florida Development Council. She is responsible for targeted industry cluster development, program evaluation, maintaining databases for project activity and developing innovative ways to market Polk County.

Lindsay holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Palm Beach Atlantic University and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Florida Gulf Coast University.

Prior to working with the CFDC, Lindsay interned with BKSH & Associates, Washington, DC’s premier global public policy and government relations firm.

She lives in Winter Haven and enjoys traveling, cooking and spending time with her family.