Celebrating Bart Allen, of Peterson & Myers, Former CFDC Board Chair
Lakeland law firm Peterson & Myers has been a long-time supporter of the Central Florida Development Council. One of its attorneys, Bart Allen, recently served a year as chairman of the board, using his legal mind to navigate land use, environmental and other complex issues.
“Bart is very approachable, and he has an incredible legal mind,” said CFDC President & CEO Sean Malott. “He is one of those people who has the ability to talk through issues. I can call him and ask him about something and he will give me reliable and honest feedback.”
Malott praised Allen’s knowledge of land use, which he said “is extremely helpful when we’re thinking through or getting involved in projects and whether something can be done from a land perspective.”
Allen, along with Maggie Mariucci and Pete Frantzis, are ending their terms on the board. Each have contributed in many ways, and Malott said even though they are leaving the board, “they are still very important and we will be reaching out and getting connections from them well into the future.”
Allen’s Involvement with CFDC
Allen’s mentor, Jack Brandon, another lawyer at Peterson & Myers, worked with the CFDC before Allen himself got involved about seven years ago. In addition to being chair, Allen was a part of the Governance Committee and the Executive Committee as secretary/treasurer and vice chair. He also serves on the Competitiveness and Advocacy Committee.
Allen said he enjoyed “the shared experiences, developing relationships and learning from the rest of the CFDC team, board members and investors. Those lessons will stick with me throughout the other aspects of my professional and personal life.”
The Future of Polk
He sums up his vision of Polk in one word: prosperity.
“I think Polk County is going to continue to be a focal point for economic activity in the state and in particular Central Florida,” he said. “The planning and forethought of the Board of County Commissioners and the municipalities to implement measures like the Polk Regional Water Cooperative will go a long way to ensure we have the ability to continue to bring good economic growth to the area.”
He sees great opportunities for “high-tech and high-skilled jobs with areas like the Innovation District and partnerships available with our higher education partners like Florida Polytechnic University, Polk State and all the others. The ability to bring new industry to this area is high.”
Facing Challenges
Polk County has dealt with challenging matters in the past and will continue to do so, Allen said.
“The ability to see challenges as they arise and know who to connect to solve those challenges — whatever they may be — was something I was able to learn by watching previous chairs like Todd Dantzler, Jake Polumbo, Angela Falconetti and others.”
Like others, he sees opportunities in collaboration between city economic development councils, municipalities, the CFDC and private development. “When you can facilitate ways to concentrate resources into a collaborative partnership, the ability to create meaningful change or improvements in infrastructure is there.”
Staying Connected
Though Allen’s term with the CFDC Board is coming to an end, he remains an important member of the organization. His invaluable knowledge of land use, as well as influence and connectivity as a leader in Polk County has and will continue to be something that is relied on. The CFDC is extremely grateful for his service.
