Located halfway between Tampa and Orlando off I-4, Polk City is providing leisure and marketing its natural resources as a destination vacation for those seeking time in the great outdoors. The city is doing all that in addition to building its retail, industrial and commercial base. It is also keeping in mind its vision statement: […]
Autonomous Vehicles are part of a $20.97 billion industry, according to ReportLinker. One of the most important issues facing that industry today is ensuring government and industry work together at the same pace to update infrastructure to allow AVs to drive safely. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Florida Polytechnic University and SunTrax […]
Central Florida is home to a deep and diverse talent pipeline, from world-class colleges and universities to specialized training centers, Polk County is dedicated to workforce preparedness. To start off 2022, the CFDC highlighted our seven institutions of higher learning to learn more about their plans for the new year and beyond. Read more below. […]
As the new year begins, Polk State College President Angela Garcia Falconetti is looking forward to many opportunities – and she’s starting off quickly. With the Florida Legislature now in session, Falconetti has outlined the college’s legislative requests, which include two multimillion-dollar projects to expand what it offers and where. The college is asking for […]
Press release from Bartow Economic Development Council. For more information, please contact Virginia Condello, interim executive director of the Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce at virginia@bartowchamber.com Bartow, FL, February 7, 2022 — Denise Bohde has been chosen to lead the economic development efforts of the Bartow Economic Development Council (BEDC). The goal of the Bartow […]
From agriculture to aviation, Polk County has played a major role in the center of one of the biggest states in the country. Now, as Polk celebrates its 161st birthday on February 8, we can take a look back to examine its growth and economic diversification over the years. Governor Madison Starke Perry created Polk […]
Working toward growth, Webber International University will embark on several construction projects this year. “We built a Learning Commons last year, which houses computer labs, tutoring offices, library, writing lab and the students’ favorite — a Starbucks. Moving the library let us repurpose that space for occupational therapy assisting, nursing and sports performance and fitness […]
Building on ideas from other cities, adding housing and jobs, and revitalizing downtown all lead to one thing: Lakeland is starting to see its true potential, City Manager Shawn Sherrouse said. “When we look at areas like Chattanooga, Tennessee, or Greenville, South Carolina, and everybody likes what those communities have developed into, I think some […]
Melody Rider, president of Keiser University’s Lakeland campus, said she’s very excited about 2022 after the Year of Pivot (2020) and the Year of Transition (2021). The Year of Pivot saw faculty and staff working from home, students learning remotely and many safety challenges on campus – all adding a lot of stress, she said. […]
Coming off a year of fundraising, Warner University President David Hoag is preparing for a year of planning in 2022, charting a path for the next five to 10 years at the southeast Polk County university in Lake Wales. “We just went through a capital campaign and raised over $25 million,” said Hoag, who has […]