March 2003  /  Issue No. 2

Are we on the map in the "Geography of Cool?" What does a creative culture have to do with economic vitality? Do talent, technology and tolerance translate into growth and prosperity? Find out at the Rise of the Creative Class: An Economic Development Summit with special guest speaker Richard Florida, professor of Regional Economic Development at Carnegie Mellon University, columnist for Information Week, and author of the new bestseller, The Rise of the Creative Class. The event, which costs $30, will be held Friday, April 11, at Ferguson Hall, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, in Tampa, Registration is 7:30 a.m. and the program is 8 to 10 a.m. For more information, contact Elisa DeGregorio at (813) 878-2208, or to register, go to www.pinellasarts.org.

Go fishin' for a good cause:  On Friday, April 11, business leaders are encouraged to be "gone fishing" while doing some good for the environment and their businesses. By participating in the Spring on the Flats Catch and Release Fishing Tournament, you will be supporting the Pinellas County Environmental Foundation (PCEF), the beneficiary of the fishing tournament. The event starts at 7 a.m. at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club's Marina in St. Petersburg. Beginning sponsorship - "Angler" - starts at $500, and includes professional fishing guide, bait and tackle, lunch, and a deluxe fisherman's bag. PCEF, an organization that works to protect and conserve local wildlife and the habitat on which they depend, awards challenge grants to local organizations doing on-the-ground conservation or conservation education. Since its inception in 200, the group has awarded $2,830,500 that has leveraged an additional $4,073,041, for a total conservation investment of $6,903,541. For more information or to register, contact Mandy Peterson, PCEF Director of Development, at (727) 827-3326 or e-mail: mandypeterson@ij.net. 

Save money on recruitment. Fill your seasonal/part-time job openings at a Youth Job Fair, Thursday, April 10, 1 to 4 p.m., at Pinellas Technical Educational Center, 901 34th Street S., in St. Petersburg. The Youth Job Fair is free and provides an easy, one-stop process to fill your positions. Your company's participation includes access to hundreds of job seekers and company identification on event collateral and the Pinellas WorkNet website. Pinellas County youth from 14 to 20 years old are seeking summer employment. For more information, call the WorkNet Pinellas Business Service Office at (727) 570-3000, ext. 1, or contact WorkNet through the Internet at www.worknetpinellas.org.

Post your business opportunity on Economic Development's Networking Directory: Pinellas County Economic Development's website - www.siliconbay.org - has a new page - Post Your Business Opportunities - where companies may add and edit their requests for products or services. This page is only one of the options on the site's Networking Directory where visitors may search for companies not only by product descriptions, but also by company name, city, vendor approvals, quality certifications, and trading partners. This Networking Directory, now listing more than 1,400 companies, may also be downloaded. For information, contact (727) 464-7342.

Eckerd College's Leadership Development Program For Experienced Managers has been hailed as the world's best leadership course by BusinessWeek for the second consecutive year: As part of Eckerd's Center for Creative Leadership, this renowned program teaches personal and practical approaches to leadership and helps executives reach their full potential. For information, contact (727) 864-8213 or visit www.eckerd.edu/mdi.

Remember Good Business Pinellas TV and Radio: Good Business Pinellas TV airs weeknights at 7 p.m. on St. Petersburg College TV Channel 19 and at various times on Pinellas 18 and Channels 15 and 35 in St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Also, listen to Good Business Pinellas Radio, WHNZ 1250 AM, at 1 p.m., every Wednesday, and anytime - 24/7 - on www.siliconbay.org. For information, call (727) 464-7498.