Dane Eagle, Florida DEO Secretary, Joins SWFL Inc.’s State of the Region Lineup
Dane Eagle, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary, Joins SWFL Inc.’s State of the Region Lineup
Bonita Springs, Fla. (August 16, 2022) – SWFL Inc. has announced Dane Eagle, secretary of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, will be a keynote speaker at State of the Region on Wednesday, August 31 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point. Secretary Eagle will be discussing the state’s workforce development initiatives and the plans for the future of Florida’s workforce. The deadline to purchase tickets for State of the Region is Friday, August 19.
Secretary Eagle has been a commercial real estate broker for nearly two decades, providing strategic advice and execution for property leasing and sales, along with investment strategy and consulting in the Southwest Florida commercial real estate marketplace. He represented Southwest Florida in the Florida House of Representatives from 2012-2020. During his tenure in the Florida House, Secretary Eagle served as the Chairman of the House Energy and Utilities Subcommittee from 2014-2016 and the House Majority Whip from 2016-2019. From 2018-2020, he served as the House Majority Leader.
He will be joined at State of the Region by Jimmy Patronis, who serves the citizens of Florida as the state's Chief Financial Officer, State Fire Marshal and member of the Florida Cabinet. Patronis will be providing an economic overview of Florida and discussing the future of small businesses.
Patronis is a native Floridian, born and raised in Panama City. Patronis earned his associate degree in restaurant management from Gulf Coast Community College and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University. He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2014, representing his hometown region in the Florida Panhandle. Patronis was appointed to serve on Florida’s Public Service Commission, as well as the Constitution Revision Commission, which meets once every twenty years to propose changes to the state constitution.
“At SWFL Inc., we want the best for Southwest Florida’s local business community. We were on a mission to bring the region’s experts to State of the Region, and we’ve done just that,” said Tiffany Esposito, President and CEO of SWFL Inc. “This event is in a class by itself and it’s one you do not want to miss.”
State of the Region will be centered around solution-based discussions and will focus primarily on SWFL Inc.’s policy priorities which include workforce housing, water quality and workforce and talent development. State of the Region will also touch on a wide range of topics including transportation, infrastructure and the challenges the region faces with an influx of residents and expected growth, as well as address how Southwest Florida can move forward to solve the problems local businesses are facing each day.
Additional speakers for State of the Region include L.K. Nandam, Florida Department of Transportation District One Secretary, who will be providing an update on Southwest Florida’s transportation future. Victor Dover, Principal-in-Charge at Dover, Kohl & Partners, will also speak at State of the Region on a new way of thinking when it comes to planning and land use. Noah Valenstein, a founding partner in the consulting firm Brightwater Strategies Group, PLLC, will be leading an informative presentation on the quality of Southwest Florida’s water resources.
Two panels will also provide valuable insight into Southwest Florida’s prosperous future at State of the Region. First, a Workforce Housing Panel featuring Matt Simmons of Maxwell, Hendry & Simmons, Danville Leadbetter of Soltura Development and Justin Thibaut of LSI Companies will be held. Then, Lucienne Pears of Kitson & Partners, John Meyers of Hodges University and Tiffany Esposito, President and CEO of SWFL Inc. will represent the event’s Workforce and Talent Development panel.
State of the Region will be hosted on Wednesday, August 31 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point. Tickets can be purchased at www.swflinc.com/sotr.
About SWFL Inc.
SWFL Inc. is a regional chamber of commerce serving the Southwest Florida business community. It connects businesses to a regional network of customers, offers educational resources to help them grow in a modern economy, and actively works to solve regional issues that impact the business community. At SWFL Inc., membership is free and open to all businesses to create (inc)lusive opportunities for all.
Ranked among the top one percent of chambers nationwide, SWFL Inc. produces exceptional business resources and programs to serve the business community, promote a region where businesses can grow and prosper and enha