Tra Williams
FleetForce Truck Driving School
Tra Williams is a speaker, author, entrepreneur, and nationally recognized expert in entrepreneurship and business strategy.
He has been featured and quoted in numerous publications, including Forbes, Bloomberg, and Franchise Times, and he often speaks at conferences and company conventions. In his new book Boss Brain, Tra reveals the shocking truth behind the decline of American entrepreneurship and the impacts this decline has on individuals and communities.
Using scientifically-proven research, Tra has supported thousands of entrepreneurs on their journey to self-employment. He currently consults with Municipalities, Economic Development Councils, and Chambers of Commerce to help them create a balance between large-scale corporate growth and a flourishing landscape of small business startups.
Tra holds a degree from the University of Georgia and is a graduate of the prestigious Franchise Management program at Georgetown University. He has sat at the helm of two international brands.
TJ Villamil
FloridaCommerce Deputy Secretary
TJ Villamil is the Deputy Secretary of FloridaCommerce overseeing the agency’s Economic Development division. This division administers over 35 programs focused on job creation, retention, and attraction improving economic prospects for Floridians. TJ also serves as the President of International Commerce at SelectFlorida, Inc. SelectFlorida is the state’s official trade and investment promotion agency tasked with supporting Florida’s economic development mission and goals through global commerce.
TJ is the former Senior Vice President of International Trade and Development at Enterprise Florida. In his role with Enterprise Florida, TJ led a team promoting international trade for Florida’s small and mid-sized businesses and attracting foreign direct investment to the state.
Prior to joining Enterprise Florida, TJ ran a boutique consulting practice with his wife, Christina, focused on supporting the needs of businesses expanding or relocating to Florida.
TJ is a proud double graduate from the University of Florida, receiving his Masters in Entrepreneurship from the Hough Graduate School of Business (’13), and his undergraduate degree in Telecommunications – News from the College of Journalism and Communications (’12). TJ served as the Student Body President for UF from 2012-2013 representing the 50,000-member student body of the Gator Nation. He also served as the Special Assistant to UF President Bernie Machen in 2014.
TJ lives in Coral Gables, FL with his lovely wife Christina, their children JJ & Emi, and their goldendoodle Luna.TJ and his family enjoy spurring economic growth through consumption around the state of Florida.
Jared Perdue
Florida Department of Transportation Secretary
Jared W. Perdue, P.E. was named Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) by Governor Ron DeSantis on April 7, 2022. As Secretary, Perdue oversees the lead agency in state government with the statutory responsibility to coordinate the planning and development of a safe, viable, and balanced transportation system serving all regions of the state, and to assure the compatibility of all components, including multimodal facilities.
Secretary Perdue has devoted his entire career to the FDOT since entering public service through the Professional Engineer Training Program with FDOT District Three. The completion of this program kickstarted his FDOT career and, likewise, his passion for serving the people of Florida, as his various leadership roles within the Department have touched nearly every aspect of the state’s transportation system and the communities it serves. Through the years, Perdue has played integral roles in both operations and development where he has held positions as the District Geotechnical Engineer, District Traffic Operations Engineer, as well as the District Design Engineer. He also has a tremendous amount of experience with various modes of transportation including space, multi-use trails, and served as the CEO of SunRail.
Since his appointment as Secretary, Perdue’s vision has led the Department’s efforts of building a safer, stronger, and more resilient multimodal transportation system with Florida’s communities at the very center. As Florida’s population continues to grow and understanding the impact transportation has on the quality of life for Floridians, Secretary Perdue strives to ensure that FDOT’s infrastructure around the state will efficiently serve residents and visitors, now and in the future, with an emphasis on embracing communities to achieve their vision and meet the transportation needs. Under his leadership, the Department will continue to prioritize safety to reach a target of zero fatalities and serious injuries, enhance the transportation network, inspire innovation, and build strong partnerships to ensure Florida remains a leader in transportation.
Secretary Perdue received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. He is married to his beautiful wife Brandis and has five daughters.
Tiffany Esposito
Florida House of Representatives - District 77
Born and raised in Lee County, Tiffany Esposito earned a Bachelor's degree in Communications and an MBA from FGCU. Elected to the Florida House in 2022 for District 77, she's an advocate for the business community and effective legislation. Tiffany's accomplishments include advancing infrastructure, expanding broadband access, supporting small businesses, and cutting bureaucratic waste. Tiffany is dedicated to economic growth and fiscal responsibility.
Tanya Doran
Tampa Bay Ferries Alliance
Tanya was born in Tallahassee, Florida, and grew up on a small family farm in Riverview with her younger sister and twin brothers after her parents relocated there in 1971. Riverview is a suburb of Tampa, located in unincorporated Hillsborough County. Tanya has been happily married to her husband for over three decades and continues to reside in Riverview today.
With great honor, Tanya has previously served as a MacDill Air Force Base Honorary Commander and serves on MacDill Support Council. She is the CEO of the Tampa Bay Ferries Alliance, an independent nonprofit organization committed to bringing quality, sustainable year-round ferry service to the Tampa Bay region.
In her previous role, she had a successful tenure as the Riverview Chamber of Commerce CEO for 14 years, building a reputation built on integrity, communication, and service. During her free time, she prioritizes spending quality time with her family, reading, expanding her knowledge, and venturing out to explore new destinations through travel.
Tom Walker
DroneUp
Tom Walker is the Founder and CEO of DroneUp, an American technology company specializing in advanced commercial drone services.
Previously, Tom served as an Officer in the U.S. Navy for almost 17 years, pioneering government digital reform through re-programming and web enablement of systems to support both U.S. and International Special Forces.
As a natural early adopter of innovative technology, his interest turned to drones many years ago. Working with a team of industry veterans and experts, Tom built DroneUp to be the largest drone delivery operation in the United States.
DroneUp’s mission is to bring the tremendous benefits of drone technology to communities, businesses, and society. Clients and partners include Walmart, Brookfield Properties, Quest Diagnostics, NATO Allied Command, and many more.
Tom has served as an advisor to the White House on technology innovation and its impact on the emerging workforce and is a member of the Forbes Technology Council. He resides in Chesapeake, VA with his wife, Dyanne, and a fleet of drones.
Murphy Kennedy
Florida Realtors
Murphy Kennedy has been working in the Florida political process for almost ten years. After graduating with a M.A. from Florida State University in 2014, she started her career as a campaign manager for State Representative MaryLynn Magar's re-election campaign. Her first permanent role was as a legislative aide to State Representative Bob Cortes in the Florida House of Representatives, then as an analyst in the House Majority Office.
She joined the government affairs team of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions in 2020, a trade organization representing credit unions in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. She joined the Florida Realtors early in 2023 as a Public Policy Representative, specializing in state and local taxation and attainable and workforce housing. She is thrilled to represent the interests of the real estate community and homeowners in the state of Florida.
John Kubler
Florida Department of Transportation
John Kubler has more than thirty-eight years of experience in the transportation industry and has worked in both the public and private sectors. He has served for more than thirty-one years in various positions with the Florida Department of Transportation in Districts One and Seven. Of his seven years in the consultant industry, John is most proud of being a part of the team that built the Interstate 75 iROX Design-Build-Finance Project in Collier and Lee Counties.
John received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of South Florida and is a registered Professional Engineer in Florida. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida. He is a graduate of the Certified Public Manager program through the Florida State University. John also completed the National Transportation Advanced Leadership Institute program through the Indiana University.
Lucienne Pears
Kitson & Partners
Lucienne Pears is currently the Vice President of Economic and Business Development for real estate developer Kitson & Partners’ sustainable city: Babcock Ranch.
Since 2002, Lucienne has been a resident of the Gulf Coast of Florida. After spending nearly a decade as a consultant with civil engineering firms in land use entitlement, construction, acquisition, and development projects, Lucienne launched her Economic Development career in Marion County, creating the office of Sustainable Growth. In 2010, Lucienne was recruited back to the Gulf Coast in to work in the Charlotte County Economic Development Office. In January 2016, Lucienne took the helm as Director, reporting directly to the Board of County Commissioners.
During her years in Charlotte County’s EDO, Lucienne was recognized twice (2017 & 2018) as one of the Top 50 Economic Developers in North America by Consultant Connect, a consortium of site selection consultants, economic developers, and industry CEOs. She has also been honored as a Person to Watch by Florida Trend magazine. Under Lucienne’s leadership, the EDO secured several key-commitments: the sale of Murdock Village, over $2 billion in capital investment in Charlotte County, and over $3.2 million in grant funding for infrastructure improvements to support economic development. In addition, during her tenure, the EDO received numerous awards from the FEDC, SEDC and IEDC for innovation in economic development, marketing, and strategy.
Lucienne’s notable accomplishments and community involvement caught the eye of real estate developer Kitson & Partners, who had recently launched an 18,000-acre project to build America’s first sustainable city. In January 2019, Lucienne was invited to join Kitson & Partners at Babcock Ranch as the VP of Economic and Business Development. In the short time that Lucienne has been a part of Babcock Ranch, she has led the team that secured $8 million in State funding for the construction of a Southwest Florida Regional Emergency Shelter and athletic field house.
Lucienne attended Salisbury University on Maryland’s eastern shore and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Geography with a concentration in Urban and Regional Planning.
Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and Public Relations
Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster is an award-winning political reporter turned public affairs professional, who currently serves as the public affairs director at Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and Public Relations. Prior to joining GSMA, she served as the director of government relations at the Greater Naples Chamber. There, she helped advance the chamber’s governmental and legislative priorities at the city, county and state levels. She also managed the successful One Collier campaign, which, in 2018, supported the passage of a one-cent infrastructure sales surtax in Collier County.
Jenna graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, with a degree in journalism. After college, she spent more than a decade covering local and state government and politics, for the Naples Daily News and then Florida Politics.
Jenna currently serves as the board secretary and a founding board member of the Collier County Community Land Trust and is a member of the Women’s Foundation of Collier County Board of Directors. In 2020, she was named a 40 Under 40 honoree by Gulfshore Business.
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State of the Region will feature speakers, panelists, and experts from across Florida to discuss the trends, economics, and policies that have a direct impact on the Southwest Florida community.
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