Economic Outlook Program Book

Sponsored By

AGENDA

01 02 03

WELCOME

Erin Silk, CEcD

President & CEO, Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County

OPENING REMARKS Bill Clinebell

Co-Founder & President, Relofant

PLEDGE

Commissioner Teresa Mast

Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners

BREAKFAST BREAK

04

SPEAKER INTRODUCTION

05 06 07 08

SPEAKER

Jade Davis

Partner at Shumaker Technology, Data Privacy, Cybersecurity & AI Service Line Leader

Michelle Dennard

Vice President & Regional Executive Jacksonville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

SPEAKER

Bemetra Simmons

President & CEO, Tampa Bay Partnership

MODERATED PANEL Mark Gordon

Managing Editor, Business Observer

CLOSING

Bill Clinebell

Co-Founder & President, Relofant

Where Counsel Meets Community With deep roots in Sarasota, Shumaker takes pride in serving the businesses and entrepreneurs that enhance and strengthen this region. Our firm is committed to supporting the vibrant Sarasota business community and doing our part to help foster its growth.

TECHNOLOGY, DATA PRIVACY, CYBERSECURITY & AI Shumaker guides employers through the evolving intersection of technology and the workplace. From AI-driven hiring tools and employee monitoring practices to protecting sensitive personnel data and responding to cybersecurity incidents, we help you implement compliant, defensible systems. Our team advises on privacy policies, data breach preparedness, biometric information requirements, and the responsible deployment of emerging technologies—so you can innovate with confidence while minimizing legal exposure.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Shumaker delivers strategic, forward-thinking legal counsel to support your business through every phase—formation, growth, transition, or sale. With deep experience across transactions and tax planning, we help you make confident decisions that position you for long-term success.

CORPORATE, TAX & TRANSACTIONS At Shumaker, our dedicated IP team protects the innovative ideas of inventors and creators, ensuring their IP thrives in a technology-driven world. We provide comprehensive support, from securing patents and trademarks to litigating disputes, allowing clients to focus on their core business while we safeguard their valuable assets.

SHUMAKER ADVISORS Shumaker Advisors is a leading government relations firm that provides a powerful strategic advantage to clients as they compete for market share, expansion, and profitability in an ever-changing political landscape. We bring our clients’ priorities and vision to decision-makers and policy-shapers within federal, state, and local governments; the media; and their industries and professions.

National Law Journal

The American Lawyer

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VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT SHUMAKER.COM

For Commercial Real Estate Projects–One Name to Remember.

You have the vision. Relofant makes sure nothing gets in the way. A commercial relocation, renovation, or build out means fifteen or more vendors, stacked and dependent timelines, and improvement allowances that may fall short of what is actually needed.

Relofant is a PMP-certified owner’s representation and project management firm. We work on your behalf from the first vision conversation through Day One operational readiness. The project gets done right, and you can focus on running your business while it does.

Let’s make sure your space is ready to work as hard as you do.

Owner’s Representation & Project Management 813-461-7257 | relofant.com Project Planning | Due Diligence | Construction Management | Tech Integration FF&E | Move Management | Site Support | Decommissioning

WELCOME

Erin Silk, CEcD

In a world defined by constant information and competing narratives, the true challenge is not access, but clarity. Today’s program is intentionally designed to cut through the noise and deliver insights that matter, timely, relevant, and actionable.

President & CEO

By bringing together local perspective, regional intelligence, and real time economic signals, this event equips leaders to make informed decisions with confidence.

Thank you for being part of a conversation focused not on more information, but on what matters most to our economic future.

Sincerely,

Erin Silk, CEcD

SPEAKER Michelle Dennard Vice President & Regional Executive Jacksonville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

In her role, Michelle is responsible for the Branch’s Board of Directors and the District’s Advisory Council on Transportation and Logistics.

She provides regional input into the Atlanta Fed’s monetary policy process.

Michelle joined the Jacksonville Branch in 2023. An attorney and member of the Florida Bar, she has nearly 20 years of experience in workforce and economic development serving in state-level positions to provide strategic leadership and shape policy.

Michelle is a member of Leadership Florida Cornerstone Class 39, the Leadership Jacksonville New Executive Program, and has received both state and national recognition for her work in workforce and economic development. Michelle is a graduate of the Florida State University College of Business and earned her Juris Doctor degree from the Florida State University College of Law.

SPEAKER Bemetra Simmons President & CEO, Tampa Bay Partnership

Bemetra has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Tampa Bay Partnership since September 1, 2021. The Tampa Bay Partnership is a coalition of regional business and nonprofit leaders designed to improve the civic quality and economic well-being of the residents of Tampa Bay.

Bemetra leverages a broad network across Tampa Bay and beyond to convene leaders and drive solutions in workforce development, education, transportation, and housing.

She previously served as Chief Strategy and Operations Officer at United Way Suncoast (2020–2021) and has held executive roles at Mutual of Omaha Bank, Wells Fargo, and BB&T. Bemetra serves on the Board of the Jacksonville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and is active in the Tampa Bay community, including roles with St. Leo University, the Florida Nonprofit Alliance, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, and Visit Tampa Bay. She was named one of the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s “Most Admired CEOs” in 2025 and a 2024 Women of Distinction Honoree. She holds a BS in business administration from Christian Brothers University and an MBA from Wake Forest University.

MODERATOR Mark Gordon Managing Editor, Business Observer

Mark has been with the Business Observer since 2005. He has written about companies, development, entrepreneurs and how government intersects with business, among other topics.

Mark oversees the paper’s coverage from Tampa to Naples, in print and online, overseeing a staff of reporters and photographers, in addition to writing stories. He has written a biweekly leadership column, Leadership Matters, since 2021 in the Business Observer. And in 2023 he began hosting a weekly podcast on leadership for the Business Observer, From the Corner Office.

The Business Observer is part of the Observer Media Group, which publishes seven weekly newspapers across Florida and was founded in 1995. Started in 1997 as the Gulf Coast Business Review, the Business Observer is the leading provider and most authoritative source of business and economic information affecting the Gulf Coast from Polk to Collier counties. It is published in print each Friday, with a daily email newsletter. We also publish a weekly commercial real estate email newsletter.

Prior to the Business Observer, Mark worked for daily newspapers in upstate New York, suburban Philadelphia and Jacksonville. He lives in east Manatee County with his wife, Elyse, and their son, Aaron.

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