Business Facilities Presents its First “Achievement in Public-Private Partnership Award” to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance
Business Facilities has named the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Broward County’s official public/private partnership for economic development, the winner of its first “Achievement in Public-Private Partnership Award.”
The award is one of a new annual series of economic development awards the publication has introduced to honor the agencies and organizations that have established and consistently executed the best practices in the economic development industry, bringing measurable success in targeted economic development to the locations they represent.
“Over the past decade, we have chronicled the proliferation of public-private partnerships as an alternative or supplement to state-run economic development agencies and/or departments of commerce.” stated Business Facilities Editor-in-Chief Jack Rogers. “Not all public-private partnerships are created equal. The best public-private partnerships bring together a high-powered team of business leaders and economic development specialists who leverage the assets of a region to establish a coherent strategy for development and brand the location as a prime site for new business.”
“Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance has set the standard for best practices in this dominant new economic development model by forging a powerhouse collection of area CEOs into a driving force for growth,” Rogers said. The mission of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance is to lead Broward County in building a stronger and more diversified economy by promoting increased public/private sector collaboration, delivering business development initiatives focused on new investment and job growth, enhancing the competitiveness of Broward’s business climate and driving regional initiatives.
The CEO Council of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance recently has been involved in several high-profile initiatives that are raising national awareness for the region and throwing a spotlight on its highly skilled, diverse and talented workforce, an exceptional quality of life and easy access to domestic and international markets.
A television commercial produced by Zimmerman Advertising has featured CEO Council members Wayne Huizenga, Mike Jackson, Roy Krause and Keith Koenig along with Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry and NFL Hall of Famer Dwight Stephenson. The ads, which aired for six months in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut and Boston markets and on JetBlue’s in-flight TV, conclude with Huizenga’s memorable tag line: “Hey, it’s not what you make, it’s what you keep.” Print display ads also have been produced and published as part of the campaign.
CEO Council founding and current Chairman Ray Ferrero, Jr. said, “This external national honor certainly ratifies the CEO Council foundational studies including the initial assessment conducted by Jim McGraw of KMK Consulting, followed by the National Competitive Ranking Assessment by John Rhodes of MS&B and the 3 year Strategic Blueprint & Implementation Plan for headquarters recruitment by Del Boyette and his team at Boyette Strategic Advisors, along with the marketing and branding initiative developed by Jordan and his team at Zimmerman Advertising. These foundational studies, all underwritten by the CEO Council, along with the National Competitive Incentives Analysis by Jay Biggins of Biggins Lacy & Shapiro, have all brought the collective wisdom of the nation’s top economic development consultants to bear on behalf of Greater Fort Lauderdale, and the results of executing their recommendations under the direction of CEO Council Managing Director Robin Ronne has proven we are on the right path to continued success.”
“We are extremely proud of this honor for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance,” said Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry. “It is a testament that our public-private partnership is being recognized as one of the best in the nation and is a wonderful recognition for all of Broward County – one in which its business community and residents can take pride.”
“The Alliance has done a splendid job of putting the Greater Fort Lauderdale area on the national radar,” Rogers said. “With a strong footprint in everything from aerospace to life sciences and cloud computing, we anticipate steady progress and exponential growth from this region.”
“We are very proud to be the recipient of this award,” said Alliance President and CEO Bob Swindell. “We have many people to thank including our partners at Broward County, the municipalities in Broward County and the numerous private sector companies who provide their time, talents and financial resources to growing jobs in Broward County. We are pleased to share this award with them and are grateful for their involvement.”
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance (www.gflalliance.org) is Broward County’s official public/private partnership for economic development. Its mission is to lead Broward County in building a stronger and more diverse economy by stimulating the creation of new jobs and capital investment while facilitating the growth and retention of businesses in Broward County. Services offered by the Alliance include assistance with business relocation or expansion and site selection; incentive programs and information; market research; and serving as a liaison for workforce development between WorkForce One Employment Solutions, educational institutions and the business community. To learn more, call (954) 524-3113.
