Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on Rick Homans:
BUSINESS NEWS
Homans moves from EDC to Tampa Bay Partnership
By Yvette C. Hammett | Tribune Staff
Published: October 12, 2015 | Updated: October 12, 2015 at 09:15 PM
TAMPA — Rick Homans, who for the past three years successfully rewrote the handbook for economic development in Hillsborough County, will jump into a more regional role later this month.
Homans, president and CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation since 2012, will take the reins of the Tampa Bay Partnership. He was selected after the Partnership conducted a national search for a new leader. He officially joins the Partnership as president and CEO on Nov. 9.
Homans steps into the vacuum created when former interim CEO John Schueler stepped down in June. Schueler took the position beginning in 2013 following the resignation of longtime Partnership president and CEO Stuart Rogel.
Homans’ move came as no surprise to local leaders, who had known for awhile this change was in the works, said Hillsborough County Commission Chairwoman Sandy Murman.
And no one appears worried it will be a setback for the robust economic development the county has experienced in the past couple of years.
“My personal thoughts are that Rick really took us to a new level when he came on board and I think he developed a really good economic development machine with a good staff. Everything will run well,” Murman said.
“I’m just happy we’re keeping him here in the Bay area,” said Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. “I really have grown to like and respect Rick. He’s been a big part of all the progress we’ve made over the past four years and an integral part of the team that coalesced and convened and executed on the plan and the vision” for jobs and business growth.
“He’s done this without any drama,” Buckhorn said. “The results are speaking for themselves.”
Since becoming leader of the EDC, Homans and his staff have worked to lure more than 12,000 high-paying jobs to Hillsborough County. New and expanding businesses, just this year, planned to spend $121 million in the area, which includes a $23.5 million investment planned by Johnson & Johnson and $18.3 million that Tampa Tank and Florida Structural Steel is investing to expand at Port Tampa Bay’s Port Redwing in Apollo Beach.
The EDC staff remains on the hunt for a Fortune 500 company willing to move its headquarters here. Homans said that hunt, which his team has worked closely on with Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik’s development team, will remain an EDC task once he departs.
“The Lightning and SPP have strong partnerships with both the Hillsborough County EDC and the Tampa Bay Partnership,’’ said Jim Shimberg, chief operating officer of Strategic Property Partners, the joint real estate venture between Cascade Investments and Jeff Vinik. “We look forward to working with Rick in his new role as CEO of the Partnership as well as on a continuing basis with the EDC on our efforts to bring thousands of high paying jobs to Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bay area.”
Murman said J. P. DuBuque, who will serve as interim EDC director, has served side by side with Homans as vice president of finance and administration for nearly three years and is up to taking over that weighty task. “I think there will be barely a blip on the screen.”
University of Tampa President Ronald Vaughn, who serves as EDC chairman, said DuBuque has “worked tirelessly to help lead the transformation of the EDC. His institutional knowledge, financial acumen and relationship building with investors, elected officials and partners will ensure a seamless transition as we focus on the continued pursuit of our strategic goals.”
The EDC will conduct a national search for Homans’ replacement.
Homans’ new focus will be on developing a strategic plan to bring the voices of regional business leaders together.
“What I’ve been doing here at the EDC is in the trenches, on the ground economic development,” Homans said. “We’ve built a super strong organization, but our success is driven in large part by the power of the region. I think you look at the things like the Bay Area legislative delegation and the business leadership and we haven’t yet harnessed that power to effect positive economic change. That’s the opportunity ahead of us.”
“Choosing a leader with both an economic development background and public policy experience is a major asset for Tampa Bay,” said Bay Area Legislative Delegation Chair Sen. John Legg. “[The legislative delegation] looks forward to strengthening its relationship with Rick Homans and the Tampa Bay Partnership as it works toward making the Tampa Bay region the pre-eminent business destination in the country,” Legg said in a written statement.
Homans said one of his jobs for the Partnership will also be to work with the CEOs of every economic development corporation in the region to find out how to add “real value and compliment their work and support their activities to help them get even better results. I know from where I sit at the EDC we need that kind of regional support. I look forward to developing that program with these partners.”
“This is a pivotal moment for the Tampa Bay Partnership ,” said Partnership Chairman and Fifth Third Bank (North Florida) Regional President Brian Lamb. “I am confident that Rick is the right person for the job as his extensive experience closely aligns with the strategic direction of the organization, which will focus on solidifying ‘one voice’ for the region.”
