FM Sept 04_PDF.qxd - Orlando Chamber of Commerce

Volume 7, Number 9 SEPT 2004
A Hip Urban Renewal
Downtown Orlando is undergoing a
transformation that will breathe new
life into the city center.
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SEPTEMBER 2004
CONTENTS
Executive Publisher —
Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce
President & CEO JACOB V. STUART
Executive Vice President ROBERT RECKER
Advisory Board SHELLEY LAUTEN
CYNDI MATZICK
RUTH MUSTIAN
VILMA QUINTANA
KRISTINE VORPAGEL SHIELDS
LISA WINKELBAUER
Publisher — Knight Images Inc.
President & CEO MICHAEL HINN
Vice President—Publishing KEVIN O’NEIL
Editor JACK ROTH
Contributing Editor TRACY VELT
Contributing Writers JOSÉ DAVID ALVAREZ
LEE BOWMAN
SARA BRADY
ANNE-MARIE BURNS
PAUL DEPALMA
FARLEN HALIKMAN
ANTHONY J. HALL
ALBERTO HERRAN
MIMI HULL, PH.D.
MIKE KETCHUM
CATHERINE MCGUINNESS
FELICIA SPAN-BAKER
TRACEY VELT
CONNIE SUE WHITE
TERI YANOVITCH
Creative Director MIKE FORISTALL
Art Director BARBARA GEORGOUDIOU
Production Artist TRICIA HEATH
Production Supervisor NICK GEORGOUDIOU
Production Coordinators JEN MCGRATH
KAREN RAY
Sales & Marketing Director JACKIE CANDELARIA
Advertising Director MONIQUE RENE
Advertising Manager KATRINA RINI
FirstMonday is published monthly and prepared by the Orlando
Regional Chamber of Commerce and Knight Images. All copyright
privileges are reserved by the publisher. Any reproduction in whole
or in part without express written consent is strictly prohibited.
FirstMonday welcomes articles, story ideas and feedback. However,
neither the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce nor Knight
Images assumes responsibility for the return of unsolicited
manuscripts, photographs, negatives or transparencies.
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
Passion for Food;
Obsession for Service 6
Chamber Member emerges as a nationwide
leader in the restaurant industry.
LEADERSHIP & EDUCATION
Academic Convenience 24
Florida Tech Orlando Graduate Center
offers working professionals flexible
degree programs.
12 24
30
34
COVER STORY
A Hip Urban Renewal 18
Downtown Orlando is undergoing a
transformation that will breathe new
life into the city center.
FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
KNIGHT IMAGES 130 South Orange Ave
Suite 150
Orlando, Florida 32801
Phone 407-206-1011
Fax 407-206-1019
info@knight-images.com
ORLANDO REGIONAL
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE P.O. Box 1234
Orlando, FL 32802-1234
Phone 407-425-1234
Fax 407-835-2500
firstmonday@orlando.org
ADVERTISING INFO Jackie Candelaria
407-206-1011
jackiec@knight-images.com
TOURISM, TRADE
& TRANSPORTATION
A Proactive
Approach to Safety 30
Safety-conscious planning prevents motor
vehicle crashes and unsafe conditions.
CULTURE & TRENDS
Health Care Trends 34
Skyrocketing health care costs force three
in four organizations to make changes.
MEMBERSHIP
New Members 37
DEPARTMENTS
Upfront ....................................................................4
Calendar ................................................................36
Member Opportunities ........................................38
Photos by John Deeb
FM SEPTEMBER 2004 3

UPFRONT
World-Class Partnership
Central Florida researchers heighten state’s ocean and coastal resource awareness.
During two classic Florida July
evenings, Dr. Wayne Wolfson, Chair of
the Board of Governors, and I, along with
our families, had a unique opportunity to
look over the shoulders of one of Florida’s
premier sea turtle research teams as they
did their work in the Archie Carr National
Wildlife Refuge in Brevard County.
This once-in-a-lifetime experience was
provided by Hubbs-SeaWorld Research
Institute and Dr. Lew Ehrhart, Professor
Emeritus at UCF and distinguished Senior
Research Fellow at Hubbs. Accompanying
us were Dr. Duane De Freese, Hubbs
Vice President of Florida Research; Jay
Galbraith, Hubbs Executive Development
Director; and the next generation of sea
turtle biologists in training as students
at UCF.
It was an exciting evening filled with
scientific information and wonderment
to see one of the ocean’s great species
begin its next generation. It also changed
my perception of Florida as a center
for ocean conservation and research.
Let me share some of the things
we learned:
■ Florida’s Archie Carr National Wildlife
Refuge represents America’s most
important sea turtle nesting beach with
global significance for the conservation
of loggerhead and green sea turtles. Over
a decade of conservation land acquisition
has created a unique site for sea turtle
research that is attracting scientists from
Florida and around the nation.
■ Well over $100 million has been spent
by federal, state and local governments and
Call for Board Nominations
Servant Leadership
This is the time of year that
Chamber Members are selected to serve
on the Orlando Regional Chamber
Board of Governors, Small Business
Chamber Board of Directors and
Leadership Alumni Board of Directors.
The Nominating and Board
Development Committees will be
convening in October and once their
recommendations have been approved,
these exciting appointments will be
shared. If the early indications of
interest are evidence of what 2005
the Richard King Mellon Foundation to
secure the boundaries of the congressionally
dedicated refuge. The effort represents one
of the nation’s great coastal conservation
success stories and has secured public
beach and Indian River Lagoon access
throughout the refuge in Brevard and
Indian River Counties.
■ UCF has been a leader in Florida sea turtle
research for more than two decades under
the guidance of Dr. Ehrhart and his team
of UCF students. It was their scientific data
collected during the 1980s that was the
basis for Congress to dedicate the Archie
Carr National Wildlife Refuge.
“Whether it’s high-quality
seafood, beach tourism,
saltwater fishing, or Florida’s
seaports, our ocean and
coastal resources are the foundation
of Florida’s economy
and quality of life.”
— Dr. Duane De Freese
Vice President
Hubbs of Florida Research
■ Since 2000, UCF and Hubbs have successfully
tracked endangered leatherbacks
from the refuge using advanced satellite
transmitters. This leading edge, high-tech
research has been funded over the years by
some notable Central Florida partners
including the Florida Space Grant
Consortium, Florida Space Research
holds in store, the Orlando Regional
Chamber and our family of communities
will be greatly benefited.
Chamber Members interested in
being considered for Board Service
should make their interest known
via e-mail to Jacob.Stuart@orlando.org
for the Board of Governors,
Cyndi.Matzick@orlando.org for the
Small Business Chamber Board of
Directors or Ruth.Mustian@orlando.org
for the Leadership Alumni Board
of Directors.
From left: Dr. Lew Ehrhart; Paul Tritaik, National Wildlife Refuge; Jack Hanna, Jack Hanna's Animal
Adventures and HSRI Board Member; and Dr. Duane De Freese with an endangered juvenile green turtle.
Photo courtesy of Brent Stewart.
Institute, Darden Restaurant Foundation,
and the Hubbs-SeaWorld Society.
■ Hubbs is planning to build a world-class
marine research institute in Brevard
County associated with the refuge.
First envisioned by Dr. De Freese over
a decade ago, this dream is now
becoming a reality thanks to a land
donation from the Richard King Mellon
Foundation and growing support
from the Central Florida community.
While the Hubbs research expansion
in Florida cannot compare with the
scale of the Scripps Research Institute
expansion announced earlier this year,
it represents another example of how
non-profit organizations help to diversify
and expand the Central Florida economy.
As a member of the Executive
Committee for myregion.org, Dr. De Freese
often speaks about the significant, and
often overlooked, economic value of
ocean research in Florida. According to
Dr. De Freese, “Whether it’s high-quality
seafood, beach tourism, saltwater fishing,
or, our ocean and coastal resources are the
foundation of Florida’s economy and
quality of life.”
“World-class” is a term that many
regions aspire to and a term that I don’t
use lightly. I had a chance to see a glimpse
of world-class scientists, world-class
sea turtle nesting beaches, and a
world-class research partnership
between Hubbs-SeaWorld Research
Institute and the University of Central
Florida — all working together to
contribute to Florida’s ocean economy
and quality of life.
Jacob V. Stuart
President
Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce
4 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

THIS JUST IN
Football in the Air
Central Florida is getting motivated for UCF football.
He’s turning up where you’d least
expect him. With his stopwatch, scowl
and patented “Golden Glare,” the head
football coach for the UCF Golden
Knights is turning heads … and putting
them to work.
Nobody is being spared the George
O’Leary “Get Motivated” treatment …
from Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to
Orange County Chairman Richard Crotty
and Metro Orlando EDC President & CEO
Ray Gilley, leaders throughout Central
Florida are getting behind the hometown
college team, supervised, of course, by the
ever-present Coach O’Leary.
In fact, O’Leary has been popping up
all over town, often in many places at
once … in cardboard cut-outs overlooking
office workers, in Web sites instructing
Central Floridians to “Get Motivated”
(www.ucfgetmotivated.com), and in
humorous TV, radio and print advertisements
promoting George O’Leary’s
Universal Coaching Fundamentals
(G.O.U.C.F.).
The O’Leary appearances are part
of an overall awareness campaign to
promote UCF Football throughout the
community. With 35 years of coaching
experience, George O’Leary is bringing
an energized football program to Central
Florida with one main objective: getting
the community to support UCF Football
by becoming season ticket holders and
creating avid UCF fans.
“We’ve put together the most
comprehensive season ticket package in
the football program’s history,” said UCF
Athletic Director Steve Orsini. “Our goal
is to drive football season ticket sales to a
record-setting number. With more than
70,000 alumni in the Central Florida area
alone, we believe this goal is realistic.”
The coach is known for his serious
attitude toward football and his complete
dedication to hard work. And, with words
of wisdom including, “you’ve got rubber
on the bottom of those shoes … now
get out there and wear it out,” his best onthe-field
motivational messages should
help inspire the masses. Throughout the
season, the public can expect to hear
more from Coach O’Leary, and see more
and more community icons getting
behind the campaign.
Ray Gilley of the Metro Orlando EDC gets motivated for UCF football under the watchful eye of
Coach O’Leary.
For season ticket information, call 407-UCF-GOLD or visit www.ucfgetmotived.com. UCF’s
home opener is on Saturday, September 11, at 6 p.m. against West Virginia. This is the last
season that UCF will be competing in the MAC football conference. Beginning in 2005, UCF
will be a member of Conference USA.
Central Florida Hub
Orlando’s hip urban renewal is good for the entire region.
By Robert Recker, Publisher, FirstMonday
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer is correct in saying
that it’s important that Orlando become the hub for the
entire region — a complete downtown that incorporates
financial and legal centers, retail, entertainment, arts,
dining and sports (See cover story on page 18). This
new urban environment will act as a catalyst, bringing
growth and an economic surge that will benefit the
entire Central Florida region.
The elements that make a “real” community —
thriving residential areas, exquisite parks and lakes, a
flourishing economic base, and entertainment venues
second to none — are being created in Orlando. These
elements, when present in a city center, help boost the
surrounding areas because they act as a conduit for
jobs, financial growth and the movement of goods
and services.
This month’s cover story provides a great example
of how this dynamic works: A CNL headquarter
building, a new federal courthouse, Florida A&M
University Law School, the Washington Street Plaza
and 55 West will bring almost a $1 billion worth of
construction pumping new life into downtown.
With these projects come high-paying jobs; and,
with these high paying jobs come some of the bigger
retail and dining ventures.
This new urban environment will act
as a catalyst, bringing growth and an
economic surge that will benefit the
entire Central Florida region.
Downtown Orlando becomes much more
attractive to both outside businesses and individuals
who are considering relocating. These new residents
and businesses infuse even more (both creatively
and financially) into the local economy. Some move
to Downtown Orlando, but others move to suburban
communities with their families.
And yet others set up businesses in outlying
areas, knowing that a vibrant regional hub can help
businesses throughout the region succeed. Businesses
continue to prosper downtown as people spend more
disposable income on these entertainment and retail
venues … and on and on …
A thriving regional hub creates a positive snowball
effect that escalates into what Mayor Dyer wants
Orlando to become — the city that others envy.
FM SEPTEMBER 2004 5

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
THE LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATION
TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS GROW.
Passion for Food;
Obsession for Service
Chamber Member emerges as a nationwide
leader in the restaurant industry.
By Jack Roth, Editor, FirstMonday
Orlando-based E-brands (Entertaining
Brands) Restaurants, which purchased
and turned around the local restaurants
Timpano and Samba Room, is garnering
national recognition for their swift and
efficient work in developing strong
restaurant brands locally and throughout
the country.
According to Rashid Choufani,
Chairman and CEO of E-brands, the
company is taking an aggressive, new leap
into the culinary world with a focus on
food, flavors, design and service — and
the industry is taking notice. “We saw
an opportunity to make a real difference
in restaurant dining,” he says. “These
restaurants were untapped niches, and
we worked hard to energize them and
create others.”
Choufani, a 40-year industry veteran,
was recruited by Walt Disney World
20 years ago from Morocco to open
Restaurant Marrakesh in the Moroccan
pavilion at Epcot. Prior to coming to
the United States, Choufani owned and
operated seven restaurants in Morocco,
where he was also President of the
Restaurant Association. He has been a
member of the jury of the worldrenowned
Bocuse d’Or and has been
a teacher and lecturer on both the
restaurant and tourist industries.
He cites the success of his restaurants,
which boast fine dining that people can
afford, as being largely due to his focus
on food flavor and exemplary service.
“If you take care of the food and service,
the money will come,” he says. “I’m the
ultimate service person, and I lead
by example.”
Choufani is a consummate culinary
professional. He goes out of his way to
make everybody who walks through his
restaurants’ doors feel special. To ensure
the best customer service, Choufani has
been known to lock the manager’s door
so the manager has to stay up front with
the customers.
“In the United States, you have to
be good to survive,” he adds. “You can’t
fake quality.”
With a commitment to hiring the
best available talent, E-Brands strength
lies in the quality of its management
team. Looking for people to help “shine
the penny,” Choufani hired David Pearl,
formerly of Sonny’s Restaurants, as his
Chief Financial Officer.
“If you take care of the
food and service, the
money will come.”
Rashid Choufani
E-brands Restaurants
“I respect Rashid because he
brought in the best people to run
these restaurants,” says Pearl, referring
to Wolfgang Puck protégé and Executive
Chef of Timpano Robin Stoddard. “He
insisted on having that quality, and
it shows when you come into one of
his restaurants.”
Rashid Choufani is well aware that great food is mandatory at successful restaurants.
Community Support
According to Choufani, the restaurant
industry is the greatest vehicle for integration
of people and businesses in the
community and throughout the world.
A Chamber Member since 2001, Choufani
is a big believer in businesses supporting
each other in the community.
This cooperation often leads to
successful cultural endeavors in
regions, especially growing ones like
Central Florida. “Communities, and
dining, are constantly evolving,” he
explains. “We are a result of what the
community wants and needs. It gives
the community options and creates a
richer community dynamic.”
With restaurants in all over the
country Choufani travels constantly but
loves to come back to Orlando because
“it’s home.” He praises Central Florida as
being a great place to raise a family and
for being a young and dynamic business
destination. “All the ingredients for a
good life are right here,” he says.
An active member of the Moroccan
American Chamber of Commerce in
Orlando, Choufani embraces cultural diversity
and encourages cooperation between
all businesses in Central Florida. He was
recently named “Moroccan of the Month”
by Tingis, a Moroccan-American magazine.
“Orlando is a small town that has
grown up,” he says. “It’s a small, big town
that creates a more intimate setting in
which businesses can help each other
grow. It’s a tight business community, and
business owners of all backgrounds tend
to work together to get things done.”
Rashid Choufani
The bar at Samba Room.
Timpano Italian Chophouse.
E-brands family of restaurants include
the Samba Room (Dallas, Fort. Lauderdale,
Orlando and Tampa), Timpano Italian
Chophouse (Rockville, Md., Fort Lauderdale
and Orlando), Salsa Taqueria & Tequila Bar
(Orlando), Taqueria Canonita (Las Vegas),
AquaKnox (Las Vegas), Bossa (Houston),
Star Canyon (Las Vegas and Dallas) and
FISHBOWL (Dallas). For more, call
407-226-1433 or go to www.e-brands.net.
6 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
Stressing Time
How to make the best use of available hours.
By Paul DePalma, President and Founder, BusinessWorks Inc.
“God put me on this earth to
accomplish a certain number of
things…Right now, I’m so far
behind I’ll never die.”
— Anonymous
A recent BusinessWorks
study of mid-level managers
showed that they consider stress
reduction the number-one priority
to address in order to improve
their working life.
The key reason for the stress is
feeling they have too much to do
and too little time to do it. Many
say they want to manage time
more effectively.
The idea of personal time management
or controlling priorities
has been around in various forms
for years, even though the phrase
“time management” itself is
inaccurate. Time is ongoing, it
cannot be changed, and the same
amount is available to everyone.
Nevertheless, we pay a great deal
of attention to time management
in everyday life and especially in
business. But our experience
dealing with hundreds of executives
indicates that few are actually
practicing the basics of sound
time management.
The gap between knowing what
to do and knowing we’re not doing
it is a cause of stress. We all like to
feel we’re making progress, we’re
green and growing, and we’re
moving in a positive direction.
Trying something over and over
and being unable to do it is
frustrating. With the demands
of the workplace and our hectic
personal lives increasing daily,
we all need to be able to organize
our individual and business
responsibilities more effectively.
People often ask us if time tools
like planners and PDAs work and
which one is the best? This is like
asking about exercise equipment.
On television, we are inundated
with infomercials about products
for burning our thighs, building our
chests, and toning our abs. But the
piece of equipment that will serve
us best is the one we use consistently.
It’s not going to work if we only
With the demands of
the workplace and
our hectic personal
lives increasing daily,
we all need to be
able to organize
our individual and
business responsibilities
more effectively.
use it for hanging our clothes or
to sit on while we put on our
socks. Time tools can help if we
have established the patterns and
techniques to use them effectively,
and we actually use them. But no
tool can do the thinking, planning,
and decision-making required to
improve personal effectiveness.
So what can you do to reduce
stress and make the best use of
available hours?
1. Clarify your priorities.
Selecting priorities is the best way
to make the most of your time.
Having conflicting priorities is
the way to waste time and create
stress. Reviewing, analyzing, and
determining your critical priorities
at work and in private life are your
major investments in beginning to
manage available time.
2. Focus on what you really
want to accomplish. With the
priorities as the major themes, focus
on making your goals and objectives
as specific as possible. Make sure to
break down large tasks into smaller,
realistic steps.
3. Strive for excellence. So many of
us strive for perfection and become
discouraged when we fall short.
This creates a kind of yo-yo of our
mood and motivation where we are
up and down trying to achieve our
objectives in the shortest time. The
yo-yo effect is tiring and frustrating.
By striving for excellence we focus
on consistency and long-term
benefits and allow room for being
human and the little obstacles that
invariably get in the way.
4. Know how you’re doing. If you
can work on the first three points,
you’re close to achieving this one.
Be open and honest with yourself
about your progress. Use some form
of objective measurement; a simple
graph, chart, or scale helps us stay
focused on our progress and can
minimize negative emotions based
on false perceptions that can move
us off track.
Managing time and priorities
come with action. It’s not what we
know about time management, but
what we do with what we know
that produces results.
For more, contact Paul DePalma
at 407-660-5757 or via e-mail at
paul@businessworks-inc.com. Access
the BusinessWorks Inc. Web site at
www.businessworks-inc.com.
Since 1992, BusinessWorks has helped
both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations
optimize human dynamics for
improved business performance. The
company uses proven organization
development methodologies to help
companies analyze and improve how
to produce results through the planned
development and reinforcement of
the organizations’ strategies and
structures; systems and processes;
and dynamics and culture.
8 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

The Human Relations Doctor
Dr. Mimi Hull is a fully licensed corporate
psychologist whose Chamber Member firm, Hull &
Associates, specializes in Human Relations assessment,
training, consulting and facilitation.
Below are some questions posed to Dr. Hull by
people in the local business community.
Dear Dr. Mimi,
I love my job, but
management has a way of
making all the employees feel
like we aren’t good enough. I do
my best, and most of the time my
successes are overlooked. Then
when I make even a small mistake
or it isn’t to the manager’s liking,
she is very quick to reprimand. Is
there a way to approach this issue
without coming off rude?
— Underappreciated
Dear Underappreciated,
It is human nature to want to
be recognized and thanked, and
we find it amazing how many
managers fail to do just that. You
may want to take your manager
aside and explain to her how you
feel and ask her for a performance
review. This will give her an
opportunity to not only discuss
your strengths but also opportunities
for improvement.
Dear Dr. Mimi,
We work in a small, close-knit
professional office and need to
hire a receptionist. My boss wants
to hire his new “love” for the
position. Typically he keeps a
love for about a year before they
are history. The rest of us have
discussed how uncomfortable for
us that situation might be. We are
united in not wanting to have this
happen. When I tried to bring the
subject up to my boss, he brushed
me off like it was no big deal. He
thinks everyone else is OK with it. I
say it is trouble waiting to happen
and that everyone is definitely not
OK with this. Is there anything we
can do to stop this?
— Worried About the Consequences
Dear Worried,
This is trouble waiting to
happen. Even assuming that the
“love” can handle the position, this
is a potentially difficult situation for
all involved – especially your boss.
He is obviously blind to the reality
of the potential conflict. You say
you are united as a group. If so,
ask to speak with your boss as a
group and share your concerns.
If that does not change your boss’s
mind, suggest that job descriptions
be reviewed with areas of authority,
responsibility and accountability
clearly delineated in writing.
Once decided, there should be a
meeting with all employees present,
including his “love” to go over
these roles and responsibilities.
Dear Dr. Mimi,
I hate confrontations. I have
an employee who always responds
with “Everything is fine,” when
asked about a project. But when
the final project is completed, it’s
done well but rarely within the
established time frame. So far
we haven’t suffered any real
consequence, but I fear the time
is coming when we might. What
would you suggest?
— Punctual Penelope
Dear Punctual,
The next time you give this
employee a project, give him an
earlier deadline. Then set up times
for checkpoints along the way with
expectations about what is to be
done at each point. Let him know
what you will be asking to see as
evidence of completion. At the first
checkpoint, be sure to follow up.
When your employee says, “It is
fine”, say, “Great, we are at checkpoint
Number 1, so let’s go over it
and see what you have done.”
Dear Dr. Mimi,
What do you do with a
person who thinks he knows it
all? He is the world’s foremost
authority on virtually everything.
If he really was, that would be
one thing. However, often he is
dead wrong, but that doesn’t
prevent him from sounding like
he has the correct answer. It is
driving me crazy. Help.
– Know More Than the Know it All
Dear Know More,
These type of people are seeking
approval and don’t want to
lose face. Give them a way out.
They have also learned that a great
offense is the best defense. Thank
them for their opinion and then
give the correct information with
documentation, saying how what
they said reminded you of this
information. If they disagree
with you again, ask them for
specifics and where they got
their information. Thank them for
bringing out important points and
seek agreement on your solution.
If you are having a problem
with a personality dispute, or a
hard-to-handle group, or just want
to get your employees to work better
together, you can either phone or
e-mail Dr. Hull at 407-628-0669 or
mimi@hullonline.com.
FM SEPTEMBER 2004 9

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
Everything Speaks
It’s the little details that add up to create the customer experience.
By Teri Yanovitch, Founder, T.A. Yanovitch, Inc.
You’re at a fast food restaurant
and step into the restroom.
There’s water on the floor and
countertops. The toilet roll
dispensers are empty and the
trash container is overflowing.
Wouldn’t you start worrying
about the food you were about
to order?
Every detail of your business’
physical environment “speaks”
to the customer. Everything your customer
sees, hears, smells, tastes, and touches gives
an impression to the customer, typically,
before they even meet or talk to any of
your employees. What is the message you
want your environment to give?
Most organizations pay attention to
the big things, but forget about the little
details that add up to create the customer
experience. I’ve seen businesses spend
millions of dollars building state-of-the-art
facilities, yet ignore little things such as
Teri Yanovitch
paperwork strewn on countertops,
scattered empty boxes,
scotch-taped employee
reminder signs, and burned
out light bulbs.
Customers will not note
every detail, but an impression
will be made that may affect
whether that customer will
continue to do business with
you. They may not even
consciously know why they choose not to
go back; they just have a certain feeling.
A friend recently described her visit to
a recommended physician. It started by
her having difficulty finding a parking
spot, then she couldn’t decipher from
the signage where the actual office was
located. Finally, she walked into the
reception/waiting area and noticed that
the air conditioner wasn’t working.
The receptionist was quite pleasant and
friendly, but she couldn’t help notice the
stains in the ceiling tiles, the wilted plant
in the corner, and the outdated magazines.
Even though this physician had been
recommended, she started to wonder that
if the office wasn’t handling the
little things, how would the big things
(their health) be handled? Overall, this
customer experience was marred not by
the employees, but by the environment.
Customers will not note every
detail, but an impression will be
made that may affect whether
that customer will continue to
do business with you.
It’s important to engage the
employees’ assistance in keeping up
the environment and becoming aware
of any negative distractions. Here are a
few recommended actions:
■ Start by having each employee walk
through the business looking through
the lens of the customer.
■ Create a checklist to have employees
record on a daily basis if elements in the
area are satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
■ Identify the action the employee is to
take if a negative element is discovered;
such as, call maintenance or handle the
problem themselves.
If the above actions are followed
through on a consistent basis, the
“everything speaks” mindset becomes
part of the business culture. Employees
no longer think of picking up a piece of
trash or straightening the brochure rack
— it just becomes part of the natural way
in which they do their jobs.
For more on T.A. Yanovitch, Inc.
and customer service, go to
www.retainloyalcustomers.com.
10 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
Better Covered Than Sorry
Considering long-term care insurance can prevent
financial headaches down the road.
By Alberto J. Herran, Senior Financial Advisor, American Express Financial Advisors Inc.
Thanks to healthier lifestyles
and medical advances, Americans
are living longer. The average male
is expected to live until he is 76
years old, compared to 30 years
ago when the average male life
expectancy was 70. The average
female is expected to live until
she is 80, compared to a 75-year
life expectancy 30 years ago.
However, even though we are
living longer, most Americans are
not adequately prepared for the
costs of long-term care.
In general, it is
recommended that
you purchase long-term
care insurance in your
late 50s to early 60s.
Many people mistakenly believe
that Medicare will cover their
long-term care costs. Medicare,
the federal health insurance
program, was designed to help
pay for short-term care. While it
does provide coverage in the early
stages of care, it does not pay for
any long-term care.
Currently, Medicare pays all
expenses up to 20 days. After 20
days, it covers expenses up to $95
per day. After 100 days, Medicare
doesn’t pay for any expenses. (For
more information about what you
can expect from Medicare coverage,
go to www.medicare.gov.)
Once you face the reality that
Medicare was not set up to help pay
the costs of long-term care, you also
must realize that long-term care is
expensive, and it can very quickly
deplete savings and jeopardize
your family’s financial stability.
For example, the average cost of
nursing home care is estimated
at more than $57,000 per year.
(These costs are projected to reach
$190,000 a year by 2030.) The
current cost of in-home assistance
averages $18 per hour, or $37,000
per year for 40 hours a week of help.
assets if your health deteriorates
and you need assistance. Although
long-term care insurance has been
around for more than 20 years,
purchasing this type of insurance
can be confusing.
Before you purchase a long-term
care insurance policy, here are a few
things to consider:
■ Age — A variety of factors determine
the cost of your insurance
policy, but the biggest factor is the
age at which you purchase the plan.
The earlier you purchase, the less
expensive your premiums. However,
purchasing long-term care insurance
too early may not save you money
in the long run because you will be
paying for the premiums longer. In
general, it is recommended that you
purchase long-term care insurance
in your late 50s to early 60s.
■ Levels — There are three basic
levels of care you may need. Skilled
care involves licensed medical
professionals at nursing homes.
Intermediate care consists of limited
licensed care with custodial assisted
living. Finally, custodial care assists
with daily activities at home.
■ Features — When considering
long-term care insurance, it is
important to consider the policy
features and benefits. Now is not the
time to look for a bargain. Buying a
policy solely based on price may
end up costing more if you have
inadequate coverage. Do some
research and ask some important
questions, such as: Does the
policy cover all care levels? Is there
automatic inflation protection?
Is there a mandatory elimination
period? (In other words, once the
claim is filled, how long is it before
you begin to receive benefits?)
■ Eligibility — As with any
insurance policy or contract, make
sure to read the fine print. Some
policies do not cover mental or
nervous disorders, patients with
substance abuse problems, or
intentionally inflicted injuries.
■ Tax Benefits — In 1996,
Congress passed the Health
Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act, which allows
you to deduct your long-term care
insurance premiums from your
taxable income. In order to deduct
medical expenses, the total costs
must exceed 7.5 percent of your
adjusted gross income. Check
with your tax advisor or financial
planner to find out if your state also
offers income tax deductions or
credits for long-term care insurance.
■ Partnership States — Some
states have approved Medicaid
programs called Long-Term Care
Partnerships or “partnership”
policies. These partnerships
grant easier qualifying and asset
protection when applicants have
long-term care insurance policies
in place.
A qualified financial advisor
can help you develop a comprehensive
financial plan that includes
long-term care considerations,
such as insurance and retirement
planning.
For more, contact Alberto J. Herran
at 407-839-0433, ext. 228.
Long-Term
Care Insurance
Long-term care insurance is a
good option for protecting your
Are you prepared for the costs of long-term health care?
12 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

No More Hospital Blues
Better designed hospitals help patients and staff.
By Lee Bowman, Scripps Howard News Service
With more than $200 billion worth
of new hospitals planned during the
next decade, a new report argues that
the way the facilities are designed will
have a direct impact on how patients
and staff will fare.
“Hospitals are dangerous, stressful
places where quality care is too often
provided in spite of the physical
environment than because of it,”
said Craig Zimring, an environmental
psychologist and architect at the Georgia
Institute of Technology. “The good news
is that we don’t have to keep building
hospitals this way. The evidence is
strong enough to show there are proven
architectural methods for improving
patient outcomes, safety and satisfaction,
as well as staff retention and efficiency.”
“Hospitals are dangerous,
stressful places where quality
care is too often provided in
spite of the physical environment
than because of it.”
Craig Zimring
Georgia Institute of Technology
levels equal to a jackhammer in a patient
room opposite a nursing station. Poor
air quality and ventilation, coupled with
having two or more patients sharing a
room, are major causes of infections
picked up in hospitals.
Another cause of infection is a lack of
handwashing by staff between patients.
Fixing this is partially an issue of training
and management, but “tests have shown
that just putting a sink in a place that
doctors, nurses and other staff pass before
they reach the patient makes a huge
difference,” Ulrich said.
Ulrich and Zimring said the evidence
suggests these changes are most urgent:
Get rid of double-occupancy rooms,
which in turn will curb infections and
reduce stress for everyone.
Improve ventilation systems and
add air filters. Being able to have isolated
ventilation systems for rooms could be
even more crucial in a future SARS-type
outbreak or biological attack.
Install more sound-absorbing
ceiling, wall and floor material and
provide better lighting and more access
to natural light. Several studies have
shown that views of nature and gardens
Newer facilities such as M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Orlando tend to be more patient-friendly.
can reduce stress and help relieve pain
through pleasant distraction.
Make hospitals easier to navigate
with more logical layouts and better
maps and directions. One study of a
major medical center found that clinical
staff was spending more than 4,500
hours a year giving directions to lost
visitors and patients.
Leonard Berry, a marketing professor
who also studies health care services at
Texas A&M, said models done of a
300-bed hospital with all the new design
features showed that it would cost about
$12 million more to build than a facility
with conventional features.
“But it also showed that the smarter
design features paid for themselves within
a year by improving efficiency, patient
safety and satisfaction, and market share,”
he added.
Zimring and Roger Ulrich, a
professor of architecture at Texas A&M
University, collaborated to review and
compile 600 studies on how hospital
design affected patient outcomes
and satisfaction.
Although the United States spends
$500 billion a year on hospital care,
many Americans find being hospitalized
is no ticket to health. Recent studies by
the Institute of Medicine suggest as many
as 98,000 Americans die each year from
preventable medical errors while in the
hospital, and some 2 million, or one
in 20 of those admitted, contract
dangerous infections.
Studies also show that hospital
surroundings create stress for patients,
their families and staff. Rooms have poor
lighting and windows that look out on
walls or parking lots. There is little or no
place for visitors to sit. The noise of
equipment, staff, visitors and other
patients make a mockery of the quaint
notion of hospital quiet zones.
Nurses’ stations are crowded, noisy
and poorly located to monitor and reach
patients, contributing to errors and
mishaps. One recent study found noise
Breakfast Club America
Business-development company comes to Orlando
Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Breakfast Club America (BCA)
welcomes the Orlando Regional
Chamber of Commerce as the first
franchisee on board its fast-growing
business development company.
Headquartered in Charlotte,
North Carolina, Breakfast Club
America has worked with hundreds
of businesses over the years, helping
them develop new business and new
business relationships. This development
system provides members with
the perfect platform to brand, market,
reach key decision makers, develop and
grow valuable business relationships,
hear inspiring messages from nationally
known sports figures, and gain access
to a database containing hundreds of
valuable business leads.
Throughout the year, BCA
stages a series of business-to-business
development events, business social
events, business entertainment events,
and business training events for
members, employees and customers.
This program helps eliminate cold
calling, keeps the sales funnel full,
and helps develop new business
relationships through facilitation and
business referrals. The BCA staff plays
an active role in helping each member
develop relationships by personally
facilitating introductions.
Jacob Stuart, President of the
Orlando Regional Chamber, feels that
Breakfast Club America has rejuvenated
its marketing efforts and created an
enthusiastic environment in which
business decision makers come
together to develop new business
opportunities and relationships.
“Without hesitation, I would urge
Chamber Leaders to consider an
investment in a Breakfast Club America
‘franchise,’” says Stuart. “Along these
lines, I believe it will provide members
a ‘revitalized’ and ‘very profitable’
arena in which they are able to
develop new business.”
For more information on becoming
a member of Breakfast Club America,
call Jamie Barkley, Breakfast Club
America Orlando Market Manager,
at 407-835-2457.
FM SEPTEMBER 2004 13

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
Because labor and employment laws are so complex, FirstMonday is presenting a series of articles by local attorneys to help
Chamber Members identify labor issues and avoid possible pitfalls.
When Dress Code Meets Religion
How to avoid discrimination claims based on religious practices.
By Anthony J. Hall, Esq., Fisher & Phillips LLP
Most employers understand
that an employee’s religion
may require him or her to wear
certain identifiable religious
garments and that employers
are required by various laws to
reasonably accommodate an
employee’s request to wear
such garments.
Usually, an employer’s right
to set dress and appearance standards
trumps an employee’s right to display
tattoos or nose rings, especially when
the employee deals with the public,
such as in the case of front desk clerks
or restaurant wait staff.
However, a recent case indicates the
right to wear identifiable religious garments
that may include allowing an employee to
visibly display facial piercings and other
body modifications – even to the customer.
Anthony J. Hall
Losing My Religion
The plaintiff in the case was a member
of a church that requires its members to
“practice” a variety of alleged ancient body
modification rites, including piercing,
tattooing, branding and implanting pieces
of metal under the skin. The
plaintiff personally interpreted
the church’s practices as
requiring her to display her body
modifications at all times and
claimed she was discriminated
against when her employer asked
her to remove jewelry from her
eyebrow piercing.
The employer had a dress
code policy that forbade employees from
having facial piercings and terminated
the plaintiff after she refused to remove
her facial jewelry pursuant to the dress
code policy. The plaintiff filed a claim
with the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC), which concluded
that her termination was discriminatory
because the church’s tenet provided that
piercings and tattoos “are essential to our
spiritual salvation.”
The Importance
of Accommodation
Disagreeing with the EEOC, a federal
district court held that the employer was
not liable for religious discrimination.
Although the district court did not rule
regarding whether the plaintiff’s beliefs
were sincerely held religious beliefs
entitled to protection, the court did find
that the employer was precluded from
liability because it offered her a reasonable
accommodation.
To protect your business against
such discrimination claims, you
should implement a written
dress code policy that sets out
justifiable business reasons.
Specifically, the employer offered the
option of wearing a band-aid over her
piercing or a clear plastic retainer in the
piercing. The district court analogized
this accommodation to one requiring an
employee to wear a long-sleeve shirt to
cover tattoos.
Avoiding the Problem
This case should resonate with all
employers in the hospitality industry,
where employees customarily are on the
front line. To protect your business against
such discrimination claims, you should
implement a written dress code policy
that sets out justifiable business reasons.
Such reasons include hygiene, safety and
promoting a professional appearance or
certain company image.
Additionally, you should ensure that
management consistently applies the
policy to all employees and without regard
to an employee’s protected status such as
race, sex, national origin, religion, age, etc.
For instance, you may legally prohibit
exposed body piercings (assuming no
religious need). But if you make an
exception for a white employee, but not
an Asian one, then your application of the
policy may be considered discriminatory.
Similarly, you should ensure that your
policy does not have a disparate impact on
certain groups of employees in protected
categories. And in the end, you should
make reasonable accommodations where
the situation requires, such as allowing
an employee to wear a band-aid over a
piercing or tattoo.
When Do You Need an Audit?
By Farlen Halikman, CPA, Moore Stephens Lovelace, P.A.
I have often been asked by small
business owners, “How do I know if I
need an external audit?”
There are no definitive answers to
this question, but when asked, I usually
respond with something like this ….
“If you own a Rembrandt and want to
sell it to me, I will offer you something
much less than you want because I
am not sure it is really a Rembrandt.
It could be a fake. So, I reduce my
offer price accordingly to factor in the
risk that the painting may not be all
it’s supposed to be. To narrow the
bid/ask price spread, it would be nice
if you were to get a certification from
an art expert that the painting is
indeed a Rembrandt. That way, you
should get the best value for it.”
An audit is all about assurance.
Creditors, shareholders, management,
regulatory authorities, customers, vendors
and all of the other various parties
that use a business’s financial statements
want some degree of assurance that the
numbers are reasonably reliable. An
audit is intended to provide that.
In our Rembrandt story, as in any
other business transaction, a wide
bid/ask spread is not as desirable as a
narrow one. A narrow spread generally
results in increased liquidity and
increases in the free flow of capital
and lowers its cost.
Because audited financial statements
are considered more reliable,
a creditor will face reduced risk of
unreliable financials, and that reduced
risk should be factored into a lower
interest rate for the borrower. In the
case of a shareholder, the reduced risk
should be factored into a higher bid
price per share.
An Ounce of Prevention
There are some other, less obvious,
benefits of an audit. At the core of all
audits is a study and evaluation of the
business’s internal controls. All businesses
should have an internal control structure.
If it’s functioning properly, it should be
designed to prevent or detect errors or
irregularities, including fraud.
During an audit, the CPA considers
what can go wrong and how it can be
accomplished within the current structure.
He or she then recommends changes to
the internal control structure to reduce
the risk of these things happening.
At some point, every business owner
starts to wonder if his or her systems are
really functioning to prevent errors and
fraud. Trustworthy employees are important,
but in a well-designed system, the
need to rely on trust is reduced because
the opportunities are not there.
The reason for having an internal
control system is to protect the stakeholders,
whether they are investors, a
small business owner or stockholders
at a public company.
There are no specific rules for when
a company needs an audit. Usually, it’s
done when a bank, investors or other
financial statement users request one.
Some business owners have them simply
because its good business practice, and
they want their employees to know
someone is looking over their shoulders.
If your business is considering an
audit, discuss it with management, stakeholders
and your accountant. There may
be some resistance because of the cost,
but if an audit will help protect and grow
your business, it’s worth the expense.
For more, contact Farlen Halikman
at 407-740-5400.
14 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
Under the Radar
Reaching the modern-day consumer requires a mix of approaches.
By Anne-Marie Burns, Media Planner/Advertising Consultant, Burns Media, Inc., OAF Member
There’s an old advertising adage that
still rings true today: “I know that half of
my advertising dollars are wasted, I just
don’t know which half.”
In today’s competitive marketplace,
more and more pressure is being put on
advertising accountability. Clients most
often equate this with a quantified return
on investment (ROI). Advertising agencies
are expected to be “accountable” for their
client’s ROI. This may seem simple, but it
does not completely factor in the value
and equity of brand building or the fact
that today’s consumer is harder than ever
to reach. Reaching them often requires a
mix of approaches, many of which are
“under the radar.”
As a compromise, some agencies
are now reaching for a mix of Direct
Response (DR) advertising in addition
to traditional campaigns and consumercentric
grassroots marketing. This includes
targeted communications designed to
stimulate a more immediate response that
can be easily measured and is typically in
the form of direct mail, targeted e-mail
lists, “cost per click” online sites, and
“cost per call” TV/cable and radio
campaigns (advertisers pay stations
according to the number of calls that
are generated to dedicated 1-800 lines).
In the old days, creative departments
drove the scope of advertising campaigns,
but now media departments often take
the lead. This is due to the need to be
resourceful in successfully reaching the
client’s target market, while providing
them a strong ROI. Long gone are the
days when you simply ran on network
television or a local independent station.
Today, the market has become so
fragmented that the number of choices
is almost overwhelming. The need to
become resourceful and educated on available
media is paramount for any advertiser.
Media Mix
The latest developments and trends
change regularly, and right now direct
response is a strong leader. E-mail is
extremely popular due to its lack of
expense connected with reaching
customers. But even e-mail is evolving.
Now you can reach your database of
customers using video messages (e-mail
TV), which encompasses a mix of TV
and e-mail to a targeted database.
Search Engine Marketing has also
become a very hot topic. According to
Lodging Magazine, a 250-room hotel can
earn an additional $250,000 to $1,000,000
in annual revenue with proper Search
Engine Marketing. This encompasses
“optimization” of the advertising site
(ensuring that the site is one of the top
sites that appears when consumers conduct
“searches” on top search engine sites
like Google or AOL), in addition to online
purchasing, and possibly working with
third party online marketers.
The key to a successful ROI advertising
campaign is to track response at all points.
For advertisers who request agencies to
be accountable, there needs to be a
clear delineation of what the agency is
accountable for and an understanding of
what each media vehicle, and the overall
media mix, is intended to do. This sets
realistic expectations and helps to build
a productive client-agency relationship.
The Orlando Advertising Federation (OAF)
is Central Florida’s leading organization
for advertising professionals. For more, go
to www.oaf.com.
For more, contact Anne-Marie Burns via
e-mail at Aburnsmedia@aol.com.
BusinessForce Endorses “Pro-Business” Slate for Region
By Mike Ketchum, Vice President of Public Policy, Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce
BusinessForce, the region’s largest
“pro-business” political committee, has
been hard at work in recent weeks conducting
extensive candidate interviews
for important regional state legislative,
county commission and school board
races with the objective of identifying
and supporting the best “pro-business”
candidates for public office.
Under the leadership of Akerman
Senterfitt’s Pat Christiansen, 2004
BusinessForce Chair, a 25-member
Executive Board made up of Orlando
Regional Chamber of Commerce leaders
and a bipartisan array of business leaders
with political expertise was assembled.
These individuals represent the region’s
diverse business community.
Recognizing the need to build
an even stronger Regional Legislative
Delegation, the BusinessForce Executive
Board, acting on the recommendations
of an interview team headed by
BellSouth’s Joe York, has endorsed
the re-election of 10 incumbent Florida
House of Representatives members.
These include Representatives Bob
Allen (District 32), Sandy Adams
(District 33), David Mealor (District 34),
Sheri McInvale (District 35), David
Simmons (District 37) Fred Brummer
(District 38), Bruce Antone (District 39),
Andy Gardiner (District 40), Randy
Johnson (District 41) and Frank
Attkisson (District 79).
For the open seat in District 36,
veteran Tallahassee Fly-In Chairman
Dean Cannon received the endorsement.
In the hotly contested District 49
race, no recommendation was made
at this time between incumbent GOP
Representative John Quinones and
his field of Democratic opponents.
On the Senate side, with veteran
Senator Dan Webster (District 9)
unopposed, only one regional seat is
in play when Senator Gary Siplin faces
democratic primary opposition and a
GOP opponent in November. In his
prior legislative races, Senator Siplin
has never been endorsed
by BusinessForce. However,
his improved voting
record during the 2004
legislative session resulted
in the Executive Board’s
endorsement.
At the county commission
level, BusinessForce, led
by an interview team chaired
by Foley & Lardner’s Terry Delahunty,
opted to focus only on races for Orange
County Commission, where three seats
are up for grabs in 2004. In District 1,
incumbent Commissioner Teresa Jacobs,
with her thoughtful approach to public
service, was enthusiastically endorsed
for re-election. The two open Orange
County Commission seats presented
BusinessForce with more difficult
choices. In District 3, receiving the
endorsement was Lui Damiani, who
provided faithful service as the top aide
to retiring incumbent Commissioner
Mary Johnson. In District 5, the
Mike Ketchum
distinguished legislative
service of Representative
Jim Kallinger in Tallahassee
gave him the clear edge.
The disappointing
state of public education
in Orange County has
been the subject of major
headlines this summer.
A BusinessForce interview
team chaired by Chastang Ferrell's
Mia Thomas has stepped up to the
plate and has carefully evaluated the
candidacies of several Orange County
School Board candidates with their
endorsements going to incumbent
Karen Ardaman in District 4 and
political newcomer Lori-Pearson-Wise
in the open District 7 seat. No
endorsement decision was reached
in the District 6 race between current
School Board Chairman Bert Carrier
and his challenger, Jim Martin.
16 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

Good Credit Equals Good Business
How your personal credit score can impact your business.
By Catherine M. McGuinness, Marketing Specialist, FAIRWINDS Credit Union
Thinking about starting your own
business? Do you currently own your
own business? If so, did you know that
your personal credit history could
impact whether or not you receive
financial backing?
In order to ensure repayment, a financial
institution wants to make sure that
the person(s) can pay back a loan and
that previous payment obligations have
been met in the past. This information
is revealed through your personal credit
score and will help determine whether a
loan will be approved for your business.
According to the Small Business
Administration (SBA), there are several
credit factors that a lender will review
and analyze before making a decision
on the loan approval.
Some of these factors include:
■ Repayment. This is the most critical of the
credit factors as the lender will want to know
exactly how you intend to repay the loan.
Lenders will also review existing personal
and commercial credit relationships which
will indicate the reliability of a person’s
repayment obligations.
■ Equity investment. Business loan
applicants should have a reasonable
amount invested in their business. You are
expected to have contributed from your
own assets and taken personal financial
risk to fund the business before asking
financial assistance. The more personal
investments you contribute to the business
shows a prospective lender how committed
you are to make your business a success.
■ Collateral. Collateral is a second source
of repayment to the lender if your business
is unable to pay back the loan. You can use
collateral such as equipment, buildings,
and inventory which can be sold by the
financial institution for cash.
Prospective lenders will take into
consideration other factors including
experience, character, and references.
However, the repayment credit factor
remains the most crucial to obtaining
a business loan.
Improve Your Credit Score
If your credit score has prevented you
from obtaining a business loan, use these
tips from myFICO.com to improve your
score today:
■ Pay your bills on time. Late payments and
collections can have a negative impact on
your score. The longer you pay your bills
on time, the better your score.
■ Keep balances low on credit cards. High
outstanding debt can negatively affect
your score.
■ Pay off your debt rather than move it around.
■ Apply for and open new accounts only
as needed.
■ Request and check your own personal
credit report. Verify the information on
the report is accurate. If you find any
discrepancies, report these to the credit
agency immediately.
Refer to the following
resources to learn more about
credit scores and business loans:
Small Business Administration
www.sba.gov
Fair Isaac and Company
www.myFICO.com
Equifax
(800) 685-1111, www.equifax.com
FAIRWINDS Credit Union
(800) 443-6887, www.fairwinds.org
For more, contact the FAIRWINDS
Business Lending Department at
407-277-6030, ext. 12200 or visit
www.fairwinds.org.
FM SEPTEMBER 2004 17

COVER STORY
Downtown Orlando: A Hip Urban Renewal
Downtown Orlando is undergoing a transformation that will breathe new life into
the city center and help the region become stronger.
By Tracey Velt
It was a major commitment — helping
to re-establish Church Street as more than
just a bar scene. But, Craig Ustler, President
of Urban Life Management, decided it was
worth the risk. “We created a first-class
dining destination called Kres Chophouse
and it’s been successful beyond our wildest
dreams,” says Ustler, who also introduced
the very popular Hue Restaurant to
Thornton Park. Sales at Kres are some
50 percent above projections.
More than just Church Street, the
entire downtown Orlando area is transforming
into a new urban environment
where young professionals work, live
and play. There are 34 major commercial
and residential projects “making the
commitment” to call downtown home.
Orlando is on the verge of greatness.
“I believe Orlando can be the next great
international city,” says
Orlando Mayor Buddy
Dyer. “It’s critically
important that we have
a great downtown to
achieve that goal.” The
goal, according to Dyer,
is for downtown to
become the hub for the
entire region — a complete
downtown that
incorporates financial
and legal centers,
retail, entertainment,
arts, dining and sports.
“It’s just one cog in a
wheel of other Central
Florida cities currently
undergoing renovation,”
he says. “And, with those joined forces,
we become a stronger region.”
According to the Downtown
Development Board, Orlando is the
embodiment of all the elements that
make a real community; thriving
residential areas, exquisite parks and
lakes, a flourishing economic base, and
entertainment venues second to none.
The vision of the Development Board’s
strategic plan is simple, yet represents
the complex elements of community
building: A place for families and
individuals to live, work and enjoy.
Orlando is the
embodiment of all the
elements that make
a real community;
thriving residential
areas, exquisite parks
and lakes, a flourishing
economic base, and
entertainment venues
second to none.
So, how does Orlando get there
from here? How does a city known for
the demise of Church Street Station
and its plethora of bars and tattoo
parlors transform itself into a hip, urban
environment? It’s all in the planning,
and there are big plans in the works.
If You Build It …
They Will Come
In order to entice retail business to
the city center, you must first convince
people to forgo the suburbs and live
downtown. From The Waverly at Lake
Eola and Lincoln on Delaney Square
apartments to Echelon Uptown, Echelon
at Cheney Place and Post Parkside, the
rental market has infused downtown
with thousands of new residents.
“We think downtown is going to be
the place to be,” says
Mayor Dyer. “The
most important
component is the
residential part.
Having people live
in downtown, as
well as work, play
and learn is important.”
Single-family
and condominium
sales are going
gangbusters, as
well. In fact, because
of the rental market
success, developers
know people want
to live downtown,
so they’re shifting
their focus to condominiums. Some
properties, such as The Waverly at
Lake Eola and the Four Points Sheraton
hotel have recently converted to
condominiums.
“Orlando has an unprecedented
increase in residential units,” says
Owen Beitsch, Executive Vice President
of Real Estate Research Consultants, a
real estate firm that has been involved
in several downtown condominium
projects. “We have a vibrant downtown
residential market, and we’re not seeing
any evidence of that ending.”
Kres Chop House on Church Street is just one of many new “hip” restaurants located in downtown Orlando.
According to Ustler, residents mean
opportunity for shops, restaurants and
services. The success of the condo market
shows that downtown is on its way to
becoming a great neighborhood. And,
with urban development, more is better.
That’s because more residents mean
businesses can thrive 24/7.
Consider this: Prior to 1999, there
weren’t any large multi-family apartments
in downtown and only a few condominium
projects. Since then, 1,800 new
units have been built, with 2,300 more
residential units under construction, in
permit or in the predevelopment phase.
“This adds a whole new vitality,”
says Frank Billingsley, Downtown
Development Board Executive Director.
“It’s responsible development that
prevents urban sprawl. Our strategy is
to pump up the residential and the
improved quality of the retail and service
industries will follow.”
According to Billingsley, some 57,000
people work downtown and about 15,000
people live there. And, that’s just the start.
With proposed condominium projects
such as 55 West, North Orange Avenue
Condos, The Vue at Lake Eola and The
Plaza on Orange Avenue, the downtown
population will explode.
Mitzi Maxwell, General Manager
of the Mad Cow Theatre, Orlando’s
answer to off-Broadway, has already seen
a difference. The Mad Cow Theatre is
starting its third year downtown, moving
from Maitland in 2001. “We had a good
reputation in the community, but we
still wondered if people would follow us
downtown,” says Maxwell. “We thought
that if we could figure out the parking and
give them comfortable chairs, they would
come, and we were right.”
Where Maxwell really notices the
change is through the feedback she gets
from those walking by. “People walk by
the theater and say, ‘I live just down
Central,’ and that’s an exciting change
in just three years,” she says. And, those
residents are responding to the local
business. Mad Cow’s programming and
ticket sales have tripled over the past
three seasons. The theatre has about
15,000 visitors coming through its doors
each year.
continued on page 22
18 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

COVER STORY
Rhythm & Flow Lounge in downtown Orlando offers a social urban atmosphere.
The Revitalization Craze
It’s a common thread across the
nation. According to Hank Fishkind, an
Orlando economist with Fishkind and
Associates, the kind of development in
downtown Orlando is symptomatic of a
renaissance of downtown areas in Florida,
and it will have significant economic
impact on the city.
Cities throughout the Central
Florida region are going through
large- and small-scale renovation.
Daytona Beach, Cocoa Beach, Lakeland,
Kissimmee/St. Cloud, Altamonte Springs
and Maitland to name a few are all
in some phase of redevelopment.
“Lakeland is attracting national
attention and is being used as an
important resource for other downtown
developments,” says Randy Lyon,
Chairman of myregion.org and Regional
President of Ginn Development in
Celebration. “Eustis and Mount Dora
are working hard to revitalize but
maintain a small town charm. Maitland
went out to public referendum to see
if the residents thought they should
do large-scale redevelopment, and it
passed the vote.”
And all of this regeneration, says
Lyon, makes for a stronger region.
“There’s an important dynamic
balance,” he says. “If you tried to put
everything in downtown Orlando,
the infrastructure of the region would
collapse. You have to have a central
downtown with related downtowns to
give people more opportunities.”
In other words, each downtown in
our region is co-dependent on another.
“What downtowns do for a region is
gather all of the activity — commercial,
social, recreational and cultural — and
give us a place to come together,” says
Lyon. “In turn, you have a critical mass of
people, service and opportunity, which
creates communication.”
A Changing Landscape
The old major retail centers of the
past are taking on a different character.
Downtowns today are becoming more of a
mixed-used location, providing entertainment,
nightlife, dining, housing and retail.
This is exactly what Plaza at City
Centre hopes to achieve when it breaks
ground this September. The Plaza is a
mixed-use development that will feature
office condos, residential lofts, retail and a
12-screen movie theater.
Challenged by Mayor
Dyer, developer
Cameron Kuhn came
up with the idea to
change the city landscape
and is breaking
ground less than
a year after it was first
conceived. “Cameron
drives things,” says
Rich Roland, Director
of Marketing for
Kuhn Development.
Kuhn recently
sold the retail and
movie theater space
to Unicorp National
Development Inc. for
some $20 million.
Tom Cook, of Wood
Properties, will handle
the residential sales. Kuhn will focus on
the sale of office condos, which Roland
believes is the wave of the future all across
the country.
“The office condo market is exploding,”
agrees Kuhn. “No small business
owners want to rent when they can own.”
“What downtowns
do for a region is
gather all of the activity
— commercial, social,
recreational and
cultural — and give
us a place to
come together.”
— Randy Lyon —
Regional President,
Ginn Development
Chair, myregion.org
Kuhn adds that the impact of Plaza’s office
condos will “affect the city center across
the board because just having people own
their own space empowers them.”
To date, the Plaza office condos have
presale figures of more than $62 million,
and, says Roland, “We just started
advertising them about a month ago.”
Another commercial project vital to
Orlando’s transformation is Florida A&M
University’s law school in the Parramore
District. “In a couple of years, we’ll have
some 500 law school students attending
classes downtown,” says Billingsley.
“They’ll be using their expertise to provide
legal assistance to
underprivileged people
in our community.”
Division Avenue
from Washington
Street to Church
Street will get a facelift,
which includes a
park, streetlights and
streetscaping. Hughes
Supply recently
built their corporate
headquarters to
jumpstart the flagging
Parramore district.
“We also have a
transportation bill
in conference at the
federal level right
now,” says Mayor Dyer.
“U.S. Representative
Corrine Brown is supporting this bill,
which could provide $13 million to boost
connectivity between downtown and
the Parramore district, giving additional
East-West access.”
With just five projects (CNL
headquarters building, a new federal
courthouse, Florida A&M University
Chamber Connection
Leadership Orlando graduate appointed to downtown revitalization boards.
Leadership Orlando alumnus and Hughes Supply
executive Monroe Harrison has been appointed by
Mayor Buddy Dyer to the Downtown Development
Board (DDB) and Community Redevelopment Agency
(CRA) Advisory Board.
Harrison will work with the current board
members and DDB/CRA staff in the pursuit of
continued redevelopment and revitalization in
Downtown Orlando’s core area.
“We’re looking forward to having Monroe
join us in our efforts to bring more investment
and continued growth to Downtown Orlando,”
said Sarah Kelly, Chair of the DDB Board and CRA
Advisory Board.
“He has shown a great amount of interest
in and involvement with the Orlando
community, and we know he will be a
very valued member of the team.”
Harrison has been an active
Orlando resident for more than 10 years
and works as the Manager of Corporate
Citizenship for Hughes Supply. “I am
excited and honored to be appointed to
this board,” he said. “I look forward to
working with the current members and
staff to further enhance all of Downtown Orlando
as a great place to work, live and play.”
Monroe Harrison
About the DDB and CRA
Under the guidance of a five-member
board, the DDB provides planning, implementation
and administration of numerous ongoing
programs focused on the enhancement of
Downtown Orlando.
The Community Redevelopment Agency
(CRA) aggressively pursues redevelopment and
revitalization activities within the Downtown
Orlando Redevelopment Area, with an emphasis
on providing more housing and cultural arts
opportunities, improving long-term transportation
needs and encouraging retail development.
22 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

Law School, the Washington Street Plaza
and 55 West) there’s almost a billion
dollars worth of construction pumping
new life into downtown, says Mayor
Dyer. These businesses will house
more than 450 new high-paying jobs.
“Downtown employers pay better,”
says Beitsch. And, with those high paid
jobs come some of the bigger retail and
dining ventures.
Shopping Spree
There are currently more than
300 retail operations in downtown,
according to Geoffrey Brown of the
Downtown Development Board. Of
those, nearly one-third of them are food
operations or restaurants. There are also
15 arts and cultural related destinations,
including theatres, museums, library and
art galleries and some 10 retail banking
branch operations.
“We will have some turnover in
the retail sector with the residential
movement,” says Kuhn. “As the smaller
businesses make money, the bigger
players will see that and move in,
creating competition.”
That’s good news for Orlando, as
residents will have more options. And,
it can be good news for niche players as
well. Maxwell says that more than 50
percent of the people who come to Mad
Cow Theatre do something else downtown.
“They eat out. We’re partnering
with local restaurants to cross promote,”
she says. “We’re trading patrons.”
The little projects are important to
this transformation, as well. Just look at
the downtown media arts center. The UCF
School of Film and Digital Media has a
coffee house and 80-seat independent
cinema, but the arts center brings together
several of the goals of downtown leaders,
including bringing students downtown.
The number of proposed and
ongoing projects is astounding.
Orlando is a flurry of new developments:
mixed-use buildings, arts and culture
centers, living spaces, office buildings
and more. At last count, there were 34
major commercial and residential
projects already started or slated to
start in the next year or so.
And other cities are taking notice.
“We had a group from Tampa
come a few weeks ago to look at the
residential explosion in our downtown,”
says Billingsley. “We have a unique
community.”
Downtown Orlando is quickly
becoming the city of envy. “We want
other cities to model their downtowns
after ours,” says Mayor Dyer.
What’s Up
Downtown!
With so much going on, it’s
hard to keep pace with the new
downtown development. The
Downtown Development Board
has a solution — a monthly
update at its headquarters.
What’s Up Downtown! is
an opportunity for Central Florida
residents, business owners,
employees, educators and others
to learn more about the exciting
developments and initiatives
happening and being planned
for Downtown Orlando.
On the first Thursday of each
month, Frank Billingsley, Executive
Director of the Downtown
Development Board, will provide
a PowerPoint presentation on
Downtown Orlando with a
question and answer session
following. What’s Up Downtown!
begins at 8:30 a.m. and lasts
approximately an hour.
As seating and room size
is limited, please call to the
Downtown Development
Board at 407-246-2555 or e-mail
cmidkiff@downtownorlando.com
to reserve your spot.
What’s Up Downtown!
is held at the Development
Board’s office, 201 South Orange
Avenue, Suite 1230 — the 12th
floor of Signature Plaza at the
corner of Church Street and
Orange Avenue. Validated parking
is available at two City parking
garages — the Library Garage
at 112 East Central and the
Market Garage at 60 West Pine.
What’s Up
Downtown!
is scheduled for the following
Thursdays in 2004:
September 2
October 7
November 4
December 2
Check out the Web site at
www.DowntownOrlando.com
for upcoming Downtown events
and happenings.
FM SEPTEMBER 2004 23

LEADERSHIP & EDUCATION
EVERY COMMUNITY NEEDS LEADERS TO ENSURE POSITIVE GROWTH; QUALITY
EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS ENSURE THE CREATION OF TOMORROW’S LEADERS.
Academic Convenience
Florida Tech Orlando Graduate Center offers
working professionals flexible degree programs.
By Jack Roth, Editor, FirstMonday
For many working professionals, the
thought of going back to school to obtain
a master’s degree brings with it feelings of
anxiety and stress. “How can I fit that into
my hectic schedule?” and “How will I ever
be able to afford that?” are questions that
often come to mind, discouraging many
who consider doing it.
The Florida Institute of Technology
(Florida Tech) is trying to ease the burden
for those who might want to further their
education. With its main campus just
70 miles east of Orlando in Melbourne,
Florida Tech has been operating a graduate
center in Orlando for more than 25 years.
“What people don’t realize is that
many companies support and encourage
their employees to do this,” says David
Clapp, Ph.D., Director of Graduate
Studies at Florida Tech. “In fact,
employers usually pay for all or most
of the master’s degree program.”
Florida Tech offers evening courses
at its location just behind the Fashion
Square Mall in Orlando, as well as on-site
at local companies.
Most conveniently, the school offers
all management degrees online. These
courses offer maximum flexibility with
the student choosing the time and place
to complete assignments. With no formal
class meetings, all coursework is conducted
on the Internet using the widely
acclaimed “Blackboard” platform.
Florida Tech offers graduate degrees from its
Orlando Graduate Center.
The “Blackboard” software package
offers a user-friendly interface between
instructor and students. All work and
grade books are posted online, and there’s
even a chat room where students can talk
with the professor from the comfort of
their own homes.
“If I could stress one thing,
it’s that getting your
master’s degree doesn’t
have to be a difficult or
expensive proposition.”
— David Clapp
Director of Graduate Studies
Clapp stresses how informal and
relaxing the process can be for those who
work at stressful jobs all day. “The Internet
also changes the interaction between
faculty and students, making it easier to
communicate,” he says.
Clapp also believes that students are
more apt to be involved in class discussion
because they don’t need to talk in front
of people. For those who tend to be more
inhibited in front of people, the computer
makes it easier to “voice their opinions.”
The Adjunct Factor
Florida Tech faculty members are
adjuncts, meaning most of them work
during the day and teach at night. They
are experienced professionals who enjoy
the classroom and offer “real world”
experience to supplement the material
presented in textbooks.
“There’s not so much book emphasis as
there is hands-on emphasis,” says Clapp.
“We try to put the students in real-life
situations because most of them are already
working professionals. We simply try to
enhance what they already experience on
a daily basis in their professional lives.”
Because the Florida Tech Orlando
Graduate Center specializes in graduate
degree programs, many Central Florida
businesses are heavily involved in helping
the school custom design its curriculum
to meet specific workforce needs.
Lockheed Martin has partnered
with Florida Tech to offer a “Quality
Florida Tech graduate (left) receiving his Master’s of Science degree in Computer Science from David Clapp.
Engineering” course that is actually
taught on-site for employees. Due to the
growing demand for engineers who can
also manage entire departments, Florida
Tech now offers a hybrid “Master’s of
Science and Engineering Management
Degree,” in which many Lockheed
Martin and NASA employees are enrolled.
Another example of how Florida Tech
helps local businesses involves the
Department of Children and Families.
This organization has a $3 billion annual
budget, and it started to run into serious
contract management problems. “Their
employees are great at what they do, but
they couldn’t write out formal contracts,”
says Clapp, “so they asked us to train
them in contract management. This
wasn’t a degree program, but a training
program for employees.”
Making It Easy
Florida Tech helps the region in a
variety of ways, which is very rewarding
to Clapp. “Most Florida Tech graduates
stay in Central Florida,” he says. “This
enhances the local workforce and makes
the region more attractive to businesses
looking to either relocate or expand.”
While Florida Tech is a not-for-profit
university, tuition and fees are in the
midrange of most schools offering
graduate degrees in the Orlando area.
Florida Tech offers deferred payment
contracts for those students whose
employers offer tuition reimbursement
so there is virtually no out of pocket
cost for students.
“People are able to redefine themselves
with relative ease,” says Clapp. “If I
could stress one thing, it’s that getting
your master’s degree doesn’t have to be a
difficult or expensive proposition.”
Thanks to Florida Tech, many local
professionals are finding out first-hand
the truth in Clapp’s words.
For more, go to the Florida Tech Web
site at http://www.segs.fit.edu/orlando or
e-mail David Clapp at dclapp@fit.edu.
For more on degree programs, certificate
programs and professional development
programs at Orlando Graduate Center, go
to http://segs.fit.edu/orlando/programs.html.
For more on Space degree programs
at Kennedy Space Center, go to
http://segs.fit.edu/spaceport/programs.html.
24 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

Get on Board
By Sara Brady, Chair, Small Business Chamber, Wragg & Casas Public Relations
I can’t say that I was particularly popular in high
school. The same holds true for college. Don’t misunderstand;
it’s not as if I resided at a Martha Stewart level of
loathing, but it would have been a waste of time and
a perfectly good batch of sequins for me to run for
homecoming peasant girl, much less queen.
When I got older and worked as a newspaper
reporter, I became even less popular. Lucky for me, in
the newspaper business that’s a good thing.
Today, however, my life is completely changed. I’m
a business executive, and I’m on the Small Business
Chamber. Created nearly a decade ago, the Small Business
Chamber (SBC) has become quite the coveted council.
Last year, the Chamber was inundated with
applicants seeking positions on the Board. It wasn’t
because of the decadent desserts at our lunch meetings,
either. Applications came from outstanding sources,
many of whom now hold a post on the SBC Board. They
also came from small business wannabes — candidates
who could not meet our “small” requirements of under
40 employees because they were actually large businesses
that wanted to meander through our sphere of influence.
We received applications from the politically
incorrect — businesses that weren’t Chamber members.
Some people, it seems, are willing to do just
about anything to get on the SBC Board.
We’ve become a favorite whistle stop
for a variety of movers and shakers who want to
see us and who want us to hear them. Just this
year, we’ve had a tremendously impressive
list of guests that included John Hillenmeyer,
CEO of ORHS, who spoke to us about one
of this community’s most serious issues — the
Sara Brady
trauma center. Sheriff Kevin Beary, armed and
gregarious, talked to us about homeland
security. Orange County Chairman Rich Crotty briefed
us about the county’s issues and future.
Like Virginia Slims cigarettes, we’ve come a long way,
baby, and without lung disease.
This board is irresistible because of its membership.
Members of the SBC are the components of this
community’s economic engine. We may be called the
small business board, but we’re a very big deal. We’ve taken
public positions on issues that matter to our community.
We vote, we talk to each other, we read the newspaper, we
pay attention and we remember. At board meetings, we eat.
A while back, a handful of SBC leaders, all of whom
have remained extraordinarily engaged, dedicated
themselves to creating a mission statement.
Our commitment to this strategic initiative
would have intimidated Donald Rumsfeld.
The outcome of the effort was that this board
be recognized as the “voice” for small business
in Central Florida. I think we’re getting there.
We must maintain the momentum. The
end of this year’s term looms around the corner,
which means it’s time for you to consider getting
involved. Nominations are being accepted for
new board positions. We need your participation
to elevate our role in the community even further.
I’d like to say that very little is asked of you, but the
truth is we’re asking for your most precious commodity
— time. In return, you’ll profit in a number of ways,
including expanding your own sphere of influence,
increasing your participation in the betterment of
our way of life; you’ll also be in-the-know about what
matters, and you’ll get dessert.
Interested in coming on board? Contact Bill Clements
at billclements@administaff.com or the Chambers’ Cyndi
Matzick at Cyndi.Maztick@orlando.org. Contact me if you
have questions at sbrady@wraggcasas.com.
FM SEPTEMBER 2004 25

LEADERSHIP & EDUCATION
Putting Dreams into Action
NASA Director discusses future goals and challenges at latest Listening to Leaders forum.
James W. Kennedy, the eighth Director of NASA’s
John F. Kennedy Space Center, addressed attendees at the
Leadership Alumni Listening to Leaders Forum in July.
Since his appointment one year ago, a critical part
of Kennedy’s leadership includes changing the cultural
environment at the KSC. “Safety is one of our core values,”
he said, explaining that to be successful, all 14,000
employees of Kennedy Space Center must be empowered
to comfortably express their concerns and ideas.
Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce President
Jacob Stuart led a lively and entertaining discussion of
Kennedy’s leadership role, underscoring that Kennedy
is challenged with not only leading KSC, but America
and the world as well.
The Space Center’s goal is to return the space shuttle
to flight by March 2005. “There are 30 shuttle missions
left to complete the Space Station,” he noted and added
that, according to the Discovery Channel, the Space
Station is the number-one man-made accomplishment of
all time. Unlike a mission to repair the Hubble Telescope,
the “station” provides a safe haven for astronauts in the
event of the need to “buy time” for rescue and repairs.
Looking to the future, Kennedy predicted that robotic
missions will become fundamental to the space industry.
He also applauded the recent efforts of private industry,
commenting that, “Government should be in the business
only to advance technology, with the private sector
commercializing the business of space.”
Speaking of the hazards of space exploration, he said,
“Risk is inherent. We need to measure the amount we
are willing to accept and balance that with the human
desire to explore new frontiers.”
Referencing a sign that hangs in his office, Kennedy
quoted, “Ships in harbor are safe, but that’s not what they
were made for.” He recalled the courage of Lewis and Clark
200 years ago, and 100 years ago the Wright Brothers.
“Think of how different our world would be today, if
not for the risks that were taken,” he said. “Life 100 years
from now will depend on the dreams that are put into
action today.”
Chamber President Jacob Stuart (left) poses some questions to
James W. Kennedy.
For more on upcoming Listening to Leaders Forums,
contact Ruth Mustian at 407-835-2441 or e-mail
ruth.mustian@orlando.org.
Entrepreneurs
in the Making
Rollins MBA students form chapter
of Collegiate Entrepreneur Organization.
A number of future entrepreneurs from The Crummer Graduate School
of Business at Rollins College have formed a chapter of the Collegiate
Entrepreneur Organization (CEO), the largest and most active organization
for student entrepreneurs in the world.
Jon Curran, President of the Rollins CEO chapter, said the organization
serves as the student arm of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Rollins. “There
are 109 CEO chapters worldwide, and our objective is to serve as a forum and
participate actively in this organization for young entrepreneurs,” he says.
“We hope to expand participation to undergraduate business majors as well.”
The group will help
coordinate and promote
programs sponsored or
hosted by the Center for
Entrepreneurship. Curran
is currently heading a team
organizing a number of
activities for the fall semester.
Curran said the group is
helping to organize a business
plan competition that will be
open to Rollins and Crummer
students, alumni, faculty
and staff. Cash prizes will be
awarded to the aspiring
young entrepreneurs.
Rollins CEO members are
preparing to attend the CEO
From left: Jon Curran, Danielle Alexander, Sid
Shetty, Ruixin Mao and Dan Schiaffo.
USA National Conference in
Chicago in November.
Leadership Orlando Class 65
Enroll Now! Deadline is
September 30.
Leadership Orlando is a program
designed to allow Central Floridians
to become connected and engaged
community leaders.
“Leadership Orlando has provided
me with the opportunity
to get to know interesting and
inspiring people I otherwise
would not have met.”
— Lauren Hames
City of Orlando
LO Class 63
To accomplish that purpose,
Leadership classes meet for a series of
nine day-long sessions over eight months.
Each session examines some of the key
themes and issues surrounding our community.
Leadership sessions emphasize
People, Places, Possibilities and Purpose
that our community has to offer.
“Leadership Orlando has
exceeded all my expectations
and more!”
— Beth Phillips
Pecora & Blexrud Public Relations
LO Class 62
“Leadership Orlando has
helped me sort out all the
pressing issues in our
community. It helps me
focus on a direction for my
own community efforts
and passions.”
— Bob Gibson
ABC Fine Wine & Liquors
LO Class 62
Class 65 will begin with a two-day
orientation session on Wednesday
and Thursday, November 3 and 4. The
monthly sessions will take place the first
Thursday of each month from 7:30 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m.
For more, call Kathy Panter at
407-835-2499 or visit www.orlando.org
and click on “Leadership Orlando.” You
can also write to: Leadership Orlando,
P.O. Box 1234, Orlando, FL 32802-1234 or
e-mail kathy.panter@orlando.org.
26 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

Putting Down the Roots
Chamber leader is dedicated to enhancing regional high tech communications.
By Tracey Velt
Whether you’re subscribing to
or modifying a communications
service, looking online at your
wireless, cable or long distance bill,
or contacting (via phone or Web)
your computer company, telephone
company or financial institution,
the chances are you’re talking to a
Convergys employee or interacting
with a Convergys system.
“I think that does a good job of
illustrating the extent to which we
have roots in the [Central Florida]
community,” says Jeff Gordon,
Convergys’ Senior Vice President
of Core Products.
And roots are what Gordon put
down personally in Central Florida
seven years ago when he joined
Convergys, the world’s largest
supplier of outsourced billing
services and outsourced call-center
operations. “I was a customer for
three years before joining Convergys
as an employee,” he says.
Gordon is responsible for the
strategy, management and development
of billing related products
covering the wireless, wireline,
cable/broadband and content
markets. Prior to that, Gordon held
numerous systems and product
development positions at Bell
Atlantic and IBM.
“Central Florida is a viable
environment for successful
technology companies,” he says.
“Several years ago, when we were
looking for a community where
we could hire a strong workforce of
skilled, tech-savvy, energetic people,
we chose Central Florida.”
Chamber Connection
Both Gordon and Convergys are
committed to helping technology
businesses in Central Florida, and over
the years the company has developed
strong ties with the Orlando Regional
Chamber of Commerce in order to
help achieve these goals.
Convergys has been an active
member of the Chamber for several
years. Jim Orr, the company’s President,
Chairman and CEO, has presented at a
previous Chamber Trustees luncheon,
and Gordon himself was honored to
speak and introduce Convergys at
another Chamber-hosted luncheon.
“The Chamber has helped me
gain awareness of key issues in the
community,” says Gordon. “It has
also allowed me to get to know a
network of community leaders who
I’ve been able to call upon to help
grow both Convergys’ business
and other business opportunities
in the region.”
Jeff Gordon
Gordon believes that by
maintaining an active network of
leaders in the area and providing a
regular flow of information on new
developments, the Chamber benefits
small businesses by providing the
visibility and contacts to ensure they
are fully integrated into the region’s
business community.
In addition to the benefits the
Chamber offers him and his company,
Gordon believes in helping the
community in a variety of ways.
Convergys founded the Hispanic
Scholarship Council of Central
Florida in 1995 and has awarded
thousands of scholarship dollars
to Hispanic students for excellence
in academic achievement and
community service.
Additionally, Convergys sponsors
Inroads, a mentoring and internship
program, and contributes to the
University of Central Florida
Foundation, which enables students
with strong academic standing to
attend the university.
Gordon also notes that Convergys
employees are very active with Crooms
Academy, a technical high school.
“We provide guidance to the students
by way of shadowing days and other
activities,” he says. In fact, Convergys
recently was awarded the Business
Commissioner’s Recognition award
for its involvement with Crooms.
“In speaking at the Chamber
luncheon a few years ago, I was
looking for a way to connect
Convergys more clearly to the
community,” remembers Gordon.
“As I thought about it, I realized
that nearly every household in the
Orlando area usually interacts with
Convergys multiple times a month.
That’s quite a connection.”
Upcoming
Listening to
Leaders Forums
Leadership Alumni introduced the new
Listening to Leaders Series two years ago.
In 2004, this series of six breakfast forums
has been designed to continue the learning
experience that started with Leadership
Orlando. Speakers offer insights into the
practices that have helped them achieve
success in their fields and offer suggestions
on strategies those attendees can use to
become better leaders. Two Listening to
Leaders forums remain in this year’s series.
SEPTEMBER 17 New Date!
Hubbs-Sea World
Research Institute
Featuring Dr. Duane DeFreese, Florida Vice
President of Research for Hubbs-Sea World
Research Institute (HSWRI). Dr. De Freese
is responsible for scientific research development,
strategic planning, fund-raising, and
construction of a new world-class facility for
marine research, conservation and education
to be built on the Indian River Lagoon in
Brevard County. The HSWRI “Marine and
Coastal Research Center” will serve as
an operational center for marine research
projects with SeaWorld Orlando, Discovery
Cove, NASA, and other Florida and national
marine science partners and associations.
NOVEMBER 10
Lockheed Martin
Speakers will include the Presidents of the
three Lockheed Martin companies located
in Central Florida: Joseph R. Cleveland,
Lockheed Martin Chief Information Officer
and President, Enterprise Information
Systems; Stanley R. Arthur, President,
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control;
and Dan J. Crowley, President, Lockheed
Martin Simulation, Training and Support.
Listening to Leaders is generously sponsored
by our Leadership Stewards: Joseph Terry of Bank
of America, Anne Chinoda of Florida’s Blood
Centers, Richard Fryer of IFREC Real Estate
Schools, Inc.; Betsy Culpepper of Orlando
Regional Healthcare, Roseann Harrington of
OUC — The Reliable One; and Thomas Pellarin
of PBS&J.
Register online at www.orlando.org.
Admission is complimentary for paid members
of Leadership Alumni. All others pay $15 in
advance or $20 at the door.
FM SEPTEMBER 2004 27

TOURISM, TRADE & TRANSPORTATION
THE THREE “TS” ARE MOVING CENTRAL FLORIDA INTO THE FUTURE. SEE HOW
TOURISM, TRADE AND TRANSPORTATION ARE WORKING FOR ALL OF US.
A Proactive
Approach to Safety
Safety-conscious planning prevents motor
vehicle crashes and unsafe conditions.
The numbers are alarming. According
to the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA), more than 41,000 fatalities and
3 million injuries occur nationwide each
year from highway crashes. In addition,
Florida has maintained a higher death
toll rate than the national average for the
last 20 years.
In order to decrease these numbers,
local transportation agencies are incorporating
safety-conscious planning strategies
into the region’s transportation plans.
What is Safety-Conscious
Planning?
According to the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), safety-conscious
planning is a proactive approach for the
prevention of motor vehicle crashes and
unsafe transportation conditions. It seeks
to develop of set of transportation system
safety strategies that make it more difficult
for crashes to happen in the first place.
Safer roads and improved
mobility will help preserve a
better quality of life for all
Central Floridians.
Through safety-conscious planning,
transportation agencies work in partnership
through entire transportation
networks to improve safety for all modes
of transportation, looking at current
safety problems and identifying any
future safety issues.
Safety has always been a factor in
transportation planning and design.
However, the passage of the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
Century (TEA-21) legislation in 1998
called for safety consciousness in a more
comprehensive, multi-modal approach.
Since that time, METROPLAN
ORLANDO, the regional transportation
planning organization for Orange,
Osceola and Seminole counties, and the
Florida Department of Transportation
(FDOT) have been working to further
incorporate safety-conscious planning
into the region’s transportation plans.
The safety of Central Florida’s
transportation system can be enhanced
through various infrastructure improvements,
including:
■ Guard rails
■ Intersection and interchange improvements
■ Lighting
■ Medians
■ Improved signage
■ Traffic calming devices
(roundabouts)
■ Pedestrian and bicycle accommodations
( bicycle lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks)
In addition to infrastructure
improvements, certain operational
strategies can have a positive impact
on safety. These include:
■ Traffic Incident Management
(quickly clearing accidents)
■ Traffic Enforcement
(red light running, speeding)
■ Intelligent Transportation Systems
(highway message signs warning of
adverse driving conditions)
Making it a Priority
During the 2003-2004 year, Orange
County Commissioner Ted Edwards served
as the METROPLAN ORLANDO Board
Chairman. During his term as Chairman,
Commissioner Edwards created the
MOVE IT…Yes You Can campaign.
Nearly 54 percent of all traffic
congestion can be attributed to accidents
and other non-recurring events which
impact the roadways. In addition,
between 13 and 33 percent of all crashes
are secondary crashes, resulting from
earlier accidents. The MOVE IT campaign
focuses on clearing the accident scenes
from roadways more quickly, which
should decrease both congestion and
the number of secondary crashes.
Seminole County Chairman Daryl
McLain was recently elected as the
2004-2005 METROPLAN ORLANDO
Board Chairman. As one of his first steps
as Chairman, McLain has established
safety-conscious planning as a main
A few examples of safety-conscious planning include bike lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks and roundabouts.
priority for the year. This will continue
Commissioner Edwards’ MOVE IT
initiative, but will back it up a step.
In essence, safety-conscious planning
should create safer roads so there are
fewer incidents, fewer injuries and
fewer deaths.
Everyone’s Responsibility
By incorporating safety-conscious
planning into all transportation plans
and looking into new ways that safety
consciousness can be promoted, there
should be fewer accidents, which will
result in less congestion. Safer roads
and improved mobility will help
preserve a better quality of life for all
Central Floridians.
But safety is not just the responsibility
of METROPLAN ORLANDO and its
partners. There are things that we can all
do as individuals to improve safety on the
roadways. By driving safely and
responsibly, and looking out for other
drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists, we can
each do our part to improve the safety of
our region’s transportation system.
To learn more, contact Jennifer
Wakefield at METROPLAN ORLANDO
at 407-481-5672 ext. 305 or via e-mail
at jwakefield@metroplanorlando.com.
Visit www.metroplanorlando.com for
information on this and other
transportation issues.
30 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

TOURISM, TRADE & TRANSPORTATION
Peeper One
of 25 Most
Influential
MeetingNews
has named Bill
Peeper, President
of the Orlando
CVB, one of
the 25 most
influential people
in the meetings
industry. Each person selected has
"clearly influenced, in one way or
another, the actions and perceptions
of their peers across the industry."
Under Peeper's 20-year
leadership, the CVB has successfully
implemented innovative marketing
strategies and services to keep
Orlando in demand. New marketing
strategies include the creation of
two distinct brands —- one for the
leisure market — and one for the
meetings market, thus raising
awareness of all that Orlando has
to offer. New services offered to the
meetings industry include printing
services for mid-sized groups and
fee-based research.
Hospitality
Execs City’s
“50 Most
Powerful”
Orlando magazine named
six hospitality industry executives
among the 50 most powerful
people in Orlando in its July 2004
issue. They include Walt Disney
World President Al Weiss (#2),
hotelier Harris Rosen (#3), Universal
Studios Recreation Group CEO
Tom Williams (#12), Loews Hotels
Regional Vice President Michael
Sansbury (#34), Orlando CVB
President Bill Peeper (#39) and
The Kessler Enterprises
President/CEO Richard Kessler (#49).
CVB 2005 Marketing Aggressive, Nimble
While Central Florida tourism is
back to pre-9/11 levels, the Orlando CVB
is looking to the future. For 2005, the
CVB is implementing unique marketing
strategies that will maintain and even
further enhance the area’s reputation as
a premiere visitor destination in what
has become an increasingly competitive
and changing marketplace.
The key message, targeting the
family and luxury markets as well as the
activities-driven market, will focus on
educating the consumer that Orlando is
a multi-level destination with more to
do than the consumer could imagine.
“We feel we need to expand our
communications through print and
broadcast media, and the Internet, to
reach all the appropriate audiences at
the right time with the right message,”
says José Estorino, Senior Vice President
of marketing for the Orlando CVB.
Namely, the 2005 plan addresses
changes in the visitor profile from
mostly family-oriented to include a
combination of couples, singles and
two-plus adults; changes in the consumer’s
behavior to being much more
savvy in planning, booking and timing;
and changes in technology that allow
targeted communication, availability
of more info and planning tools.
The CVB’s strategy is three-fold:
1. Customize the destination message
to large groups of people with similar
interests vs. reaching different
audiences with the same message.
2. Branding of orlandoinfo.com as the
number one trusted source for Orlando
information and vacation planning
3. Refocusing Message of CVB Consumer
Publications — pubs sent out of market
to the family and luxury consumers will
focus on vacation planning while pubs
sent in market to the activities-driven
consumers will focus on choices of what
to see and do or how to spend their time.
New tactics used to implement
the strategy will include sustained
advertising through a year-round
2004 Summer Campaign a Success
The $6.2 million advertising campaign featured seven weeks of newspaper ads in six
cities in Florida and Atlanta for a circulation of more than 20 million. The television ads
ran in 14 markets for six weeks delivering more than 310 million impressions and featured
SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World Resort in different commercials. As a result:
■ The CVB saw increases of Web site traffic during the campaign of more than 50 percent and
increases of more than 40 percent for e-commerce.
■ Campaign partners reported booking 38,117 room nights for an economic impact of
$19.275 million based on the available reporting from the 35 partners that participated
in the newspaper and TV advertising program.
CVB Recognized with Five Awards
The Orlando CVB was recognized for
outstanding marketing programs with
five Henry Flagler Awards during the
2004 Governor's Conference on
Tourism. The CVB received Flagler
Awards for three of the five categories for
which it was nominated as a finalist.
Flagler Awards received by the CVB:
■ Mixed Media Campaign (winner
in this category for fourth consecutive
year) — Summer Marketing Campaign
■ Creative Public Relations —
hosting Society of American Travel
Writers Convention
■ Web Sites — orlandoinfo.com
Also nominated as a finalist for:
■ Creative Partnering —
Orlando Citrus Parade
■ Resource/Promotional
Material-Trade — Latin
America Trade Special Sections
Presented by VISIT FLORIDA, the
Flagler Awards — Florida's statewide
hospitality awards program —
acknowledge the outstanding tourism
marketing achievements of Florida's
campaign for magazine advertising,
including coop advertising, and using
cable networks to reach both the family
and luxury markets with the key call to
action being orlandoinfo.com.
The CVB’s 2005 marketing efforts
will generate more than 442 million
consumer impressions.
The Orlando CVB unveiled its
2005 marketing plan to more than
550 community and industry leaders
at its annual marketing luncheon,
sponsored by Progress Energy, on
Aug. 20 at Orange County
Convention Center.
Progress Energy was proud sponsor of
the CVB’s August Member Luncheon.
numerous travel businesses, destinations
and attractions.
The 2004 Governor's Conference on
Tourism was held Aug. 8-10 at the Royal
Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, a
Loews Hotel.
32 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

Metro Orlando Lodging Posts Big Gains
Year to date through June, the Metro
Orlando occupancy rate has increased
10.8 to 71.6 percent, compared to 64.6
percent during the first half of 2003.
Year to date room-night demand was up
15.9 percent compared to the first six
months of 2003. The average daily rate
during the first half of 2004 was up 3.7
percent from the first half of 2003, to
$92.74 from $89.46.
While demand posted double-digit
gains in five of the first six months of
2004, and posted a year to date increase
of 15.9 percent, room-night supply has
increased 4.7 percent year to date. The
10.8 percent increase in year to date
occupancy is a result of this strong
increase in demand relative to supply.
Metro Orlando occupancy averaged
71.3 percent in June, up 3.8 percent
from 68.7 percent in June 2003.
Room-night demand for the month
of June was up 7.9 percent compared
to June of last year. The average daily
rate during June was $83.38, up
4.2 percent from $79.99 during June
of last year.
Prior to 2004, room-night demand
had declined during the first half of the
past three years:
■ 2001 — compared to the prior year,
room night demand was down 3.7
Convention Center Service Tops — Again
The Orange County Convention
Center (OCCC) has once again been
recognized for the convention
industry's 2004 Inner Circle Award.
This is the Convention Center’s fifth
consecutive year winning this award.
The award is for meeting service
excellence to the association
meetings marketplace.
“Obviously we are just as honored
for the fifth award as we were for the
first,” says Tom Ackert, Executive
Director of OCCC. “This award really
speaks volumes about the ongoing
effort all the OCCC employee's put
percent during the first half of 2001 due
to the weakening economy
■ 2002 — still feeling the effects of a
weak economy and the aftermath of
the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks,
room night demand during the first
half of 2002 was down 2.4 percent
from 2001 levels
■ 2003 — due in large part to the
build-up and eventual outbreak of
war in Iraq, room night demand
during the first half of 2003 was
4.3 percent below 2002 levels
The cumulative effect of 2001, 2002
and 2003 was that demand during the
first half of 2003 was 10.1 percent lower
15,000,000
14,500,000
14,000,000
13,500,000
13,000,000
12,500,000
12,000,000
11,500,000
forth to satisfy our customers. We take
pride in making our facility the best in
its class.”
The Inner Circle Award is based
on quality of the exhibit and meeting
space, staff service, ease of dealing
with local labor, catering services and
technical support. The Orange County
Convention Center was one of
only 10 convention facilities to be
internationally recognized as an
award winner. Winners are officially
recognized with an announcement in
the August 2004 issue of Association
Meetings magazine.
Orlando/Orange County CVB, Inc. Corporate Partners
than the high-water mark set during the
first half of 2000. However, the increase
in room night demand during 2004 was
so strong (15.9 percent) that it reversed
the three years of declines and was 4.1
percent above the first half of 2000.
The strong performance of
Orlando's hotel and motel industry
is also seen in Orange County's
tourist development tax collections.
Collections for the month of June
were 20.1 percent higher than last year,
and marked the eleventh consecutive
month collections have exceeded prior
year levels, dating back to the start of
the industry's recovery during the
second half of 2003.
Source: Orange County Convention Center
UCF
Hospitality
School
Recognized
for Student
Involvement
The University of Central
Florida Rosen School of Hospitality
Management Professional Convention
Management Association (PCMA)
Student Chapter has been selected
as the PCMA Student Chapter of
the Year.
PCMA provides the meetings
industry with the skills and
knowledge necessary to facilitate
adult learning through self-study
courses, workshops and seminars,
reference materials, and distance
learning programs.
The chapter will receive a check
in the amount of $1,000 from the
PCMA Education Foundation. Led
by Dr. Deborah Breiter, professor,
convention & conference management
at the UCF's Rosen School
of Hospitality Management, the
24-member chapter was chosen on
the basis of its activities on campus
and in the community.
As part of its award submission,
the UCF PCMA Student Chapter
submitted a scrapbook detailing
the 2003/2004 school year and its
activities, which included assistance
at events at the Orange County
Convention Center, networking
events in Orlando with hospitality
industry professionals, and
more. In addition to hospitality
industry-related events, the
Chapter was also very active in
the community by holding food
and toy drives for local charities
and raising funds for the pediatric
emergency department of a
local hospital.
Congratulations to the
University of Central Florida PCMA
Student Chapter!
FM SEPTEMBER 2004 33

CULTURE & TRENDS
COMMUNITY, CULTURE AND TRENDS. IT’S ALL REPRESENTED HERE.
Health Care Trends
Skyrocketing health care costs force three
in four organizations to make changes.
From The Society for Human Resource Management
Though only 3 percent of U.S. organizations
have considered eliminating health
care coverage for employees, 75 percent
have changed their health care plan design
in large part to the unmanageable cost
increases in recent years, according to the
2004 Health Care Survey by the Society for
Human Resource Management (SHRM).
“Health care costs have increased by
double digit percentages year after year,
forcing employers to grapple with the
consequences,” said Susan R. Meisinger,
SPHR, President and CEO of SHRM. To
retain the value of an attractive benefits
package, HR professionals are diligently
working to find the balance of health care
plans that are affordable and beneficial.”
Overwhelmingly, cost is the number
one factor in evaluating health care plans
with 93 percent of organizations using
cost as a prime piece of data in health care
evaluation. Contrast this to just 44 percent
evaluating their health plans based on quality
of treatment, only 14 percent evaluating
the outcomes of treatment and a mere
7 percent evaluating provider availability.
The data indicates that the focus has
become what a company can afford to offer
and what employees can afford to pay.
The number-one reason why adjustments
are made to employee health care
packages is because of cost, with 87 percent
reporting cost to employer as the reason for
making plan changes. The report shows
46 percent of employers report making
plan changes due to cost to employees.
Alternative Approaches
Faced with the challenge of providing
health care to employees while keeping
costs down, organizations are finding
alternative ways to approach the problem.
Many organizations are looking to
preventative measures to curtail health
Companies are faced with the challenge of providing health care to employees while keeping costs down.
SHNS photo by Michel Fortier/Naples Daily News
care costs. In fact, 67 percent of organizations
provide participant incentives to
encourage healthy behavior. To do this,
76 percent of respondents report using
Employee Assistance Programs to
promote healthy lifestyles. In addition,
52 percent use educational programs to
inform employees on how they can take
steps to improve their overall health.
Some companies (16 percent) are
partnering with other organizations to
purchase health care coverage collectively
to receive discounted group rates.
Grouping together is helping some
smaller organizations leverage their
buying power to get rates that were only
available to large organizations.
Seventy-four percent of survey
respondents support legal changes to
allow employees to band together to
purchase health care coverage.
Setting Examples
Central Florida Hispanic-owned companies
are among the country’s largest.
By José David Alvarez, HCCMO Director, CBR Public Relations
Have you heard the good news? If you
haven’t, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
of Metro Orlando is here to tell you.
According to this year’s Hispanic Business
500 Directory of the largest U.S. Hispanic-owned
companies, nine members of the Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando
Chamber are among the largest in the country.
Hispanic Business is one of the leading
Hispanic business publications in the
United States.
Contributing more than $375 million in
revenues to the local economy last year, these
businesses showcased Central Florida on a
national level as a region of opportunity for
minority business.
These companies were once ideas in the
minds of entrepreneurs who believed in Central
Florida as fertile ground for their dreams.
Today’s aspiring minority entrepreneurs should
take heart from the many successful and
extraordinary stories that have originated in
our region and bring their own ideas to life.
The Chamber congratulates those
members who made this year’s directory.
They include: Greenway Ford (#22), Jardon &
Howard Technologies Inc. (#78), Rolling Hills
Ford Inc. (#119), T&G Constructors Inc. (#198),
Advance Xerographics Imaging Systems (#265),
Rey Group (#293), D&A Building Services Inc.
(#390), Albors & Associates Inc. (#439) and
Maya Telecom Inc. (#475).
Keep up the good work, and thanks for
setting an example for Central Florida’s future
entrepreneurs!
For more on the Hispanic Business 500
Directory, visit www.hispanicbusiness.com.
For more on the Hispanic Chamber, call
407-428-5870 or visit www.hispanicchamber.net.
In celebration of the positive Hispanic influence in
Central Florida, the Orlando Regional Chamber of
Commerce features a monthly news story “en español”
in FirstMonday for your reading pleasure.
Siguen las pérdidas
millonarias tras los
atentados terroristas
Exportadores estadounidenses han perdido más de 30 mil millones
de dólares desde los atentados del 11 de septiembre en la ciudad de
NuevaYork, debido a el “manej oineficiente” del sistema de
procesamiento de visados, según reveló un estudio realizado por el
Grupo Santangelo de Washington, D.C.
Los resultados revelaron que entre las 29 naciones más afectadas
por las demoras en las visas a empresarios extranjeros están China,
Rusia e India, seguidas por Malasia, Indonesia y Corea. Entre los países
Latinoamericanos con más dificultades se encuentran Brasil,
Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala y México.
Las empresas medianas fueron las que más sufrieron, con pérdidas de
5.07 millones de dólares, mientras que las grandes compañías perdieron
1.14 millones y las pequeñas 580 mil dólares, en su mayoría en las áreas
de aeronáutica, tecnología, salud, farmacéutica, tiendas comerciales,
energía, automóviles, publicaciones, ingeniería y construcción,
aerolíneas comerciales e instituciones financieras, entre otras.
Para más información, visite www.uscis.gov.
34 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

Economic “M-Powerment”
Financial specialist shares lessons with local business leaders.
By Felicia Span-Baker, Public Relations Specialist, AACCCF
Florida native Carla Harris has made
her way back to the sunshine state to
educate local business leaders on the
importance of acquiring and maintaining
the “Lessons on M-Powerment.”
Harris, Managing Director, Head of
Equity Private Placements and Retail
Capital Markets Coverage at Morgan
Stanley Dean Witter in New York, was
the keynote speaker at the recent African
American Chamber of Commerce 2004
Economic M-Powerment Luncheon at the
Hyatt Regency Orlando International
Airport. With nearly 200 attendees
present, Harris spoke about her struggles
and victories in the corporate world.
Harris’s original goal was to become a
lawyer until she interned with Sponsors
for Educational Opportunity (SEO), a
non-profit mentoring organization, and
was offered the opportunity to work on
Wall Street. It was then that she realized
her love for finance.
She admitted that her climb up the
corporate ladder hasn’t always been
easy, and that being an African American
woman at times made it that much harder.
There were times when people tried to put
up road blocks, but her “never-let-themsee-you-sweat”
approach enabled her to
push those obstacles out of the way.
These experiences prompted Harris
to spend as much time mentoring and
coaching others as possible. “There is no
substitute for knowing your business,” she
said. “Get good at it. As a person of color,
you’ve got to be good.”
With nearly two decades of experience,
Harris is responsible for the structuring,
marketing, and execution of private equity
financing in the technology, media, retail,
telecommunications, transportation,
industrial and healthcare sectors.
Within the past three years, Harris has
raised nearly $2 billion as head of her firm’s
equity private placement group. She has
handled some of the firm’s biggest clients
including UPS, Martha Stewart Living
Omnimedia, Donna Karan, the General
Motors sub-IPO of Delphi Automotive, and
the $3.2 billion common stock transaction
for Immunex Corporation.
Among the many accolades bestowed
upon her include: Fortune Magazine’s
“50 Most Powerful Black Executives in
Corporate America;” Black Enterprise’s
“Top 50 African Americans on Wall
Street;” Bethune Award from the
National Council of Negro Women;
Ron Brown Trailblazer Award from St.
John’s University School of Law; Women
of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts
of Greater Essex and Hudson Counties;
and Frederick Douglass Award from the
New York Urban League
Harris funds the Carla Harris
Scholarship at her Alma Mater’s —
Harvard University and Bishop
Kenney High School in Jacksonville.
Carla Harris
“I think my definition of success
is being able to attain a point in life
where you can successfully inspire
and motivate others,” she says.
For more, contact 407-428-5850 or
visit www.aacccforl.net.
FM SEPTEMBER 2004 35

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 8
The William C. Schwartz
Industry Innovation Award
When: 11:30 a.m.
Where: Orlando Marriott Lake Mary
Contact: Metro Orlando Economic
Development Commission at
407-422-7159 or visit
www.orlandoedc.com
SEPTEMBER 14
Leadership Orlando Class 63
Economic Leadership
When: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Contact: Kelly Nicholson at
407-835-2527 or
e-mail kelly.nicholson@orlando.org
SEPTEMBER 14
Chamber
Connection Meeting
When: 11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Orlando Regional
Chamber of Commerce
75 South Ivanhoe Boulevard, Orlando
Contact: Ileana San Martin at
407-835-2487 or e-mail
ileana.sanmartin@orlando.org
SEPTEMBER 17 New Date!
Listening to Leaders
When: 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Where: Orlando Museum of Art
2416 North Mills Avenue, Orlando
Info: Central Florida’s most successful
leaders tell you how they got where they
are today and share strategies with you
on becoming a stronger leader. The
guest speaker will be Duane D. De Freese,
Ph.D., Vice President of Florida Research
at Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute.
Dr. De Freese is responsible for all aspects
of HSWRI operations in Florida, including
scientific research development, strategic
planning, fund-raising, and construction
of a new world-class facility for marine
research, conservation and education to
be built on the Indian River Lagoon, next
to the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
in Brevard County.
Sponsors: Anne Chinoda, Florida’s Blood
Centers, Inc.; Thomas Pellarin, PBS&J;
Betsy Culpepper, Orlando Regional
Healthcare; Roseann Harrington, OUC —
The Reliable One; Joseph Terry, Bank of
America; and Richard Fryer, IFREC Real
Estate Schools, Inc.
Tickets: Paid members of Leadership
Alumni get in FREE! All others pay only $15
in advance and $20 at the door!
Contact: Kelly Nicholson at
407-835-2527 or e-mail
kelly.nicholson@orlando.org
SEPTEMBER 21
Regional Board of Advisors
Regional Leadership Forum
Central Florida
Education Summit
When: 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Doubletree Hotel at the
Entrance to Universal Orlando
5780 Major Boulevard, Orlando
Info: Central Florida Education
Summit, in partnership with myregion,
O-Force and the Central Florida
School Board Coalition. How Can
We Transform Central Florida's
Pre-K-12 Schools Into Models of State,
National and Global Excellence? Join
the Regional Board of Advisors as we
discuss, face-to-face, with national
and community leaders, government
organizations, academic and business
leaders, the future of education in
our region.
Contact: Lisa Winkelbauer at
407-835-2448 or e-mail
lisa.winkelbauer@orlando.org
SEPTEMBER 22
2004 Network Orlando!
Expanding Your Regional
Business Opportunities
When: 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Where: Wyndham Orlando Resort
8001 International Drive, Orlando
Info: The Orlando/Orange County
Convention & Visitors Bureau and area
Chambers of Commerce invite you to
their second annual Network Orlando!
event. Sow new seeds of friendship as
you expand your existing contacts and
mingle with the Central Florida business
community at this joint event.
Contact: Leslie Lupo at 407-363-5894
or e-mail leslie.lupo@orlandocvb.com
Cost to Members of all Partner
Organizations: $15 per person —
Pre-registration; $20 per person — at the
door. Includes hors d’oeuvres and soft
drinks. A cash bar will be available.
Sponsors: African American
Chamber of Commerce of Central
Florida; Asian American Chamber of
Commerce; Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce of Metro Orlando;
Orlando/Orange County Convention
& Visitors Bureau and the Orlando
Regional Chamber of Commerce
SEPTEMBER 22
Board of
Governors Meeting
When: 11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Orlando Regional
Chamber of Commerce
75 South Ivanhoe Boulevard, Orlando
Contact: Lisa Winkelbauer at
407-835-2448 or e-mail
lisa.winkelbauer@orlando.org
Sponsor: Joe Kountzman,
The Trane Company
SEPTEMBER 22
Leadership Orlando
Class 64 Quality of Life
(Public Safety)
When: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Contact: Kelly Nicholson at
407-835-2527 or e-mail
kelly.nicholson@orlando.org
SEPTEMBER 29
Innovation Florida 2004
When: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Where: The Ballroom at Church Street
225 Garland Avenue, Orlando
Contact: Christa Santos at
407-277-5411 or e-mail csantos@cfic.org
SEPTEMBER 30
Business@Breakfast/
New Member Orientation
When: 7:30 – 8:15 a.m. — Registration,
Networking and Continental Breakfast
8:15 – 9:00 a.m. — Program
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. — Orientation for New
and Renewing Members
Where: Orlando Marriott Downtown
400 West Livingston Street, Orlando
Info: Start your morning off right!
Network with other Central Florida
business leaders and enjoy a program
featuring business speakers discussing
our region’s hottest topics. Meet new
friends and build relationships.
Everyone’s welcome!
Keynote Speaker: Nancy Friedman,
“The Telephone Doctor” Friedman will
share with us her insight and information
on common telephone mistakes that
lead to lost business. She is a frequent
guest on top TV and radio talk shows
(Oprah, Today Show, CBS This Morning,
Good Morning America, CNN, WOR,
WGN, etc.) and author of hundreds
of articles in leading newspapers and
magazines, including “Manager’s
Journal” in the Wall Street Journal,
USA Today and Nations Business.
Contact: Lisa Winkelbauer at
407-835-2448 or e-mail
lisa.winkelbauer@orlando.org
Tickets: Individual Ticket, Advance
Purchase – $15.00; Individual Ticket, Day
of Event – $20.00; Registrations
are non-refundable.
Sponsor: AmSouth Bank
36 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM

MEMBERSHIP
WELCOME JULY’S NEW MEMBERS. LOOK FOR
AUGUST’S NEW MEMBERS IN THE NEXT ISSUE.
Central Florida International
Investments, Inc.
7021 Grand National Drive
Suite 106
Orlando, FL 32819
Mr. Christen Svendsen
Real Estate
(Commercial/Industrial)
2 Scoops Cafè
Development Corp.
4651 36th Street
Suite 600
Orlando, FL 32811
Ms. Mary Ann Kilgallon
Food
(Service/Equipment/Supplies)
AFLAC
1060 Maitland Center Commons
Boulevard
Suite 410
Maitland, FL 32751
Ms. Brittany Tallon
Insurance (Employee Benefits)
Agility Recovery Solutions
206 South Shadowbay Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32779
Mr. David Van Dyke
Disaster Recovery
Ajax Orlando
200 East Robinson Street
Suite 750
Orlando, FL 32801
Mr. Rich Bradley
Sports Organizations
Albu & Associates, Inc.
1460 Minnesota Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789
Mr. Jason Albu
General Contractor
American Express
Financial Advisors, Inc.
800 North Magnolia Avenue
Suite 1700
Orlando, FL 32803
Ms. Shirley H. Wang
Financial
(Consultants/Planners/Services)
AMERIGROUP Corporation
4200 West Cypress Street
Suite 900
Tampa, FL 33607-4173
Mr. Marcus Franquez
Insurance (Health)
Baker Commercial
Landscaping, Inc.
2699 Forsyth Road
Suite 111
Orlando, FL 32807
Mr. Ted Baker
Landscape Services
Beacon Home Financial
2455 Falmouth Road
Maitland, FL 32751
Mr. Michael Anthony Golebiewski
Mortgage Bankers or Brokers
Blue Palm Technology, Inc.
2822 Strand Circle
Oviedo, FL 32765
Mr. Charles B. Eaves, IV
Consultants/Technology
Capital Success Strategies
147 Eastpark Drive
Celebration, FL 34747
Mr. Steven G. Erick
Investment (Advisors/Services)
Casinos R Us
931 State Road 434
Suite 201
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
Ms. Dotty Azar
Casino Games/ Entertainment
Chastain-Skillman, Inc.
6250 Hazeltine National Drive
Suite 116
Orlando, FL 32822
Mark K. Addison, P.E.
Civil Engineering
Clever Covers, Inc.
524 West Winter Park Street
Orlando, FL 32804
Mr. John D. Smith
Advertising Specialties
Coldwell Banker Commercial
601 Lake Como Circle
Orlando, FL 32803
Mr. Ted Burleson
Real Estate
(Commercial/Industrial)
CondoHQ Orlando LLC
16 North Summerlin Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801
Ms. Dana Beth Tew
Real Estate/Accommodations
(Agents/Brokers/Managers)
Deadworks
121 James Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801
Mr. Jeffrey J. Saylor
Technology
DreamVision Studios, Inc.
232 South Dillard Street
Suite 204
Winter Garden, FL 34787
Mr. Rick Silanskas
Motion Picture Production
Company
Ennoview
775 South Kirkman Road
Suite 101
Orlando, FL 32811
Mr. Anthony Spotorno
Computer (Software
Sales/Marketing)
Evatone
4941 Winwood Way
Orlando, FL 32819
Mr. Chuck Fry
Multimedia (Services/Products)
Heartforce
2027 Stone Abbey Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32825
Mr. Merle Nilsson
Education Services
Home Owners
Club of America
52 Riley Road
Suite 336
Celebration, FL 34747
Mr. Bob Bisienere
Home Repairs/Handy Man
Hoyman, Dobson
& Forness, P.A.
350 East Pine Street
Orlando, FL 32801
Mr. Roman Carraway
Accountants
(Agencies/Consultants)
Hummel Insurance Services
142 Semoran Boulevard
Suite 129
Casselberry, FL 32707
Mr. Timothy J. Hummel
Insurance
Ideal Mortgage Solutions
499 North State Road 434
Suite 1053
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
Mr. Sean Arnould
Mortgage Bankers or Brokers
Interstate Trucking
Academy, Inc.
758 North Apollo Boulevard
Melbourne, FL 32935
Mr. Joseph Smith
Trucking
JHS Property
Development, LLC
215 Celebration Place
Suite 500
Celebration, FL 34747
Mr. Heath Slocumb
Developments and Developers
Kid Financials, Inc.
(The Gift Basket Division)
7732 Silver Star Road
Suite 4
Orlando, FL 32818
Ms. Carrie A. Brown
Gift Baskets
Lynne E. Shields, MSW, CRC
552 Lakeworth Circle
Heathrow, FL 32746
Lynne E. Shields, MSW, CRC
Consultants
Massey Cadillac-Sabb
4241 North John Young Parkway
Orlando, FL 32804
Mr. Bill Hull
Automobile Dealers
(New and Used)
8819 South Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32809
Mr. Ricky Brown
Automobile Dealers
(New and Used)
Match-Up Promotions
1855 West State Road 434
Longwood, FL 32750
Ms. Barbie Hawkins
Advertising Specialties
MedSpa Boutiques of Florida
4 North Summerlin Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801
Mr. Mike Wells
Spas
Miller, Kagan,
Rodriguez & Silver, P.A.
485 North Keller Road
Suite 485
Maitland, FL 32751
Mr. Mark Kluger
Attorneys
Net/Complete
7006 Stapoint Court
Suite E
Winter Park, FL 32792
Mr. Duane Coffey
Computer (Systems Integrator)
Netforcement
1100 East Hector Street
Suite 318
Conshohocken, PA 19428
Mr. Ed Rees
Computer (Network Security)
O.F.P. Communications, Inc.
667 Nighthawk Circle
Winter Springs, FL 32708
Mr. Jack Graham
Printing and Publishing
Orange County
Bar Association
880 North Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801
Mr. Brant S. Bittner
Associations/Organizations
OrexMedia
8445 St. Marino Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32836
Mr. Nipul Shah
Marketing
Orlando Logo & Design
4122 Forest Island Drive
Orlando, FL 32826
Mr. Tony Greco
Marketing
OrlandoEats.com
8008 Sandpoint Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32819
Mr. Nick Christo
Advertising
(Agencies/Consultants)
Pathways To Care
430 Plumosa Avenue
Casselberry, FL 32707
Mr. Jeffrey R. Pickering
Organizations (Non-Profit)
Pixel Fix Design, LLC
911 North Orange Avenue
Suite 527
Orlando, FL 32801
Mr. Anthony Liga
Web Design and Development
PJ’s Coffee & Wine Bar
4846 New Broad Street
Orlando, FL 32814
Ms. Sonja Boudreaux
Coffee
Rebecca Szymanski
716 East Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32803
Ms. Rebecca Szymanski
Mortgage Bankers or Brokers
Recall
2095 Premier Row
Orlando, FL 32809
Ms. Deanna Vigliotta
Document Destruction
Ruden McClosky
111 North Orange Avenue
Suite 1750
Orlando, FL 32801
Brian Phillips, Esquire
Attorneys
Ryland Homes
4700 Millenia Boulevard
Suite 400
Orlando, FL 32839
Ms. Leah Turner
Real Estate
(Developers/Builders)
Star Services, Inc.
7031 Grand National Drive
Suite 104
Orlando, FL 32819
Ms. Nara M. Ravani
Uniforms
TeleCheck Services, Inc.
3165 McCrory Place
Suite 120
Orlando, FL 32803
Mr. Santiago Buxeda
e-Commerce
The Carpet Company 3, Inc.
1905 Premier Row
Orlando, FL 32809
Mr. Larry W. Hall, Jr.
Floor Covering
The Growth Coach
4185 West Lake Mary Boulevard
Suite 123
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Mr. Tony Sculthorpe
Speakers, Seminars and
Presentations
UBS Financial Services
111 North Orange Avenue
Suite 1300
Orlando, FL 32801
Mr. John Cosgrove
Financial
(Consultants/Planners/Services)
Xerographic Digital Printing
1948 33rd Street
Orlando, FL 32839
Ms. Rain Woodall
Printing and Publishing
Regional Board of Advisors
Chamber Trustees
Small Business Chamber
BUSINESS.
COMMUNITY.
INTERACTION.
FM SEPTEMBER 2004 37

Member Benefits Diverse
Chamber Council mobilizes broad business efforts
on international trade.
The United States Council for International
Business’s (USCIB) outreach to chambers of commerce
has begun to gain traction, with potentially
major implications for business at all levels.
Aiming to engage broader segments of the
export community, USCIB last year launched
the USCIB Associates Program, which seeks to
marry the resources of chambers at the state,
regional and municipal level with USCIB’s
global business network.
A core group of state and metro chambers
have coalesced into a “leadership cabinet” to help
develop, direct and market the Associates Program.
Through the efforts of chairman Robert Recker
(Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce) and
founding member Floyd Warner (Pennsylvania
Chamber of Business & Industry), a number of
top-tier chamber leaders have been recruited.
A cornerstone of the program is the World
Chambers Federation (WCF), a specialized division
of ICC that serves as a forum for chambers of
commerce worldwide. ICC’s most recent World
Chambers Congress, last September in Quebec City,
attracted a respectable number of U.S. participants.
“Among chambers, USCIB is a well-kept secret,”
said Recker, who serves on WCF’s steering committee.
“We aim to change that by giving chambers
and their members access to a broad range of USCIB
services, and by leveraging the critical role chambers
play in promoting international business at the
state and local level.”
The leadership cabinet, which plans to hold
quarterly meetings, will provide input and direction
to WCF, participate in high-level briefings, craft
future World Chambers Congresses and help in the
development of new services for chambers and their
export-oriented members.
The program’s benefits are diverse. USCIB
Associates gain access to exclusive information on
strategy and the economy, along with valuable services
from USCIB and its global network of business
organizations. Chambers of commerce get direct
membership in the World Chambers Federation.
The World Congress met in Quebec City in September 2003.
Cananveral Port Authority ..........7
www.ibdatabase.ucf.edu
Florida Hospital ............................20, 21
www.flhosp.org
K.D.R. Photo Systems ..................35
E-mail: kdrphoto@netscape.net
Road Runner Business Class ........15
businessclass.cfl.rr.com
ADVERTISING PARTNERS
Central City Market......................19
www.centralcitymarketorlando.com
Central Florida News 13 ..............12
www.cfnews13.com
Coca-Cola ....................................8
www.coca-cola.com
Crystal Springs ............................9
www.water.com
FAIRWINDS Credit Union..............17
www.fairwinds.org
Funai Classic ................................31
www.orlando.org
Hue ..............................................19
www.huerestaurant.com
Hue Catering................................19
www.huecatering.com
Images Auto Spa..........................27
Kres ..............................................19
www.kreschophouse.com
Menopause the Musical ..............10
www.menopausethemusical.com
Orlando Sentinel..........................2
www.orlandosentinel.com/careerbuilder
The Plaza......................................40
www.plazaorlando.com
Transeastern Homes ....................39
www.transeasternhomes.com
Westin Grand Bohemian..............23
www.grandbohemianhotel.com
Williams Company ......................25
www.williamsco.com
UCF Football ................................11
www.ucfathletics.com
38 SEPTEMBER 2004 FM