The EDC’s first board meeting of 2012 was devoted to introducing the new theme, a revised and enhanced website, and how the public-private partnership will approach economic development in the area.

The effort combines the nurturing of startups and existing companies, as well as promoting the region to site selection professionals across the country. Moore noted that the EDC’s marketing theme in recent years was “Be a Part of Our Secret.”

“Well, I decided the secret’s out,” Moore said. “We know how great things are doing in our area, and it is time for a quantum leap.”

The initiative will promote resources available to EDC investors and stakeholders, as well as site consultants. The centerpiece is an updated website — taledc.com — that covers such basics as incentives and resources for businesses, statistics on the area, permitting requirements, and a “map room” showing all the various business parks and industrial sites in the area.

The EDC has compiled a database of more than 600 site selectors nationwide. They receive periodically an electronic newsletter on Big Bend business development activities. Moore said when the newsletter goes out, EDC executive director Beth Kirkland gets five to 10 phone calls the first week inquiring about the area.

“It is having a direct impact on bringing knowledge about our region to those site selector folks,” Moore said.

One of the EDC’s priorities is fostering entrepreneurism and aiding local businesses with resources and technical assistance. Keynote speaker Eunice Cofie, CEO of the startup cosmetics company Nuekie, talked about her experience as a participant in the EDC’s Entrepreneurial Excellence Program.

A Florida A&M University graduate, Cofie earned degrees in chemistry and molecular biology. Her company is developing a line of skin-care and cosmetic products especially for women of color.

The EEP classes gave her instruction on team building, marketing and finance.

“Words can’t even explain how much I enjoyed that program,” Cofie said. “I learned so much from the speakers.”

A class highlight was local business owners who came in to tell their own real-life stories, and a final event called “pitch night” where attendees took the podium to explain their business plan and convince the class of their venture’s feasibility.

“I received so much feedback that it helped me to take my company to the next level,” Cofie said.

Tal-Tech Alliance hosted a roundtable discussion today (Wednesday.)

They talked about research, investment, exploration and commerce for the aerospace industry.

Members say Wednesday’s groundbreaking of the space shuttle Atlantis exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center is just one example of how aerospace and aviation can have a positive impact on the state’s economy.

The chairman of the roundtable, Bob VanRiper, says, “People love aviation and aerospace; there’s a lot of interest in it. Not a lot of people involved in it, but, people really want to see it be successful and continue to be a leading industry for Florida and for the United States.”

The roundtable was in partnership with the Leon County Economic Development Council.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida created the first interactive environment to give customers face-to-face consultations on complex health insurance issues, receive free preventative health screenings and participate in wellness events.

Local leaders joined the company for the ribbon cutting Tuesday morning.

Beth Kirkland with the Tallahassee/Leon County Economic Development Council says, “This is exactly what we’re looking for in Tallahassee. We want jobs created in one of our six targeted sectors that’ll allow us for increase consumer spending and overall economic wealth.”

Kirkland says the center will provide 14 jobs and boost the economy by $1.4 million.

The center is located on Apalachee Parkway right in front of Target.

The community is invited to the official grand opening on Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm.

The new center is Florida Blue’s eighth location in the state.

Moore, 54, of Tallahassee, is the founder and chief executive officer of Moore Consulting Group. In addition to serving as EDC Chair, she sits on the Florida Center for Universal Research to Eradicate Disease (FL CURED) Advisory Council and is a member of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors. Previously, she was the director of marketing and public relations for the Florida State University Center for Professional Development and Public Service from 1986 to 1993. From 1983 to 1985, she was the regional director of public relations and strategic marketing for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in central Germany and the Netherlands. Moore received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida and a teaching certificate from New Mexico State University. She is reappointed for a term beginning
February 2, 2012, and ending May 31, 2014.

“We must ensure we are measuring the most important outcome as we work to improve Florida’s economy, and that is helping people get jobs,” said Governor Rick Scott, who has made job creation, retention and attraction a top priority of his administration. “The efforts of Florida’s re-employment system are essential to supporting a growing economy, lowering unemployment and securing Florida’s status as the top state for doing business — with a highly skilled and productive workforce and a leading business climate.”

The placements are reported in Governor Scott’s new Monthly Job Placement Report. The report was developed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and Workforce Florida Inc. in response to the Governor’s call for enhanced measurement of performance outcomes in workforce development that bolster the state’s economic recovery and growth.

The goal of the report is to highlight and share job placement achievement so that regional workforce boards and other workforce system partners can identify and replicate best practices and strategies statewide that successfully help job seekers gain employment. The report data is another measurement demonstrating Florida’s economy is heading in the right direction, and reinforces the positive job growth shown in December’s unemployment rate of 9.9 percent.

“Governor Scott has made getting Floridians back to work the defining priority for his administration,” said Chris Hart IV, President/CEO of Workforce Florida Inc., the state’s chief workforce policy organization. “As the backbone of Florida’s nationally recognized workforce system, regional workforce boards and the one-stop career centers they direct are all laser-focused daily on connecting job seekers and employers. The boards are committed to our system’s mission to help Floridians enter, remain and advance in the workforce.”

The top 10 ranked regional workforce boards for reported job placements in December 2011 are:

1. Pasco Hernando Workforce Board (Board Chair Lex Smith and President Jerome Salatino)
2. South Florida Workforce (Board Chair Alvin West and Executive Director Rick Beasley)
3. Chipola Regional Workforce Board (Board Chair Darrin Wall and Executive Director Richard Williams)
4. Workforce Escarosa (Board Chair Jay Overman and Executive Director Susan Nelms)
5. Workforce One (Board Chair Gary Arenson and President Mason Jackson)
6. WORKFORCE plus (Board Chair Barb Edwards and CEO Kimberly Moore)
7. WorkNet Pinellas (Board Chair Dennis Meyers and President Ed Peachey)
8. Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance (Board Chair Dr. Tony Leisner and President Ed Peachey)
9. Heartland Workforce (Board Chair David Royal and President Roger Hood)
10. Florida Crown Workforce Board (Board Chair Jennie Reed and Executive Director John Chastain)

View the monthly report and a list of Frequently Asked Questions. For more information on Workforce Florida or its state and local workforce partners, go to WorkforceFlorida.com. Please visit EmployFlorida.com to list a job opening or search for jobs and access a wide array of workforce resources.

ETAM is a grant project funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and includes a three-college consortium and local workforce agencies to build workforce development solutions that can be deployed in both the education and training environments.

“We are incredibly proud of these students, and are excited about the early success of the ETAM project,” said Bruce Baton, program manager of TCC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Center. “Earning the MSSC credential lets employers know that these students are highly-skilled and well-qualified in the field of manufacturing.”

“As we observe the manufacturing sector strengthening, it is imperative that we stay on top of industry trends and develop a trained and talented workforce that will fill those future workforce needs,” said Kimberly A. Moore, CEO of WORKFORCE plus, who’s non-profit secures training for those looking to become reemployed. “WORKFORCE plus and TCC formed a team committed to workforce development in our area and we’re proud to celebrate these graduates as they bolster their reemployment journey.”

WORKFORCE plus provides comprehensive workforce and career services for the ETAM grant participants at Tallahassee Community College. This allows the grant to address reemployment from both sides: training, certification and vocational preparation on one hand and job hunt strategy on the other.

TCC is hosting an awards ceremony to celebrate the manufacturing students’ success on Tuesday, January 31, at 5 p.m. in the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center. The AMTC is located on the southwest corner of TCC’s main campus at the corner of West Pensacola Street and Century Park Drive.

For more information on the ETAM project, contact TCC’s AMTC at (850) 201-9720 or the WORKFORCE plus outreach specialist at (850) 201-9722.

In addition to Tallahassee Airport vendors, miles may also be earned at a number of businesses located in Florida and beyond through Thanks Again’s affiliation with Golfswitch.com and Restaurant.com. To view a complete list of participating businesses, please visit Thanksagain.com (http://www.thanksagain.com/) or download the free Thanks Again mobile application.

“Not only does this inventive loyalty program reward customers, but it also supports our local airport vendors and participating community partners,” said City Commissioner Gil Ziffer, lead commissioner on airport issues.

“The Tallahassee Regional Airport, along with Republic Parking and the other participating airport vendors, was one of the first airports to launch a customer rewards program within our growing national network of airports, airport vendors and participating local merchant partners,” said Marc Ellis, CEO of Thanks Again. “We are very excited to have Tallahassee Regional Airport on board.”

For more information about the Tallahassee Regional Airport, please call 891-7802 or visit FlyTallahassee.com (http://www.talgov.com/airport/). You can also stay up-to-date by liking TLH’s official Facebook page at Facebook.com/FlyTallahassee.com.

What’s cool is that the car is powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), a safe, clean, alternative fuel option. And its addition to the university vehicle fleet is the brainchild of Kirby Kemper, the Robert O. Lawton Professor of Physics and vice president for Research at Florida State.

“We wanted to diversify our source of fuel for transportation (at FSU),” explained Kemper, who noticed several years ago while traveling in India that taxicabs in New Delhi were typically powered by CNG.

The CNG car will serve as a research tool and will be used by Florida State Office of Research staff on university business. In keeping with its research theme, the car’s Jan. 30 public unveiling at the university’s Materials Research Building included an educational experience for students and faculty, who got to hear about the technology directly from Honda CNG experts.

FSU’s purchase of the vehicle reflects a commitment to a larger, campus-wide environmental effort — the Sustainable Campus Initiative (http://www.facilities.fsu.edu/sustainability/) — that launched last year. Staff members who drive the CNG car will keep logs of gas mileage and compare them to those from other university vehicles.

“Florida State’s new CNG-powered vehicle is a great addition to our fleet,” said Elizabeth Swiman, the university’s director of campus sustainability, who spoke at the car’s unveiling.

“This car truly is an example of research in motion and how each unit of this university can be a part of the overall vision for a more sustainable future.”

Compressed natural gas cars typically run 180 to 200 miles before needing a fill-up. Natural gas is much cheaper than gasoline — roughly half the cost — and it’s much cleaner. Compared with vehicles fueled by conventional diesel and gasoline, natural gas vehicles produce significantly lower amounts of harmful emissions such as nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and toxic and carcinogenic pollutants, as well as the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

Kemper believes the United States must diversify its energy usage so it can reduce its dependence on foreign oil. Though compressed natural gas cars aren’t new technology, Kemper said they are the “right” technology to help the university decrease its environmental footprint.

“While buses in big cities in the United States are using compressed natural gas, it hasn’t caught on as much with cars,” Kemper said. “Through this effort, we are hoping to help change that type of thinking.”

Florida State’s CNG car initiative reflects a partnership with Leon County Schools, the city of Tallahassee and Proctor Honda. Leon County Schools and the city are allowing the university to use their existing “fast-fill” CNG facilities to refuel the car until local public stations are constructed, possibly as early as this summer. Proctor Honda was instrumental in getting the car to Tallahassee so that Florida State researchers could begin the project.

To read more about this CNG car initiative, visit www.research.fsu.edu/naturalgascar .