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With the downtown skyline as a backdrop, the members of Leadership Orlando Class 83 received a Project Hometown primer from recently reelected Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer in the Fairwinds Tower Room at the Amway Center. Setting the stage for their session discussions on Tuesday, Mayor Dyer praised the efforts of business leaders and elected officials who are making the Community Venues a reality for Central Florida.

"The model for public-private partnerships that brought the Medical City to our region has been successfully employed in other areas like SunRail and the Community Venues," said Mayor Dyer. He also gave credit to the Central Florida Partnership and myregion.org for its leadership in developing a 50-year vision, entitled "How Shall We Grow," that identifies the 4-Cs – Countryside, Corridors, Centers and Conservation as critical elements to regional sustainability and paving the way for our infrastructure vision.

Yolanda Cade, AAA, Chair, Class 83	Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer speaks to Class 83.

When asked what he sees in our future, Mayor Dyer said more of what has been advanced during the last eight years of his administration: Medical City, Creative Village, Citrus Bowl renovations, completion of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and continued advocacy for public safety, building financial reserves, low millage rates, and the City's enviable ISO and Bond ratings.

L-R: Allen Johnson, Katherine Ramsberger, Steve Hogan

Presentations by Allen Johnson, Executive Director of Orlando Venues, Katherine Ramsberger, President of the Dr. Phillips Center, and Steve Hogan, CEO of Florida Citrus Sports, brought class members 'up to speed' on each of the Community Venues and their plans for the future, including funding challenges and the need for on-going community support for these projects.

A VIP tour of the state-of-the-art Amway Center took participants to the private loge/club seating, Jernigan's Restaurant which overlooks the bowl/performance space, past the practice courts and onto the playing court, viewing the Center from every angle.

After a quick bus ride to the Florida Citrus Bowl, Class 83 enjoyed lunch in the Dex/Skyline Club, and toured VIP Suites as well as the Bowl Sponsors Lounge and Press Box. Class members were asked to familiarize themselves with the 24 inch bench seats in the lower bowl, a very tight squeeze for knees and backs, bringing home the need to upgrade the facility to modern standards so that our ranking as a preferred bowl game host community is not jeopardized – nor is the nearly $80 million economic impact that comes with the annual bowl games. (See adjacent Every Monday Guest Column by Mike Boslet, published in Orlando Magazine, April 2012.)

With a new appreciation for state-of-the-art versus status quo, the Leadership Orlando participants then traveled to the construction site of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for a 'hard hat' tour. In the midst of construction cranes, rebar, and staging areas, they examined the nine-acre site with a realization of how this massive structure will take its place in relation to the Downtown Orlando skyline.

Click here to view more photos.

If you have been looking for the "right" time to participate in Leadership Orlando, or know someone who should be in the room for these discussions, now is indeed the perfect time to be a part of America's largest Community Leadership program, Leadership Orlando. Preparing for the future of our region is up to each of us. Now is the time to learn about the issues, participate in the difficult conversations and help in guiding our future.

Class 84 begins in September, with Adrian Jones, General Manager of LEGOLAND Florida serving as Class Chair. The online enrollment form and the full schedule may be accessed at www.LeadershipOrlando.org. Should you have questions, contact Kathy Panter at 407.835.2499 or via email at Kathy.Panter@ideastoresults.org.

About Leadership Orlando
Developing regional leaders is important to the future success of the Central Florida Region. That is why "Regional Leadership" is a primary line of business for the Central Florida Partnership. With over thirty years of proven success, Leadership Orlando, America's largest "Community Leadership Program," continues to recruit, cultivate and encourage emerging leaders to better serve the Central Florida Region.

Working together with Orlando, Inc., (Regional Entrepreneurship), BusinessForce (Public Policy Advocacy), and myregion.org (Regional Research & Resolves), the Central Florida Partnership is moving "Ideas to Results."

Click here to learn more about Leadership Orlando
Click here for a listing of the 2012 Leadership Team