The St. Petersburg Area EDC is led by some of the City's most innovative leaders in business. A dynamic group of officers, elected each year, combined with a visionary Board of Governors allows the St. Pete EDC to make a dramatic impact.
Chair - Bill Kent
President, George F. Young Co.
William Kent is the President of George F. Young, Inc. and has been with the company since 1990. He is a University of Florida graduate and received his B.B.A. in accounting and finance.
Bill is active in the community, serving as Chair of BayCare Medical Group. He is a member of the Bank of Tampa Pinellas Board and the South Pinellas County Salvation Army Advisory Board. Bill is a Past Chair of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce.
Chair-Elect - John Moore
President, Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital
John A. Moore is president of Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital and a senior vice president of Orlando Health. In his role as president of the 480-bed tertiary care and Level II Trauma Center in Pinellas County, John is responsible for developing, leading and implementing the hospital’s strategic and operational direction.
Previously, John served as president of Orlando Health South Lake Hospital from 2011 to 2020. Working collaboratively with team members, medical staff and leadership, John led Orlando Health South Lake to significant gains in patient experience, team member engagement, economics and quality of care, including several consecutive A-grades in patient safety.
Secretary - Morgan Holmes
Executive Director, Corporate and Foundation Engagement, University of South Florida
Morgan Holmes helps companies and foundations connect with the University of South Florida for research, hiring, and other areas of interest. She engages with USF's organizational partners on a range of university-wide opportunities, aligning each organization's specific priorities with key USF programs, with the goal of building long-lasting and meaningful partnerships.
Prior to joining USF, Morgan directed business engagement and communications at the
Central Florida Development Council. She holds a law degree from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Treasurer - Nick Hess
Vice President, Fifth Third Bank
Nick Hess is a Wealth Management Advisor within Fifth Third’s Private Bank. Serving the Tampa Bay area, he leads a local team that specializes in working with high net worth individuals and families. A full-service firm, Nick and his team handle everything from daily banking needs to complex financial planning and investment management.
Born and raised in the St. Petersburg, Nick resides just north of downtown with his wife and daughter. They like to stay active by participating in multiple sports and following their favorite collegiate and professional teams. Nick also volunteers with and is a board member of the Tampa Bay Chapter of Positive Coaching Alliance where he founded and runs the Triple Impact Competitor Mentor Program. PCA develops "Better Athletes, Better People" by working to provide youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building youth sports experience.
Nick received his B.S in Business Administration from the University of Florida and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification.
Immediate Past Chair - Marcus Greene
Regional Market President, FirstBank
Marcus Greene is the regional market president for FirstBank. He has more than 30 years of experience in business and banking and has held senior leadership positions with statewide and multi-state regional banks.
Marcus’s entire banking career has been spent here in the Tampa-St.Pete market, with the exception of one year spent in Volusia County. His specialties include commercial lending, corporate banking, private banking, cash management and wealth management.
Marcus received his MBA from the University of Tampa, and his BSBA in Finance from the University of Florida.
General Counsel - Bob Warchola
Partner, Shumaker, Loop, & Kendrick, LLP
Bob Warchola has extensive jury and non-jury trial experience representing various individuals and entities in commercial disputes including athletes, physicians, public companies, sureties, and governmental agencies. He also represents individuals and entities in the healthcare field. He has been representing physicians since 1997 and continues to represent physicians and physician practice groups on a variety of issues.
Bob also has represented contractors, sureties, and governmental agencies in construction matters since 1992. His commercial practice includes representing a public company, numerous individuals and entities in real estate transactions, and advising clients on general business matters.
He received his bachelors degree from The George Washington University and his law degree from Stetson University College of Law.
Additional Executive Committee Members
Mike Swesey, president & CEO of the St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corp., helps business leaders find, explore, and choose the Sunshine City as a place to relocate or expand their companies. He leads St. Pete’s efforts to attract employers that bring higher-paying jobs, innovation, and investment to the area.
Mike is an authentic and approachable leader with more than 30 years of economic development experience. Prior to joining the St. Pete EDC, he drove economic growth in a variety of roles at the Greater Des Moines Partnership in Des Moines, Iowa for more than two decades, most recently as executive vice president. He led 30 successful expansion/relocation projects each year, creating more than $1B in new capital investment. He has marketed the business advantages of that region to site selection consultants, corporate real estate executives, and a national network of business location influencers he has built.
Kenneth T. Welch was sworn in as the 54th mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida on January 6, 2022.
Growing up in the Gas Plant area, Ken worked summers and after school on his grandfather’s woodyard that sat on property later displaced by the interstate. His father was a city council member who helped lay the foundation for St. Petersburg’s resurgence. Ken saw first-hand the uprooting of hundreds of businesses, homes and churches for what eventually became Tropicana Field. He also saw the unfulfilled promises of jobs and economic development in return for that sacrifice.
After receiving his BA from USFSP and MBA from Florida A&M, Ken returned to St. Petersburg as an accountant for Florida Power Corporation. He also served as Technology Manager for his father’s small accounting firm. After years of community service, Ken became the first Commissioner elected to represent County Commission District 7 in St. Petersburg, only the second African American commissioner in the history of Pinellas County. Ken proudly served on the County Commission for 20 years, where he brought a focus to the issues of economic development, transportation, equity, housing, criminal justice reform and fighting poverty.
A third generation St. Pete resident, Ken lives in St. Petersburg today with his wife of 30 years, Donna, and their two daughters.
As the Pinellas County Market President at The Bank of Tampa, Owen LaFave leads a team of experienced bankers who provide customized solutions for owner managed businesses and commercial real estate clients in the Tampa Bay area. With over 20 years of banking experience, he has the skills and knowledge to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the post-pandemic economy.
His mission is to build long-term relationships with our clients based on trust, service, and community. He is passionate about supporting the businesses and people of the Tampa Bay community. He also serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations that promote education, arts, civic engagement, and affordable housing in the region.
2024 Governors
Brian Auld, Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Rowdies
Sandra Braham, Gulf Coast Jewish & Family Services
Brian Caper, City of St. Petersburg
James Corbett, City of St. Petersburg
Ryan Griffin, Johnson Pope
Jason Jensen, Wannamacher Jensen Architects
Chad Loar, PNC
Iwan Mohamed, Truist
Alicia Schulhof, Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital
Jackie Skryd, St. Petersburg College
Scott Smith, St. Anthony's Hospital
Jason Spears, Peninsular Mechanical Contractors
Chris Steinocher, St. Pete Chamber of Commerce
Ex Officio
Barry Burton, Pinellas County
Steven Meier, CareerSource Pinellas
