SBDC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Business Manager, Procurement Specialist for the SBE Program at Pinellas County
Aubri Shauger-Haley serves as a business manager, procurement specialist for the SBE program at Pinellas County and is a business consultant for the Florida SBDC at Pinellas County. Shauger-Haley assists the business community by providing education in start-up and procuring contracts with the county. Her certifications include Contract Compliance Administrator, DBE/ACDBE, and Nav Certified Credit and Lending Specialist. Additionally, Shauger-Haley is a master user in the B2GNow system. Prior to joining Pinellas County in 2018, Shauger- Haley served as a minority & small business special programs coordinator for Hillsborough County. She conducted construction contract compliance project approvals, audits, site visits, and project close-outs to ensure goals were met. In addition to compliance, she represented Hillsborough County Economic Development through involvement in business and trade organizations and associations, as well as provided instructional courses. She has been a committee member of (Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week since 2007, and was a NFL's Emerging Business Super Bowl XLII Host Committee member. Prior to joining Hillsborough County in 2015, Shauger-Haley served as a small business specialist and a community specialist with the City of St. Petersburg. She has a bachelor of science in business management and a MBA.
Bill Burnham is a lifelong resident of the Tampa Bay area. He is a graduate of the University of South Florida where he majored in accounting. He obtained his MBA from Florida Institute of Technology. Burnham has more than 25 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, nearly 20 of those years in management positions. During that time he managed more than 200 employees and spent time in accounting, finance, manufacturing, production control and strategic planning. He managed government contract budgets in excess of $50 million dollars and operating budgets of more than $25 million dollars.
He prepared analysis for potential acquisitions, proposals for government contracts and conducted company-wide training programs on several different topics. Complementing his large company background, Burnham also has 15 years of experience as a small business owner in industries as diverse as dry cleaning and home health care. In addition to those endeavors he has also worked as a business broker and business valuator performing valuations and selling business throughout the state of Florida. He has hands on knowledge in business planning, budgeting, forecasting, profit and loss management, cash management, business sales, business valuation and franchise operations. Burnham is also a Certified LivePlan Expert Advisor, QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor, Strategic Management Performance Systems certified, and a Profit Mastery Facilitator. Burnham was the 2018 Consultant of the Year for the Florida SBDC at USF region.
Brad Mix has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry and as a business consultant. Prior to joining the Florida SBDC at USF, Mix provided consulting services to more than 2,500 businesses and assisted business owners in securing more than $100 million in capital and $60 million in government contracts. He has extensive experience with SBA loans, including 504s, Community Advantage loans, and microloans. In addition, he assists business owners in preparing business plans, financial projections, profitability improvement, business acquisitions, business valuations, marketing and capital solutions. He joined the Florida SBDC at USF in April 2020, after spending 20 years as a consultant and satellite manager for the Coachella Valley SBDC, located in Palm Springs, Ca. In 2005, he was awarded the California State Star Award by the California SBDC Network. He is a certified Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP).
Brad Owens joined the Florida SBDC at USF in 2017 and provides business owners with no-cost confidential business consulting with an emphasis in financing assistance, utilizing his banking experience of more than 25 years. During his banking career Owens assisted businesses with conventional and SBA lending for their expansion and growth efforts, as well as to help them get started. At Bank of America he was responsible for SBA lending in the Greater Tampa Bay market. In 2005, he was the first inductee into the Florida SBDC Network's Lenders' Hall of Fame.
He later worked for Fifth Third Bank, Bay Cities Bank and Suncoast Credit Union. His background also includes sales and relationship management experience including formalized commercial credit training. Owens is also a certified Profit Mastery Facilitator.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director With the Florida SBDC at University of South Florida
- Interim Regional Director, Florida SBDC at USF, Polk County
Carl Hadden is an Associate Director with the Florida SBDC at University of South Florida. Hadden leads a team of 12 business consultants who serve the 10-county Tampa Bay region. He is also a marketing specialist with experience in workforce development, sales, insurance, entrepreneurship and training. As general manager for a wireless phone retailer, Hadden directed the marketing, co-op advertising, purchasing, vendor relations, and human resources. He assisted in implementing a point of sales system for the wireless retailer to automate processes and minimize loss prevention. As a workforce professional, Hadden assisted McGee Auto Service & Tires to secure a partnership with the Polk County School District, which would allow mechanics to get additional training and resources to become ASE certified. He graduated from Leadership Lake Wales Class 13 in 2009. Hadden has an associate's degree in business administration from Polk State College and a bachelor's in marketing management from Webber International University. He is also a Certified Marketing Executive, TTI DISC Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst, TTI DISC Certified Professional Driving Forces Analyst, and a Certified LivePlan Expert Adviser.
Job Titles:
- Center Director, Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County
As an entrepreneur herself, Carol Minor provides technical assistance to business owners seeking expertise in everything from figuring out how to get started to optimizing business performance. Minor has 25 years as a small business and non-profit lender prior to starting a management consulting and entrepreneurial training firm in 1997, which she still owns today. She has served as executive director of several community development financial institutions and micro-lending organizations as well as established a non-profit business service firm, which was certified by the Small Business Administration as a Technical Assistance Provider for small, start-up and expanding firms. Minor was awarded the Mary McLeod Bethune Award for Education and Advocacy and the SBA Minority Small Business Advocate Award. She earned a MBA and is accredited as a Business Planning Professional and FranFit certified. She is an adjunct professor at several colleges and universities in the areas of business, management, business finance and entrepreneurial studies.
Christine Jaros provides business consulting in the areas of startup, business plan development, marketing and sales, e-commerce, finance, wholesaling and retailing, and business management. Before joining the Florida SBDC at USF, Jaros owned her own apparel wholesale sales and consulting business in New York City for 14 years. She has more than 35 years of experience as a professional businesswoman. Jaros built a global-focused career specializing in manufacturing, marketing and sales with organizations including Bidermann Industries, Liz Claiborne Inc, and Hartmarx Corp. Working with iconic brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Liz Claiborne, Calvin Klein, Polo-Ralph Lauren and Austin Reed, Jaros grew her portfolio of skills to include international sourcing and distribution. She is a certified TTI DISC Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst and TTI DISC Certified Professional Driving Forces Analyst and a certified Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP). Jaros obtained her bachelor's in business management and marketing from Ohio University. She went on to study fashion and apparel in Paris, France, and later received a finance-focused Executive MBA from Pace University in Manhattan.
Corey McCaster brings more than 20 years of experience to the Tampa Bay small business community. McCaster specializes in small business accounting and finance, quality improvement and strategic business planning. His experience while "in the trenches" managing his own small businesses, and serving in Tallahassee at the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, allows him to deliver a unique perspective and a wealth of knowledge to clients. McCaster is charged with helping small to medium sized existing businesses find new market opportunities, hidden profits and innovative ways to create sustainable growth, which includes hiring the right employees. His background in workforce development assists him in guiding business owners in attracting and retaining top talent. McCaster is a University of South Florida business school graduate and holds certifications in both project management and workforce development.
Debra Schweikowsky is a business professional with experience in business management, administration, banking and finance. She was a small business owner with more than 20 years of experience, including being a franchisee. As a business owner, she successfully implemented a variety of revenue enhancement strategies and is results driven. Schweikowsky successfully sold her business by following an established exit strategy. Four years ago, she entered the banking industry and gained a wealth of knowledge in assisting consumers and businesses to meet their financial and borrowing needs. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from State University of New York, Empire State College. Read More
Doug is a seasoned business leader, entrepreneur, and technologist with more than 24 years of experience in leading and managing various information technology, cybersecurity, and management consulting services. He is a successful entrepreneur and was co-founder of a cybersecurity service firm that was acquired in 2016. Additionally, he was key part of an early-stage IT services firm from 1995 to 2001, before it was acquired. Throughout his career, Greise has supported a variety of small, large, and Fortune 100 businesses as a management consultant and technologist. He also has an extensive background in IT and cybersecurity operations for the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. civilian agencies. Greise has held multiple industry certifications and has been an instructor for IT and cybersecurity within academic and corporate learning and development programs. He completed his bachelor's degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland, College Park, and his master's in cybersecurity risk and strategy from New York University. He is active in both the Sarasota and Washington, D.C., areas and serves as a board member and advisor to several organizations.
Job Titles:
- Center Director, Florida SBDC at Pinellas County Economic Development
Dr. Cynthia Johnson has more than 27 years as a public administrator. She is the senior manager of economic development at Pinellas County Economic Development and a champion for entrepreneurship. Johnson is the project manager and certified facilitator for NxLevel Business Training and Kauffman Foundations FastTrac and TechVenture Programs.
Before making the transition to Pinellas County Economic Development, Johnson was an assistant principal with Pinellas County School District. During her 10 years as an educator, she led business and educator partner relations. Additionally, she is a part-time adjunct instructor of public administration, educational leadership and operations management at the University of South Florida and Barry University. In 2010, she was nominated for the business woman of the year award by the Tampa Bay Business Journal and the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce for her work in government and with entrepreneurs and small business owners. Johnson is also TTI Success Insights DISC certified.
Florida SBDC at USF, Tampa Specialty: Website Design, SEO As a marketing practitioner, Gina Smith and her team have developed search engine friendly websites for a variety of industries including healthcare, legal, government, education, tourism, specialty products and a number of small businesses. She also specializes in ongoing SEO and content development. Gina Smith conducts website evaluations and delivers website reports on behalf of the Florida SBDC at University of South Florida. The reports are a comprehensive analysis, examining the overall performance, user experience (UX) and search engine optimization (SEO) of client websites. Her previous experience includes seven years providing strategic consulting, public relations and marketing consulting services for Berkeley County, South Carolina and more than four years managing large-scale events for the Mid-Florida Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Smith graduated from the University of Central Florida with degrees in motion picture technology and journalism (specializing in advertising and public relations) and a minor in sociology. Read More
Greg Manning opened his first retail location in Lakeland, Fla., more than 30 years ago. While cash flow planning and analysis, and inventory productivity were constants in his businesses, he experienced virtually all aspects of starting, growing, and closing a small business over the course of 30 years. He negotiated dozens of leases and designed and implemented various marketing plans. With more than 250 employees, Manning dealt with various human resources issues. In addition to his operating career, Manning was also involved in the financing side of business as the president of the board of directors at Crown Managers Acceptance Corporation. The company had a facility of $150 million dollars to lend via term loans and working capital loans, providing a lifeline of funding to a multitude of retail customers. Manning earned a bachelor's degrees in finance and economics from the University of Florida. He is also a certified Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP).
Janette Blanco has extensive knowledge in doing business with the government and specializes in assisting minority and women-owned businesses with the government bidding process. She also teaches workshops, provides one-on-one consulting assistance to business owners in English and Spanish, and does community outreach throughout South and East Tampa. Prior to joining the Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County, Blanco was a cost estimator on engineering projects as well as owned and operated her own business for 15 years. She has a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Massachusetts. She is a Master Compliance Administrator, a Profit Mastery Facilitator, certified in Strategic Management Performance Systems, and a Lean Six Sigma White Belt. Blanco earned Florida SBDC at USF Regional Consultant of the Year honors in 2016 and 2017. Blanco is also bilingual.
Joe Pfeiffer has more than 30 years of experience helping businesses of various types and sizes nationwide identify and resolve business problems that maximize efficiency, profitability, customer satisfaction and the market value of the business. He currently assists Florida SBDC at USF Growth Acceleration clients with operations evaluation and plans. Pfeiffer had a 22 year career at UPS with management positions in operations, training and industrial engineering at the district office and in the corporate office as air IE ground handling operations, international marketing, and pan-euro acquisitions IE project manager. Each of these roles managed projects involving $100M to $500M. He has held senior management positions working for various mid-sized companies. For the past 15 Pfeiffer has been focused on using his experience as a designer of training programs, facilitator and presenter of a variety of workshops and innovation sessions, business coach, business analyst and management consultant to assist businesses of all sizes and industries. His education includes earning a bachelor of science in business from Indiana University, an MBA from Butler University and a certificate in entrepreneurship from Clayton State University.
Joey Young has 22 years of experience in start-up and business development as an owner and business consultant. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Auburn University, a master's degree in entrepreneurship from Oklahoma State University, and a master's degree in music business from the Berklee College of Music. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Young was involved in the start-up, expansion, and sale of five of his own businesses that range from health clubs and construction companies, to live music event planning. Through those endeavors, he maintained professional relationships with large corporations such as IKEA, World Gym International, and FabLocal. He has experience in accounting, finance, business valuation, tax implications, cash flow management, strategic planning for growth, and e-commerce. Young is a certified Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP).
Florida PTAC at USF, Tampa Specialty: Procurement, Marketing Karen Krymski has more than 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, owning a firm that specialized in marketing, business development, public affairs, organizational leadership and strategic planning. Clients ranged from start-up small businesses to Fortune 500 companies (gold emblem brands). Her company was retained to assist in achieving clients' strategic direction, branding and revenue goals and most retained her firm for successful execution following the planning process. Krymski's industry knowledge spans a broad range and includes medical (behavioral health, physician practices and home healthcare) and dental; utilities (water, wastewater, solid waste and recycling); and retail promotions. She built a successful federal government business pipeline for a women-owned IT security company and also founded a local chapter of a national women's business organization, achieving 350 invested members within a four year period. She earned a bachelor's in health education and a master's in public health planning from the University of Pittsburgh and completed a hospital administrative residency in Fort Myers. In 2007, she was honored as the Managing Director of the Year by eWomenNetwork, was a finalist in 2008 for the Tampa Bay Business Journal's Businesswoman of the Year and was awarded the Iconic Woman award in 2012 from the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce. Read More
Job Titles:
- Business Manager
- Business Manager at the Florida
Kris Manning has been the Business Manager at the Florida SBDC at University of South Florida since 2000 and was promoted to Manager of Fiscal and Business Administration at the University of South Florida with the Muma College of Business after completing her Bachelor of Science in Applied Science in August 2012. She also recently earned her master's in biblical studies from Evangelical College and Seminary. Manning received her CRA Train Certification and Advance Certification for USF Research in which she helped develop the curriculum for the online program and mock research project development for the university for those who are interest in fulfilling their research training in grants. In her role as business manager for the Florida SBDC at USF she monitors budgets, reconciles monthly ledgers and submits monthly budget reports for the Florida SBDC Network, PTAC, State Performance, South Florida State College, and Greater Hernando Chamber of Commerce grants in excess of $1.5 million.
Kurt Forster found his interest in business consulting and training working at the USF Center for Organizational Communication while completing his master's in communication. Later, he put that experience to use, owning and operating two market research businesses. The entrepreneurial spirit stuck with Forster even while working in large organizations, opening new offices for St. Petersburg College and later the State of Wyoming's Business Council. Additionally, he led marketing efforts to redevelop downtown St. Petersburg as the Director of Marketing for Bay Plaza Companies.
He developed his enthusiastic facilitator style working in a variety of teaching positions from alpine ski instructor and Sea World animal trainer to college instructor. Forster is also a certified instructor for NxLevel Business Training Programs and Kauffman Foundation FastTrac TechVenture Program, and is a Certified LivePlan Expert Advisor and a Certified Profit Mastery Facilitator. Forster also founded Common Ground, a downtown development organization in St. Petersburg, and assists a variety of technology and entrepreneurship organizations throughout Tampa Bay.
Job Titles:
- Center IC Coordinator
- University of South Florida 's Center IC Coordinator
As the Florida SBDC at University of South Florida's Center IC Coordinator, Nelson Reyes, assists the regional director with editing and compiling quarterly reports, client outreach tracking and requests for information. He is a member of the Florida SBDC Network Headquarters Center IC Super User's group to evaluate processes and implement new tools in database management. Reyes trains staff in 10 counties on how to use Center IC to track clients, pull data and manage event information. He is responsible for overseeing the publishing of more than 300 events each year through the Florida SBDC at USF regional website as well as creating new templates. As the Center IC Coordinator, he helps coworkers gather data, corrects export issues, merges duplicate files, assigns permissions and generates the yearly training events calendar, documents payments, checks in all attendees and verifies all events. Reyes has served the Florida SBDC a USF for more than 20 years. He has earned Florida SBDC at USF Employee of the Year honors twice, as well as the USF/USPS Senate Quiet Quality Award, twice. He completed business courses in New York at Commercial Programming Unlimited and attended clerical training at the National Puerto Rican Forum. He is also fluent in Spanish.
Job Titles:
- NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional ( CGBP ), Florida SBDC at USF, Tampa
Pablo Arroyo has 17 years of experience in business development as an owner and business consultant in the public and private sectors. He is a Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) and a Certified Marketing Executive (CME). He holds a bachelor's degree in animal science, concentrating on international agriculture and agriculture economics, from the University of Missouri, and an MBA from the University of South Florida in marketing and international business. Arroyo was involved in strategic market expansion for companies from diverse sectors with emphasis on manufacturing, technology, agribusiness, food, tourism, hospitality, entrepreneurship and value-added enterprise development. Originally from Puerto Rico, he is fluent in Spanish and English.
When you enter the Florida at USF, one of the first things to greet you is the sure smile of Pat Bryant. Her sense of humor and calming demeanor immediately puts our clients and staff at ease. Pat is responsible for answering client phone calls and managing consultant appointments with businesses. Bryant was a stay-at-home mom until joining a retail firm in 1990. She worked for 10 years prior to joining the Florida SBDC at USF in October 2000.
Scott Carpenter joined the Florida SBDC at USF with a marketing communications and public relations career spanning three decades. Working with brands of all sizes - from EAS Nutrition to DeBartolo Development to Biolife - he was a driving force in creating results, growing brand awareness and enhancing reputations across all customer segments. Experienced in leading national B2C and B2B campaigns to increase profit and loss results through small to multi-million budgets, he led campaigns optimized through advertising (print, digital, broadcast), public relations, direct marketing, and other strategies. For his expertise, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has bestowed upon him the honor of serving as a National Senior Judge for the Silver Anvil Award, the most prestigious communications award in the industry, for 14 consecutive years. In 2019, PRSA named Carpenter to its National Honors & Awards Committee. He is a Certified Marketing Executive.
Job Titles:
- NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional ( CGBP ), Florida SBDC at USF, Tampa
Selma Canas is responsible for guiding small businesses through the complexities of developing export marketing and international expansion plans and teaching seminars on basic international trade. She has developed more than 30 Export Marketing Plans during the past six years for local businesses, and participated in trade missions to Brazil, Chile, Canada, and the Dominican Republic. Canas has more than 15 years of experience in sales, marketing and customer service in a variety of industries, including freight forwarding, real estate and advertising. As a co-owner of Restaurant Guide USA, she increased sales and distribution points and tripled the size of the distributed product.
As a real estate broker-owner, Canas carved a niche in the Latin American community and had a career sales volume of more than $37 million. Canas earned her bachelor degree in economics from the University of South Florida. She is a NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional and holds an Export and Trade Counseling Certification from the U.S. Small Business Association. Selma earned Florida SBDC at USF Employee of the Year honors in 2016. She is a member of Toastmasters international and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.
Shaunda Wickham first began her journey at the Florida SBDC at USF as a marketing intern in 2014. Inspired by the impact and dedication of service the Florida SBDC at USF gives to the community, this Tampa native returned in March 2019 to serve as the Marketing Specialist. Shaunda is a creative and results-driven marketing and communications professional with six years of progressive experience across a broad range of media, communications, and marketing disciplines. She's experienced in brand development, social media management, original content creation, public relations, and web development. After receiving her master's degree in digital journalism and design from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, she joined the USF mass communications staff as an adjunct professor teaching News Editing, Writing for Mass Media, and Magazine Design and Production. She has a proven ability to support marketing efforts, product launches, and branding/re-branding initiatives, positioning companies for success.
Simplice Essou joined the Florida SBDC at University of South Florida in March 2020 as a business consultant, bringing almost two decades of experience in accounting, finance and entrepreneurship. Essou started and managed an international consulting firm in 2008, specializing in advising African government on issues related to small-to-medium-enterprise development. Previously, he has worked for large corporations, including Bank of America, BP-Amoco, General Electric, and Lehman Brothers. These roles gave him a wide breadth of experience, including the ability to handle forecasting, analyze revenue entries, actively communicate account receivable risks, and lead day-to-day analysis and reporting for credit losses. He earned an MBA in finance from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's in accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Job Titles:
- Interim Associate Director, Google Analytics IQ Certified, Florida SBDC at USF, Tampa
Stacey Dadd has been with the Florida SBDC at University of South Florida as the Marketing and Communications Officer since August 2013. She is responsible for all marketing efforts within the 10-county Tampa Bay region. Dadd has built her career in print, visual and audio communications. She began her career as a writer at a daily newspaper and worked her way up to regional editor and eventually, corporate recruiter. As a corporate recruiter she was responsible for hiring, troubleshooting and headhunting for 54 newspapers in nine states. Later as a teacher in the Polk County School District, she developed award-winning yearbook and newspaper programs at Ridge Community High School and Lakeland High School. She was nominated for teacher of the year honors in 2007, 2012 and 2013 at her respective teaching establishments.
In 2012, she was the recipient of the Julie E. Dodd adviser scholarship from the Florida Scholastic Press Association. Dadd earned her master's degree in digital journalism and design at University of South Florida St. Petersburg. She is also a Certified Marketing Executive and Google Analytics IQ certified. In 2015, she also earned a certificate in Marketing Strategy from the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. Most recently, Dadd was named the 2018 Ambassador of the Year for the Florida SBDC at USF region and was a Game Changer nominee for the region in 2020. She also earned the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Post-Crisis Leadership certificates from University of South Florida.
Tres Stephenson comes to the Florida SBDC at USF, located at South Florida State College in Avon Park, after serving more than 30 years as president and general manager at Sebring International Raceway. As part of his daily responsibilities at the Raceway, he directed the development of annual business plans and budgets, managed the organization's financial performance and took actions to increase revenue, leverage resources, and minimize expenses. He also worked closely with the sales and marketing department to ensure retention of major sponsors and was responsible for the negotiation of Raceway agreements. Stephenson oversaw a $7M annual budget, implemented strategies that results in $1M in sponsorship revenues and $800K of hospitality sales, annually. He has a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Florida. He is also a graduate of Sebring High School and is involved in various community organizations in Highlands County. Stephenson is also a certified Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP).
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional ( CGBP ), Associate Business Continuity Professional ( ABCP ), Florida SBDC at USF, Tampa
Yanina Rosario, Florida SBDC at USF associate director and certified business consultant, specializes in business certifications, business planning, and marketing. She oversees operations in Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties. Rosario's expertise comes from years of guiding pre-venture and well-established business owners through procurement, licensing, planning, marketing and financing, helping clients secure more than $5.2 million in small business loans. Rosario serves on the board of directors for the CareerSource Tampa Bay, is a member of the City of Tampa Equal Business Opportunity Advisory Committee, and the Minority Enterprise Development Week (MED Week) planning committee. She manages the Florida SBDC at USF's Emergency Bridge Loan Committee. Rosario obtained a bachelor degree in marketing from the University of Central Florida and a masters in management from the Florida Institute of Technology. She also is a NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) and a certified Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP).
Yolanda Cowart has more than 20 years of experience in public service at the local and municipal levels. Early in her career, she worked as a human resources and relations professional while serving as a liaison to the business community and advocacy groups. Her prior experience includes being a human relations specialist for Lee County Government, and an equal opportunity director for the City of Fort Lauderdale. Her background combines public service and human relations experience with hands on leadership in equal opportunity, supplier diversity, business certifications programs, organizational training and development, and managing workforce diversity principles. Cowart is the procurement specialist for the Florida PTAC at Pinellas County Economic Development. She connects businesses to resources and tools for state, local, and federal contracting opportunities. She is a Certified Procurement Professional (CPP), a Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP), and a Certified Verification Counselor. She graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor of arts in political science and history.