CBA Policy Council Members
- Attorney Tamara Felton-Howard (CO-CHAIR), Managing Partner, Felton-Howard Law
- Dr. Bruce Nissen (CO-CHAIR), Co-Founder, New Deal; and Retired Labor Studies Professor, Florida International University
- Bro John Muhammad, CEO, Community Development and Training Center; and Convener of the New Deal for St. Pete
- Che Smith, Lead Organizer, Raise the Bar
- Pastor Louis M. Murphy, Senior Pastor, Mt. Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church; 2020 Plan Board of Directors; and Ex-Officio Board Member, Mount Zion Human Services
- Pastor Manuel Sykes, State Bishop, Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship; Co-Founder, St. Petersburg Center for Social Justice; Pastor, Bethel Community Baptist
- Karen Berman, Fired Up Pinellas; and Temple Beth-El
- Esther Eugene, President, St. Petersburg Branch NAACP; and CEO, All Administrative Solutions
- Gwen Reese, President, African American Heritage Association; Bloomberg-Harvard Tropicana Team; and Co-Founder, Community Remembrance Project
- Trevor Mallory, Former Candidate, Pinellas County Property Appraiser; Former President, Pinellas County Democratic Black Caucus; and Officer, NAACP
- Attorney Lisa Brody, President, Zeta Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
- Dr. Ruth Whitney, Pinellas County NOW
- Albert Lee, President & CEO, Tampa Bay Black Business Investment Corporation
- Jon Dehmel, State Organizing Coordinator, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- Antonio Brown, President, 13th Street Heights Neighborhood Assoc.; Co-Founder, Barbershop Book Club; and Co-Founder, Black Excellence Expo
- Carl Lavender, Jr., Chief Equity Officer, Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg
- Dick Pierce, Eckerd College ASPEC
- Tahisia Scantling, CEO, Crossroad Consulting & Right Turn Realty
- James Scott, Executive Committee and Former Chair, Suncoast Sierra Club
- Dr. Linsey Grove, President, League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area
- Dr. Willie Felton, Board Member, Historic Bethel AME Church; and Member, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
- Rev. Watson Haynes, CEO, Pinellas County Urban League; and Member, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
- Gypsy C. Gallardo, CEO, The 2020 Plan/One Community Plan
- Ashley Green, Bay Area Dream Defenders
- Thelma Bruce, 1st Vice President, St. Petersburg Metropolitan Section of the National Council of Negro Women
- Cathy Harrelson, Director, St. Petersburg Sustainability Council
- Dr. Linda E. Lucas, Professor of Economics, Emerita, Eckerd College; Assistant Dean (retired), Honors College, University of South Florida-Tampa
- Michael Jalazo, CEO, People Empowering & Restoring Communities
- Abdul Karim Ali, President, Tampa Bay Area Muslim Association
- Will Shedden, President, Eckerd College Student Government; and Sierra Club advisor
- Mhariel Summers, Special Assistant, CBA Policy Council; District Secretary, Rep. Michele Rayner-Goolsby; 2020 Emerging Leader
- Raphael Robinson, Educator, Co-Founder, Ituey (a STEM education company); and 2020 Emerging Leader Fellow (INVITED)
- Angela Rouson, Representative for St. Petersburg Metropolitan Section of the National Council of Negro Women
- Tim Dutton, Director, Unite Pinellas
Elected Advisors
Elected advisors have agreed to ill attend one of the three CBA Policy Council meetings to lend their perspective and recommendations. Confirmed advisors include:
- Florida Senator Darryl Rouson, District 19
- State Representative Michele Rayner-Goolsby, District 70
- Pinellas County Commissioner Rene Flowers, District 7
- St. Petersburg City Councilmember Deborah Figgs-Sanders, District 5
Economic Development Advisors
A group of 10 economic development leaders will convene for a facilitated review of the major elements of the draft CBA policy. In addition, eight workforce & business development leaders will be interviewed one-on-one to document their detailed recommendations. The interviews will be conducted by Mhariel Summers. To date, confirmed development advisors include:
- Jason Mathis, CEO, Downtown Partnership
- Dr. Cynthia Johnson, Director, Pinellas County Office of Small Business & Supplier Diversity
- Rick Homans, CEO, Tampa Bay Partnership
- Erik Smith, Managing Member, Inclusivity
- Beatrice Louissaint, President, Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council
- Alison Barlow, Executive Director, St. Pete Innovation District
- Julie Rocco, Senior Community Engagement Advocate – Research & Evaluation, Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg
- J.P. DuBuque, President & CEO, Greater St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corporation
- Chris Steinocher, CEO, St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce
- Jennifer Brackney, CEO, CareerSource Pinellas