Erica Moody, Chief Executive Officer, University Area Community Development Corporation

July 2026 — Invest: spoke with Erica Moody, CEO for the University Area CDC, about the organization’s vision for  community development, affordable housing, workforce, neighborhood revitalization, and strategic growth in Tampa’s University Area and Uptown. “We are putting the ‘C’ into community development.” Moody said.

What major changes over the past year have impacted your work, and what are you most proud of?

Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to step into the CEO role and work closely with our Board, staff, partners, and community stakeholders to position UACDC for its next chapter of growth. One of the accomplishments I am most proud of is strengthening alignment between our programs, community development initiatives, housing strategy, and long-term organizational vision.

We have made significant progress advancing our development pipeline, moving key projects toward implementation, with several active projects underway. At the same time, we have focused on building the organizational capacity, partnerships, and infrastructure needed to support sustainable growth. As CEO, my responsibility extends beyond individual projects to ensuring UACDC remains financially strong, operationally effective, and positioned to create lasting impact for the residents we serve.

We continue to prioritize a community-centered approach to development by engaging residents, collecting data, and ensuring investments align with community priorities and long-term needs.

What initiatives or partnerships stood out this year, and what impact are you seeing?

Partnerships are central to UACDC’s success because community transformation requires collaboration. As CEO, one of my priorities is strengthening relationships with healthcare institutions, philanthropic partners, local governments, educational institutions, financial institutions, and private-sector investors to create lasting impact.While affordable housing, workforce development, and economic mobility remain core priorities, I am equally focused on ensuring UACDC has the strategic partnerships and financial sustainability necessary to expand our work over the long term

One of our biggest milestones this year was formalizing our pilot program called Rehab to Restore Hope. We piloted this veteran housing program in 2023, and now we’ve formalized it with major partners to house and support our veteran community, especially with the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital nearby. We are excited to make headway with Rehab to Restore Hope that preserves affordable housing for veterans while also rehabilitating community assets.

Workforce development is a big focus across our markets. How are you approaching workforce development and connecting residents to jobs?

Workforce development remains one of UACDC’s most important strategies for advancing economic mobility. As the University Area continues to grow, our responsibility is ensuring residents are positioned to benefit from that growth and have access to the jobs being created in their own community.

Through our Harvest Hope Campus and Invest Workforce initiatives, we are creating pathways that connect residents to education, training, certifications, and employment opportunities. A major component of that vision is the redevelopment of our new workforce training warehouse, currently under construction and anticipated for completion in January 2027. The facility will serve as a workforce development hub where residents can access job readiness training, computer and digital literacy classes, industry-recognized certifications, career coaching, and connections to local employers.

At the same time, we are actively building relationships with employers, healthcare providers, developers, educational institutions, and industry leaders to ensure workforce training aligns with real labor market demand. Our long-term vision is to create a comprehensive workforce ecosystem that prepares residents for family-sustaining careers while supporting the workforce needs of a rapidly growing region and creating a direct pipeline from training to employment.

For business leaders considering the area, what makes University Area a place to live, do business, and invest?

University Area and Uptown represent one of Tampa’s most strategic growth corridors. The community benefits from strong transportation access, proximity to major employers, educational institutions, healthcare systems, and significant redevelopment activity.

What makes this community unique is its combination of opportunity and purpose. UACDC has spent nearly three decades building trust, developing partnerships, and investing in people. As development continues, we are committed to ensuring growth benefits both new investment and existing residents.

Businesses and investors are increasingly seeking communities where economic opportunity, quality of life, and community engagement intersect. We believe University Area is uniquely positioned to deliver all three.

What trends are you watching most closely?

We closely monitor housing affordability, workforce demands, healthcare access, infrastructure capacity, and demographic trends to ensure our investments align with future community needs.

One area receiving significant attention is healthcare access and workforce development. As demand for healthcare services continues to grow, we see opportunities to expand training programs and partnerships that support both workforce development and improved health outcomes.

We are also paying close attention to how growth, redevelopment, and rising costs affect long-term residents. Our goal is to ensure revitalization creates opportunity without displacement and that community investments continue improving quality of life for current and future residents.

What are the biggest challenges you’re navigating right now?

Like many community development organizations, we are navigating increasing demand for services and projects while competing for limited funding resources. As CEO, one of my responsibilities is ensuring the organization remains financially sustainable while continuing to pursue ambitious community goals.

Infrastructure is another significant challenge. Affordable housing, economic development, and community revitalization all depend on investments in transportation, utilities, stormwater systems, sidewalks, public spaces, and other foundational infrastructure.

The reality is that meaningful community transformation requires both physical investment and long-term operational sustainability. We are focused on building both.

What does resilience look like in the University Area?

Resilience means ensuring residents, businesses, and community institutions can withstand and recover from challenges while continuing to thrive.

Hurricane Milton reinforced the importance of infrastructure, emergency preparedness, housing stability, and coordinated community response. While physical infrastructure is a critical component of resilience, we also believe resilient communities are built through strong partnerships, economic opportunity, access to services, and community trust.

As UACDC looks ahead, we will continue investing in projects and partnerships that strengthen both physical and social resilience throughout the community.

What are your key near-term goals and priorities?

Over the past year, we have also focused internally on strengthening UACDC’s organizational capacity, refining our strategic priorities, improving operational systems, and positioning the organization for long-term sustainability and growth. Our goal is not only to deliver impactful projects today but to build an institution capable of serving this community for decades to come.