Cynthia Johnson, Director, Pinellas County Economic Development

July 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Cynthia Johnson, director of Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED), discussed how the county is being intentional with workforce development and partnerships to support local economic growth. “We are very intentional about preparing the future workforce,” Johnson said.

What recent changes have impacted PCED’s operations?

We have elevated our role in workforce development. Our commitment to supporting the business community started with organizational change. We hired a dedicated workforce development manager who serves as direct liaison between the business community and the training providers in economic development. We’re hoping for strategic alignment through a more proactive approach in addressing the talent gaps in the Tampa Bay region. We have also been very intentional about our collaboration with CareerSource Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg College, and The University of South Florida, to ensure that our talent pipeline meets growing industry needs. 

We did something new last year, which was hosting industry roundtables. The first one was on manufacturing, and it was an engaging session of real-time data gathering, where we had sector experts talk specifically about talent-related challenges and opportunities. Industry leaders and educators were able to sit at the same table and talk about the needs of building world-class talent in the Tampa Bay region.

Through collaboration with One Pinellas Business Alliance, a think tank of industry leaders and community stakeholders, we have also created the Skills Enhancement Training Program, to provide the right talent to the right industry at the right time with the right skill sets. The program provides funding to assist targeted industries with funding resources for upskilling employees to assist industries to fill specific gaps with relevant training. The program is funded through Pinellas County, in partnership with CareerSource Tampa Bay. We’re excited to start inviting industries in Pinellas County to apply for those opportunities.

How does PCED integrate resiliency into its broader economic strategy?

Resiliency is a foundational component of our economic development strategies. We have to look at long-term opportunities for not only our citizens today, but also generational citizens. We want them to have access to well-paying jobs, and our businesses to have the right facilities they can invest in.

We launched a program called The Business Succession Incubator with St. Petersburg College and the Bay Area Manufacturers Association, which was established to help business owners successfully sell their companies. It helps businesses look at how to continue providing service beyond the existing leadership. We bring together companies who are postured to sell, and local buyers, to discuss how to sustain the business in the long term and keep them in Pinellas County. 

Our Small Business Development Center was able to support disaster loan applications and provide technical assistance during last year’s hurricane season. We assisted 735 individuals and assisted affected clients in securing a total of $462.4 million in Small Business Administration Loan funding so they were able to recover and maintain their businesses.

We also provided wraparound services, from helping businesses access funding to ensuring that they spend it in a strategic and intentional fashion. We did that through one-on-one consultations and virtual discussions. We always host preparedness workshops, as well as recovery workshops. We want to make sure that they know what to do prior to an incident, and as they go through the incident, we want to be there to help. 

How does PCED elevate Pinellas County’s visibility as a destination for high-value industries?

PCED strategically develops our local ecosystem to support high-value industries such as advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense, and information technology. We ensure the county has the talent and resources to support these sectors and their supply chains, which is a key part of our visibility and attractiveness. Through the Small Business Enterprise program, we invite regional small businesses to do business with Pinellas County. We have facilitated about $47.9 million worth of contracts awarded to businesses in the Tampa Bay region who are part of our program. While we have $47.9 million in contracts, we actually paid out $34.2 million. That is money in their pockets in just one year, which is always critical when talking about small business. 

St. Petersburg College has also been strategic in aligning their initiatives with our economic development goals. In support of the governor’s initiative to improve Florida’s manufacturing and cyber resilience, the college was awarded a grant to build a hub for training programs for Semiconductors, Mechatronics, Automation and Robotics. SPC was also designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.

We created a partnership with FloridaMakes, Cyber Florida at USF, and our APEX program to build resilience for companies looking to provide goods and services to our federal government community, as well as develop new innovation. That’s one way our businesses can diversify their portfolio of opportunities, so they can be more resilient and not rely on just one entity.

What makes the county an ideal place for business operations?

Pinellas County has the ideal business climate. Our community is so engaging and competitive because of the talent. It’s about people and purpose. We are creating innovative, forward-thinking leaders to go into every industry, from advanced manufacturing, aviation and aerospace, business and financial services, technology, homeland security and defense to our life sciences and marine science industries. Our integrated ecosystem includes kindergarten to grade 12, post-secondary and graduate opportunities, as well as internships and apprenticeships. We are very intentional about preparing the future workforce. 

Another aspect that makes us competitive is our economic development opportunities. We see that as an indicator of having an economic engine which people want to invest in. We also realize that we have some older stock in our inventory of office and industrial buildings, which makes it difficult to attract investment. So, we are being innovative and approaching that need with our Employment Sites Program (ESP). It allows us to provide expanding businesseswith some funding to help them modernize industrial and office space, as well as give us the facilities needed for today’s workforce needs.

That program has been extremely successful for us. We closed out last year with about $44,5 million in approved funding for redevelopment of industrial, office and warehouse/flex space from the county’s ESP funds. The best part was we matched those funds with over $344 million from private investment, committed for about 1.6 million square feet of new and improved industrial and office space throughout the county. We now have about 27 projects across Pinellas County that are modernizing their facilities. This program helps to ensure that we have the ideal business climate where investors want to invest and people want to live.

What are your top priorities for the next few years?

We have a unique opportunity here with 96 acres of industrial park, called the Young-Rainey STAR Center, which has been here for over 57 years. Over the next few years, we have committed to redevelop that facility in a unique way through a public-private partnership. We’re in the process of deploying a request for negotiations with a private developer to design, build, fund, maintain, and operate the facility. The beauty about that facility is that it already has a tremendous tenant from the aerospace industry. This strategically positions us to attract more defense and aerospace companies.

The new center will be the destination where innovation, talent, and opportunity meet. Through our local initiatives, and international marketing activities, we will be able to attract individuals to the space. As we become more globally connected, we will focus on leveraging our regional assets to support international business investment. We have industries here that do business everywhere in the world. By partnering with Tampa International Airport, we are working to increase flight routes and service, significantly enhancing Pinellas County’s connectivity and visibility as a destination for global business. We want the individuals who come here to play, and we want them to be able to stay for work.