Guilherme Cunha, Administrator, Seminole County

Invest: sat down with Guilherme Cunha, administrator of Seminole County, to discuss the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in economic development, how the county is leading with low unemployment rates and higher-than-average wages, and some of its exciting new developments.

How would you describe the current economic landscape in Seminole County, and what are some key industries driving growth?

We just welcomed our first artificial intelligence headquarters relocation with ExamRoom AI; a very strong partnership brokered the site selection and the deal negotiated by the Orlando Economic Partnership. Another large-scale expansion with not just the number of jobs but also the average wages was the expansion of BNY Mellon to Lake Mary. We’re talking north of 700 jobs. With an average salary above $90,000, we’re excited to bring in thousands of jobs. They’re well above our $60,000 average annual wage. That’s one of the strongest in the region. Coupled with a very high household income and a low unemployment rate, Seminole County is positioned as a stronger economy.

What are Seminole County’s most notable achievements over the past year?

Our incubators are bursting at the seams – this is the first time we’ve had both incubators running at full capacity. Our airport has just finished its expansion, and there is room for growth with a robust commerce park that they want to continue developing. We’re excited about seeing all the projects that are going on there. This month, we’ll pursue the largest tourism improvement districts in the state. We will have the first county-wide Tourism Improvement District procedural ordinance that will allow us to create a true public-private partnership with our hoteliers on a mutually agreed-upon basis. It stands to supplement our tourist development tax and shows a strength to continue to reinvest in our county.

How have ongoing changes in the market impacted Seminole County?

We’ve been resilient and continue to have the lowest unemployment rate and highest household income. Our average annual wage has grown over the past couple of years, and we are strategically positioning ourselves for possible new development. For us, it’s seeing how we can expand and optimize our free trade zone (FTZ) to include certain interested manufacturers and also looking at import and export opportunities through our Sanford International Airport. 

What are some common challenges that businesses in Seminole County face?

We look at a grassroots approach when we’re discussing businesses, and that’s why we’re always focused on our incubators. If you grow a company within Seminole County, they are more likely to stay than expand outward. They will pursue every opportunity to expand in Seminole County. Our growing partnership with the National Entrepreneurship Center (NEC) and our current ecosystem of Prospera, UCF, Seminole State College business, and the Small Business Development Center creates a fertile ground for entrepreneurs and business development. We are more focused on the grassroots approach of retention and expansion, supplemented by the OEP’s attractions in Seminole County for new corporations.

What are some of the diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that Seminole County has to foster a diverse and inclusive business environment?

We are a beacon to the entire state, if not the nation, from that standpoint in Seminole County. We currently have a neurodiverse focus on the economic development side, where we’re looking at creating a Neurodiverse Workforce Council to discuss the workplace needs of the neurodiverse population. We’ve signed several travel ability or inclusive influencers to show how travelers can visit Seminole County. Seminole County is a place that welcomes all who are coming to spread positivity. We’ve expanded programs for tech-savvy girls, mostly female-led tech programs, and there’s Prospera, our bilingual business consultants and assistance group. The economic development team here can all speak English and Spanish, and some speak Portuguese, Italian, and French. We understand the importance of diversity and welcoming everyone in our county.

How does Seminole County approach sustainability and innovation?

We currently have a review at our landfill on innovative technology practices and sustainability. We provide the zoo funding north of $300,000, and they are looking at conservation efforts with one of the last known male and female Amur leopards, which we’re trying to breed. We also work with the zoo, leading to a conservation effort that Seminole County funds for Indigo snakes. Indigo snakes are vital, and the conservation effort in Seminole can be felt throughout the entire state. They consume other animals or snakes that may be venomous or cause harm to the human population. Hence, conservation efforts are very important for this particular species of snake. Our service program is also a volunteer program to help clean our rivers, wilderness areas, and lakes.

The Advent Health Innovative Incubator is located here. Altamonte Springs has an innovation lab, and a new private tech incubator has opened in downtown Sanford. Efforts toward innovation in Seminole County are happening at an expedited pace. We also have the highest tech score in the region. 

What are the top priorities and goals for Seminole County over the next two to three years?

For the next two to three years, we are exploring possibly building an indoor complex for graduations and a hurricane shelter to continue increasing our tourism demand. Tourism demand will continue to push demand over to the airport, and the usage of our airport for inbound and outbound flights on the economic development side will be the expansion of our incubators and the continuation of moving our current clients into the next stage in their incubator journey, to have them expand their footprint throughout Seminole.