Writer: Jerrica DuBois
2 min read March 2022— Businesses and community leaders reaffirmed their belief that Jacksonville is, and will remain, one of the most resilient and innovative markets for the long-term future at the official launch conference for the inaugural edition of Invest: Jacksonville.
Smart growth and the future of healthcare were the focal points of the official Invest: Jacksonville 2022 Launch Conference held Thursday, April 7, hosted by media platform Capital Analytics. The event, via Zoom webinar, was kicked off with an opening keynote address from City of Jacksonville’s mayor Lenny Curry, who spoke to the growth currently happening in the city and how his administration plans to maintain and build upon that continued growth.
“You can’t be a suburb of nowhere,” said Mayor Curry. “Strong investments in our suburbs must be matched by strong investments in our Downtown.” He also discussed the Jobs for JAX plan, the exploding education sector, and the city’s top notch ports, interstate and transportation networks.
Invest: Jacksonville 2022 is the latest annual business intelligence report compiled by media platform Capital Analytics as part of its suite of yearly reports focusing on local and regional economies. In her opening speech, Capital Analytics CEO Abby Melone said, “Among the region’s strongest attractors, particularly to the millennial generation that is increasingly calling Jacksonville home, are affordability and a high quality of life, as is the education sector that is consistently developing a top-notch and enviable talent pipeline, a fact that has never been as important as it is in today’s labor-challenged world.”
The first panel of the conference, “Growing Responsibly: The role real estate and finance play in smart growth for Jacksonville” explored the relationship between Jacksonville’s real estate sector and local financial institutions and the role they play in responsibly growing the region and the local business community. Moderated by Ameris Bank regional president Brian Parks, panelists included Laura Gonzales, regional managing director of Franklin Street, McGuireWoods partner Chris Thanner, and Chad Meadows, executive vice president and chief operating officer of VyStar Credit Union.
The second panel, “Healthcare’s Future: What’s next for our healthcare system?” examined the variety of ways in which the healthcare industry has and will continue to change. Mike Shumer, CEO of Crucial Care moderated the discussion, with panelists Gina Mangus, executive vice president of strategy and advancement at Flagler Health+, provost of Jacksonville University Christine Sapienza, and Nicole Thomas, hospital president of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville.
For more information, visit: https://capitalanalyticsassociates.com/
To watch the Invest: Jacksonville Launch Conference in full, please visit our Youtube Channel
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About Capital Analytics & Invest: Jacksonville 2022
Capital Analytics is an integrated media platform that produces in-depth business intelligence through its annual print and digital economic reviews, high-impact conferences and events and top-level interviews via its video platform, Invest:Insights.
Invest: Jacksonville 2022 is an in-depth economic review of the key issues facing the River City’s economy, featuring the exclusive insights of prominent regional leaders. Invest: Jacksonville 2022 is produced with two goals in mind: 1) to provide comprehensive investment knowledge on the Alamo City for local, national and international investors, and 2) to promote the Jacksonville region as a place to invest and do business.
The report conducts a deep dive into the top economic sectors in the region, including real estate, construction, infrastructure, banking and finance, legal, healthcare, education and tourism. The publication is compiled from insights collected from more than 200 economic leaders, sector insiders, political leaders and heads of important institutions. It analyzes the leading challenges facing the market and uncovers emerging opportunities for investors, entrepreneurs and innovators.
For more information, contact:
Max Crampton-Thomas
Regional Editor
305-523-9708 Ext: 233
