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The rise of concierge medicine in South Florida

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Writer: Pablo Marquez

Concierge_HealthcareNovember 2025 — Concierge medicine, which provides personalized, premium medical services, is experiencing a surge in demand across South Florida. The region has seen a notable increase in patients seeking exclusive care models that promise greater accessibility, more time with doctors, and tailored health services.

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One key driver is the rise of private, membership-based healthcare models that offer more direct access to physicians. In concierge medicine, patients typically pay an annual fee in exchange for comprehensive and preventive care, expedited services, and 24/7 access to medical professionals. Hospitals across South Florida have expanded their concierge offerings to meet growing demand, positioning these services as a luxury option that delivers high-quality care without the delays often seen in traditional practices.

“We are thrilled to bring concierge medicine to Coral Gables and offer a new level of access and personalized care for our patients. This model reflects our commitment to delivering the kind of healthcare experience people want — one that is convenient, proactive and highly personalized,” said Baptist Health’s Ravindra Ganesh. The South Florida-based healthcare organization opened a concierge medicine location in April 2025, next to its current primary care and pharmacy sites in Coral Gables.

Florida’s economic landscape has also supported the growth of concierge healthcare. The sector has attracted private equity investment, helping scale operations across the state. Some hospital groups have embraced the trend, viewing it as an opportunity to serve a more affluent demographic willing to pay for premium services — a shift that is reshaping Florida’s healthcare industry.

“Hospitals are attracted to physicians that offer concierge services because their patients do not come with bad debts or a need for charity care, and most of them have private insurance, which pays the hospital very well. They are the ideal patient, from the hospitals’ perspective,” said Gerard Anderson, a hospital finance expert at Johns Hopkins University, as cited by WUSF.

Palm Beach County has emerged as a hotspot for concierge medicine, with both patients and physicians increasingly favoring the model for its efficiency and patient-centered approach. The county’s rapidly growing and affluent population has driven up demand for personalized care as well as healthcare professionals. (Read about the partnerships supplying South Florida’s healthcare workforce pipeline here.) Many physicians, often overwhelmed in traditional settings, find that concierge medicine allows for more meaningful patient interactions and a more manageable workload.

“Sollis Health is a unique provider of concierge urgent and emergent care, operating five clinics in Manhattan, one in the Hamptons, and two in Palm Beach County, including a flagship in Palm Beach and a new clinic in Boca Raton,” said James Fishkin, medical director at Sollis Health, in a recent interview with Invest:. “We’re expanding into Coral Gables, with 3,000 members in Palm Beach and 150 already waiting in Miami.” According to Fishkin, the company has seen strong patient and investor interest, raising $35 million in a Series B led by Foresite Capital.

“We’ve grown steadily over eight years, now serving nearly 20,000 patients, with a focus on personalized, high-quality care,” Fishkin added.

As more Floridians turn to concierge care, experts project continued market growth. A study by Towards Healthcare forecasts substantial expansion in the global concierge medicine market, driven by rising demand for customized, attentive care models like those thriving in Florida.

“This concierge model meets the needs of a population seeking efficient, personalized, and high-level medical care,” said Fishkin.

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Buyers gain leverage as housing markets shift nationwide

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Writer: Mirella Franzese

HousingNovember 2025 — The power balance in America’s housing market has shifted, according to a recent Redfin report. Sellers outnumber buyers by nearly 37% across the nation — a near-record imbalance, which is giving buyers growing leverage to negotiate purchases.

“We have a lot of inventory — more than we have seen since the housing crisis,” said Erin Cestero, president of JBGoodwin REALTORS San Antonio division, in an interview with Invest:. “Sellers must adjust to slower sales, while buyers have more choices and better negotiation power.”

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The gap is most pronounced in seven metros where there are at least twice as many sellers as buyers — six of which were in Texas and Florida.

The strongest market for those looking to buy is in Austin, TX, where sellers exceed buyers by 130%. This was followed by Fort Lauderdale (118.5%), West Palm Beach (113.0%), Miami (112.2%), Nashville (109.4%), Dallas (100.4%), Jacksonville (96.3%), Las Vegas (89.6%), and Houston (83.8%).

Other notable buyer’s markets include: Atlanta (52.9%), Charlotte (75.6%), and Fort Worth (68.2%).

Nationally, the only other time there were more sellers than buyers in the market was in June 2025, based on records dating back to 2013, according to Redfin.

By comparison, just five metro areas remain sellers’ markets, with Newark, considered the most robust (-41.9% sellers-to-buyers). Meanwhile, sale prices are rising more sharply in seller’s markets, with a 3.8% year-over-year increase compared to just 1.3% in buyers’ markets, highlighting the ongoing shifts in the housing landscape.

Despite power swinging in favor of prospective homeowners, many have been shut out of the marketplace due to higher home prices. Some would-be buyers have defaulted to rent instead or have delayed purchases, waiting to see if home prices will go down. Others face “decision paralysis” given the number of different homes available.

“It is an interesting time in the market,” said Alex Akel, president of Akel Homes, a South Florida homebuilder, in an interview with Invest:. “New home prices remain elevated despite higher interest rates. (This) has locked many owners into their current homes, which … keeps some local move-up buyers “trapped” in place.”

For sellers, this means increased competition and deals going under. “Sellers in Nashville are outpacing buyers by 97%, and 30% of homes are not making it to the closing table. There’s a good chance that a home doesn’t sell, goes under contract during the inspection period, or the terms change before getting to the closing table,” Christian LeMere, president and founder of Nashville’s Move Up Home Group, told Invest:.

Nationally, though, the market has swayed in favor of buyers due to varying factors. 

The Sun Belt, for instance, attracted a dramatic population shift during the pandemic as homebuyers moved in from more expensive regions. “In cities like Nashville, people move in from higher-cost markets like Chicago, New York, and California. For them, Nashville is still relatively affordable,” explained Marshall Crawford, president and CEO of The Housing Fund. 

Home prices skyrocketed as a result and many locals were effectively priced out of the market, according to Crawford. “For lifelong residents, rising home prices have outpaced wage growth, making homeownership increasingly difficult,” he told Invest:.

In an effort to meet the growing demand, homebuilders increased construction activity, but this led to the sharp imbalance between the number of homes for sale and the people who want to buy them — a dynamic which is still at play today.

At the same time, Texas and Florida continue to build more homes at a faster pace than any other state in the country, per the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, which tracks authorizations for new privately-owned housing units.

 The margin between the two states and the rest of the nation when it comes to homebuilding is also substantial. As of March 2025, both Texas and Florida were granted more than 32,000 permits for the construction of new housing units — more than double that of runner-up state North Carolina.

In Florida, high insurance premiums, natural disasters, and rising condo HOA fees are also pushing many homeowners to sell, further widening the gap between sellers and buyers in the marketplace. 

New Jersey and Pennsylvania, on the other hand, face high regulatory scrutiny, which stalls homebuilding. 

“One of the primary challenges is that New Jersey is a highly regulated state. The timeline for obtaining entitlement approvals, along with permits … is long, arduous, and expensive. This creates a high barrier to entry for development in New Jersey,” said Thomas Trautner, district council co-chair of the New Jersey Urban Land Institute, in an interview with Invest:. “Delayed approvals can kill projects, preventing new housing from being built.” 

The level of new construction significantly influences market dynamics, as it affects the balance of supply and demand, tipping regions with reduced development activity into sellers territory. 

For instance, the South leads in issuing building permits, and many of the nation’s buyers’ markets are located in those regions. The Northeast, however, grapples with tighter permitting restrictions, so sellers’ markets tend to be concentrated in metro areas like Newark and Montgomery County, where the supply of newly built homes remains limited.

Generally, though, the cluster of homebuyers is shrinking as a result of high home prices, elevated mortgage rates, and economic instability — all of which have discouraged purchases. At the same time, the number of home sellers was increasing (at least up until recently) due to sluggish buyer demand causing stale listings to pile up and mortgage rate lock-ins compound the effect. 

Now some sellers are pulling back from the market to avoid selling in conditions where demand is weak and buyers have greater negotiating power. Yet, the buyer-seller gap remains large, and even more so in rapidly growing states like Florida and Texas, where opportunities to buy are plentiful.

For Roger Sargent, CEO and executive team leader of Keller Williams Realty in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, selling a home in today’s market requires a different type of approach: “The skill set that an agent required to do business (back) then is quite different from what is needed today. Then you had to be quick to get to client opportunities. Now it is a matter of how well you can serve that client’s needs.” 

“Listings are sitting on the market longer,” Sargent told Invest: “Agents need to consider … how they can market the available home versus just putting it on the MLS and waiting for an offer to come in.” 

“The key to our success is understanding what opportunities are out there and becoming the bridge between the buyer and seller,” added MoveUp’s Lemere.

For more real estate trends, check out caa’s latest Industry Corner on smart real estate investments.

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Spotlight On: Mario Bass, President & CEO, Visit San Antonio

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Mario_Bass_Spotlight_OnNovember 2025 — Mario Bass, president and CEO of Visit San Antonio, talked to Invest: about the many factors contributing to the city’s consistent growth. “San Antonio has a strong history of investment that produces a high rate of return. From a meetings and tourism standpoint, San Antonio has always been a steady destination,” he said.

How are you approaching the transition from strategic lead to president, and what priorities are you carrying forward from your previous roles?

We are cautiously optimistic as we move forward in promoting San Antonio as a premier travel destination. Economic headwinds reported in the news are guiding Visit San Antonio’s current priorities. In 2025, we started to see disruption in the marketplace on both the leisure and meetings sides. The organization is getting back to our core business model: selling and marketing the destination. We’re focused on “putting heads in beds” and ensuring everything we do is driving Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) and sales tax to the destination. We want to see a strong group base in the destination. We are realigning our priorities to ensure that they achieve our core mission.

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What external changes have you noticed over the past year in travel trends and regional infrastructure developments?

The largest external force is economic uncertainty, which will influence what people buy. People are still coming, but there have been fewer travelers. Our international numbers are down about 10% for 2025 compared to 2024. The main international markets driving the majority of demand are Canada and Mexico, with Mexico leading the way with almost 2 million visitors. As an organization, we are focusing our efforts on where we will have the biggest impact—our regional and nearby international markets, and finding a strong group base. A strong group base will take out the volatility associated with the leisure traveler, who is more susceptible to economic uncertainties. Leisure is a more fickle market segment, one that is critical to the success of our destination. There are more than 40 million Texans in our backyard who can drive here, creating a strong regional market.

What makes San Antonio attractive to tourists, investors, and businesses?

Individuals and developers are still building hotels. The community is investing in a new convention and entertainment district. Like any investment, it’s not about what’s happening in the marketplace today, but what’s happening in the future. San Antonio has a strong history of investment that produces a high rate of return. From a meetings and tourism standpoint, San Antonio has always been a steady destination. This point is not lost on investors. What makes San Antonio special for the group customer, which drives a lot of investment, is its central location to the rest of the United States. Our walkable downtown campus for meetings and conventions is a big draw, with over 4,000 hotel rooms within a several-block radius. The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center is within walking distance. The San Antonio River Walk is known colloquially as “The World’s Largest Hotel Lobby.” Seventy percent of our visitation comes from leisure. We have many attractions, including the Alamo, River Walk, theme parks, a rich and historic culinary scene, and the Pearl District. Consumer sentiment in summer 2024 was positive. Even with the economic uncertainty, travelers still chose to travel, but stayed closer to home. This bodes well for San Antonio.

What is it about the culture in San Antonio that makes travelers feel immersed in the city?

One of San Antonio’s top tourism assets is its people. We have a warm heart and an authentic culture that we convey to visitors. We like to say, “Every Texan has two homes: where they’re from, and San Antonio.” We are always warm and welcoming, which enhances the city’s experience. The 300-year history of the city resonates with visitors. Authenticity is a powerful attractor for visitors, and San Antonio provides that with our UNESCO World Heritage at the Alamo and National Park Service Missions. The Alamo site is undergoing redevelopment to be brought back to its original place of history and gravitas, giving it a stronger sense of place within the city. Paired with the River Walk and UNESCO World Culinary designation, the city offers an experience with soul.

How are the enhancements at San Antonio International Airport supporting your goals?

Post-pandemic, the airport has added 10 new destinations, including significant expansion throughout Mexico. San Luis Potosi and Morelia are two notable recent additions. We are up to 48 nonstop flights from other destinations into the city. With a new terminal, we are adding 18 more gates, which will significantly increase our capacity and double the square footage of the airport. These developments are critical for supporting future tourism and economic development of the city. This infrastructure supports San Antonio’s status as one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States.

How is Visit San Antonio helping businesses develop the local workforce?

Tourism is one of the Top 4 economic drivers for San Antonio. About 150,000 San Antonians are employed in the service industry. We work closely with the city of San Antonio, local education institutions, hotel partners, and greater:SATX to maintain the talent pipeline. Hospitality is a place for many people to start their careers, even if they don’t stay in the industry. It’s also a place where many people finish their careers. We can fill the full career spectrum and workforce gaps.

Are there any additional partnerships beyond the typical tourism core that you use to enhance the visitor experience?

We emphasize a high level of collaboration between Visit San Antonio and the other resources in the city, not only to impact tourism but also to impact the investment and economic development of the region. We focus on intentional partnerships with the city, the San Antonio Hotel Lodging Association, the Visitor Alliance, Centro Antonio, and greater:SATX. Our collaborative decisions balance business and community impact. The tourism landscape is becoming more and more competitive every year. Investors going into Austin, Dallas, and Houston are investing heavily in tourism and creating more competition. We have to be intentional on how, as a destination, we elevate the reputation of San Antonio.

What impact will the Sports & Entertainment District project have on Visit San Antonio?

The Sports & Entertainment District project is a top priority and presents a game-changing opportunity for group and convention business and events, drawing leisure travelers. We’re particularly excited about adding 200,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, allowing us to go after large groups. There is also the addition of a ballroom and breakout rooms. This opportunity will enable the pursuit of $1 billion in new group business.

Want more? Read the Invest: San Antonio report.

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Spotlight On: Kathleen Patrick, President, CarepathRx & Chartwell Pharmacy

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Kathleen_Patrick_Spotlight_OnNovember 2025 — Kathleen Patrick, president of CarepathRx & Chartwell Pharmacy, spoke with Invest: about the company’s innovative approach to home infusion therapy. “We have more than 25,000 patients that depend on us, and our employees provide them with the best care available. Our job is to help them receive their therapy in the most successful, yet unobtrusive, way possible,” she said.

What changes over the past year have most impacted CarepathRx’s operations in Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh has been a hub for healthcare innovation for several decades. We work with patients that do not need to be cared for in a hospital setting. Our pharmacists and nurses work very hard to help our patients live their lives however they wish, with minimal interruption of work schedules or family responsibilities. We make sure their disease state or chronic condition is not what is driving their everyday schedules. 

With the nursing shortage, we are expanding the role of technology, particularly when monitoring our home infusion patients. Many new drugs coming to market require a different skillset and monitoring from our clinicians. In the past, those drugs would have only been administered in a hospital, but now we are safely delivering them in the home every day. Chartwell Pharmacy, which CarepathRx manages on behalf of UPMC health system, is the only pharmacy in the country that can track all aspects of home infusion through cloud-based technology: from electronic coolers to ensure appropriate drug temperature is maintained, to wearable devices tracking patient vitals, and cloud-based pumps that control and record the rate of the infusion.

We are going to see additional technological advancements as we move forward. People prefer not to go to assisted living or long-term care facilities, so technology must keep up with those expectations. 

We continually look at ways to transform the business — for both home infusion and specialty pharmacy — in innovative ways. We partner with pharma on many new drug releases and how to bring them into the home in new ways. We focus on the patient so they can receive their medication in a way that is most appropriate for their lifestyle. We want to expand our practice creatively in a way that makes the patient happy, satisfied, and committed to staying on therapy. We have a well-trained clinical team that works with a patient’s family to determine any untoward reactions to help keep them on their prescribed treatment.

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How are you approaching workforce development to meet growing demand?

The nursing shortage is very challenging. During COVID, hospitals wanted to move their patients to the community setting. We had to change our approach to how we partnered with nursing, how we educated nursing, and how we did so much of it virtually. 

In home infusion, the goal is for the patient to be self-sufficient in their care. Nurses are utilized for a period, then teach the family how to maintain their medication. We created QR codes so patients and community-based nurses can easily access information and education. We have a library with information on every medication, since each must be handled differently. 

You can’t replace a nurse, but you can extend care through teaching and support. We have highly trained nursing staff internally, and they train other nursing agencies across the country.

What challenges do you see in delivering infusion and specialty pharmacy care?

There are many great new drugs coming out, but they have high price tags. Ensuring patients can afford these drugs is very important to us. We work with foundations and pharma partners to reduce costs and keep patients on their prescribed drugs. This year, we provided between $60 million to $70 million in foundation care for our patients. With so many new drugs reaching the market, there are different indications and clinical pathways to provide that drug in the home in the most appropriate way. We have a team that evaluates new drugs and how to provide care for patients, and we share the work with our partnered health systems across the country.

Looking ahead, what are your key goals and priorities for CarepathRx in Pittsburgh and for the industry more broadly?

We want to bring the great clinical programs of Chartwell Pharmacy to the rest of the country, either through expansion of Chartwell’s footprint, or through partnerships with other health systems. Our story is not just focused on growth, but on patient-focused care. We will continue to expand our technology and work with pharma to bring care into the home. We will work with all of the key stakeholders in a way that builds hub services and new partnerships to continue to take our patient service models to health systems across the country. We set up our partner pharmacies to compete with national pharmacies, who are not innovating at quite the same scale as you would expect from an academic health system like UPMC.

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Spotlight On: Eric Goldstein, President & CEO, King of Prussia District

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Eric_Goldstein_Spotlight_OnNovember 2025 — King of Prussia District has experienced a notable shift over the past year, moving beyond its established reputation for retail and dining to dramatically increase its focus on experiential and entertainment-based economic development projects. “The economic results are clear: King of Prussia boasts a high-performing commercial economy and its vacancy rates are exceptionally low across multiple sectors,” Eric Goldstein, President and CEO of King of Prussia District, told Invest:.

What is the most meaningful progress that the district has made in the past year?

King of Prussia has seen a notable surge in entertainment and experiential economic development projects over the past year. This is a welcome and necessary expansion of King of Prussia’s core reputation for pure retail and dining as more and more employees and residents seek family-friendly entertainment options. For my organization, we’ve made significant progress developing several multimodal trail networks within the township. This has been a major organizational priority as we seek to improve pedestrian connections and connect the residential and business areas to the surrounding Circuit Trail systems.

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What are the trends that are most influencing the evolution of suburban districts like King of Prussia?

King of Prussia has thrived in the post-pandemic environment, largely due to its unparalleled accessibility. Located at the intersection of major southeastern Pennsylvania highways, this prime location has been the bedrock of its success for decades. This excellent access, coupled with a wide array of amenities and resources, is precisely what today’s companies and residents seek. The traditional corporate park is no longer appealing; to successfully bring employees back to the office, a community must offer compelling reasons beyond the workspace itself, such as quality restaurants, retail, and entertainment. This focus on growing entertainment and amenities is a key factor in the area’s ongoing appeal.

King of Prussia experienced significant residential growth over the last 10 years, with the population expanding from roughly 28,000 to nearly 37,000. Over 4,000 new, high-quality housing units of various types have been added, creating a vibrant character and strong offerings. On the office front, the vacancy rate is roughly half that of downtown Philadelphia, positioning King of Prussia as a high-performing commercial office market that is routinely significantly outpacing most of our suburban competitors as well. The community continues to see substantial development across new retail, restaurants, and entertainment offerings.

How do you promote the district to attract new businesses?

King of Prussia District has had numerous campaigns to attract businesses over the years. The most recent initiative is the HQKOP campaign, which is evolving into a new campaign set for release in 2026. This evolution is informed by extensive feedback from stakeholders, commercial brokers, and C-suite executives.

Consistently, the two most important factors highlighted by all groups — stakeholders, CEOs, commercial brokers, and residents — are access and amenities. This was repeatedly emphasized. These two elements are considered crucial for a community to thrive in the post-pandemic environment, helping companies encourage employees to return and fostering a dynamic live, work, play environment.

Why do you think big brands like Netflix choose King of Prussia?

King of Prussia is an exceptional hub for retail. In most major U.S. cities, core retail and department store anchors are situated downtown, but Philadelphia is an anomaly — its last downtown department store, a Macy’s, closed years ago. In King of Prussia, however, the retail scene is a juggernaut. The area is home to the world-famous King of Prussia Mall, boasting approximately 470 stores and nearly 3 million square feet of space, featuring major department stores like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s.

Brands consistently choose King of Prussia due to the long-established strength of retail in the area and the presence of world-class facilities like the mall. King of Prussia has become a key testing ground for brands; many stores within the mall are the only locations in the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This market strength extends beyond traditional retail to entertainment, too. The decision by Netflix to open its first Netflix House in the country here in King of Prussia highlights this community’s strong appeal in both retail and entertainment. It’s the same reason Eataly chose King of Prussia as their first PA location.

What are your top priorities for the next three to five years?

King of Prussia is an established and successful economic hub poised for continued growth across several sectors. Projected areas of development include the expansion of existing retail and dining options, which is a community strength. Significant development is also anticipated in the family-oriented entertainment sector. Additionally, growth in residential development is expected, with demand continuing to remain strong. My organization will also continue to prioritize quality of life improvements such as park development and additional trails as well as maintaining our focus on business recruitment and retention.

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Building safer communities through tech and trust

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Writer: Pablo Marquez

West_Palm_BeachOctober 2025 — Palm Beach County is advancing innovative public safety initiatives designed to enhance emergency response, prevent crime, and ensure the well-being of residents. From cutting-edge technology to community-driven programs, the county is taking a multifaceted approach to keeping people safe.

“Public safety is a mayor’s top priority, as beautiful buildings won’t attract tenants without a safe reputation,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James in an interview with Invest:. “Equally important is the law enforcement-community relationship — ensuring residents see officers as allies through intentional outreach. Every neighborhood deserves safety, regardless of ZIP code.”

The Palm Beach County Public Safety Department has significantly improved 911 services through modernized systems aimed at streamlining emergency response. The department oversees a network of services, including fire rescue and law enforcement, that are critical during emergencies. With a robust 911 system and real-time data sharing, the county is reducing response times and ensuring help arrives quickly when needed. Recent upgrades to dispatch technology allow for faster deployment of first responders during critical incidents.

The West Palm Beach Police Department has gained national recognition for its innovative use of drones in policing. In September 2025, the department won the National Aerial Achievement Award for its cutting-edge drone program. These drones are deployed in high-risk situations — such as search-and-rescue missions or crowd monitoring — providing real-time aerial views that improve safety while minimizing risks for officers.

Further south in Boca Raton, investment in additional training and certifications has strengthened the city’s public safety efforts.

“Our police and fire departments receive national and international recognition. We are one of the few fire departments in the nation with an ISO Class 1 rating, placing us among the top 0.5% of all agencies,” Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer told Invest:. “We also recently partnered with Palm Beach County to add dedicated Homeless Outreach Team members in Boca Raton. While we have a low homeless population, our goal is to bring that number down to zero by helping each individual find a long-term solution.”

Beyond technology and training, Palm Beach County continues to emphasize community engagement in public safety. Programs such as Neighborhood Watch and community policing initiatives encourage residents to collaborate with law enforcement, report suspicious activity, and build stronger neighborhood ties. The county has also funded criminal justice reform initiatives, including programs addressing substance abuse and mental health, to ensure people in crisis receive proper care.

Local sentiment supports these efforts as demonstrated in a recent study by the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority, which surveyed 800 residents 18 or older in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties about their visits to downtown West Palm Beach. Among respondents who visited three or more times in the past year, 60% rated their “feeling safe” as excellent; other excellent-ratings included restaurants (70%), landscaping/curb-appeal (68%) and entertainment (62%).

These local ratings align with a favorable national crime-trend backdrop. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, violent crime in the U.S. fell an estimated 4.5% in 2024 compared with 2023. Murders dropped 14.9%, robberies down 8.9%, aggravated assaults fell 3.0%, and property crime declined 8.1%.

Palm Beach County’s commitment to improved technology, proactive community engagement, and robust reform funding is reflected in both local perception and national statistics. With continued collaboration among local agencies and stakeholders, the county remains focused on creating a safer, more resilient environment for all residents.

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Spotlight On: Melissa Meeker, CEO, The Water Tower

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Melissa_Meeker_Spotlight_OnOctober 2025 — Melissa Meeker, CEO of The Water Tower, sat down with Focus: to discuss how federal grants have helped transform the nonprofit organization’s workforce training programs, the impact AI and new technologies are having on the water utility industry, and what The Water Tower is doing to help recruit and retain talent in a challenging and ever changing market space.

What changes over the past year have most impacted the organization and in what ways?

At the end of last year, we received a large federal grant that has really transformed our workforce training programs for water utilities and significantly expanded our partnerships with social service NGOs. What was already a strong program has now been supercharged. It’s truly impacting people’s lives and addressing workforce needs.

How has the adoption of AI and other digital technologies progressed?

This is the most dynamic part of our work. Water utilities can be very conservative and slow to adopt new technologies, which makes total sense when you consider that they are responsible for protecting public health and the environment. These technologies, however, can provide great value, so we host workshops, conferences, and open house-type events to showcase technologies and case studies. With the goal of helping the water workforce through digital innovations, we are able to improve treatment and process efficiencies, save energy, conserve water at the consumer level, and so much more. We’re also training tomorrow’s workforce on these technologies, including using digital twins as training tools, enabling trainees to better understand key concepts and hit the ground running once they get hired.

One example of an innovative tool we are developing is a GPT-based chatbot inspired by Jerry, an 81-year old operator of a small system in Georgia. Jerry holds decades of institutional knowledge and operational expertise in his memory. The town can’t afford to lose that critical insight, so we are looking at different ways to capture it. Currently, we are essentially transferring the information from his brain into a computer that uses AI to offer advice. The chatbot allows others to ask, “What would Jerry do in this scenario?” and receive guidance instantly. Although it can’t replace the operator, it can certainly help troubleshoot issues that may arise.

When it comes to challenges like climate change, how is your organization addressing these issues through the use of technologies, collaboration, or more?

In the water utility space, climate change and more intense storms mean shifts in how much, when, and where water arrives. Utilities are looking more at the potential for cascading failures, for example, what happens if the utility is able to weather the storm, but the power grid fails? We’re not just adopting new technologies, we’re focused on building resilience. That means replacing systems with smart technologies and elevating vulnerable infrastructure to withstand floods. We’re also fostering thought leadership on timely issues. Last year, we had 9,000 visitors to our campus, including universities, utilities and businesses eager to engage in conversations about resiliency, technologies, and workforce.

What types of companies are using your lab and what problems are they looking to solve?

The lab is doing some really cool projects, focusing on emerging contaminants like PFAs. These “forever” chemicals are manmade and have been used for years in water and fireproofing, in pots and pans, and even in things like dental floss. And they are really hard to destroy. On one hand, we’re working with companies to refine methodologies to analyze these compounds and look at innovative treatment technologies that not just remove, but destroy these complex, regulated, and not yet regulated contaminants. We are also evaluating real-time monitoring technologies for lakes and rivers, which are our drinking water sources, that can help utilities prepare for challenges while protecting public health.

How do partnerships help your organization to achieve its goals?

Our partners all have the same goal of helping water utilities and industry tackle challenges that they face in water treatment, monitoring, and delivery. Whether it is an academic institution shifting from theoretical research to applied research, engineering firms who can bring expertise and diverse experiences, construction firms who want to be part of the solution, or companies focused on AI and machine learning, or who have developed a unique widget, we collectively work to solve real-world problems in water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater. Tomorrow’s challenges can seem daunting, but together we can solve anything.

What are the biggest challenges that utilities face?

Recruiting is a major challenge — people rarely consider careers in water. There is a lot that goes on between turning on your tap and flushing your toilet, which translates into a wide range of job opportunities out there. With the industry facing a wave of retirements we’re rethinking how we reach people. At The Water Tower, we take a different approach when it comes to recruitment, using tailored social media campaigns and working with nonprofits to engage communities directly. 

For example, many people, such as homeschoolers, youth aging out of foster care, and others who are often overlooked, don’t even know these water jobs exist. Our training graduates are landing solid jobs with benefits and a career pathway. I’ve heard several say that they never saw themselves in a career. I believe we are making an impact and not only addressing a workforce need, but also improving communities. There are challenges, the largest being the different ways people really engage and learn, which has required us to shift the way we teach. Our approach is hands-on, practical, and tailored for specific population segments. Many often struggle in traditional classroom settings, so we blend academics with real-world experience. They see a process on a slide, then do it themselves on our campus or at a plant. This has helped these individuals to really learn and understand what they are doing, setting them up for success at their future jobs.

Looking ahead, what are your organization’s top priorities for the next three to five years?

Our vision is to build a thriving ecosystem of innovation driven by water challenges informed by research and powered by people. At the top of our priority list is our commitment to staying ahead of the challenges facing water — anticipating what’s coming next, being ready for it, and bringing solutions to the table. As TWT continues to grow, we’re also focused on attracting water-related companies that could benefit from being on our campus. We have the physical space and are actively working to bring industry in to support important advancements for the water sector.

Want more? Read the Focus: Atlanta report.

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For stronger leadership, two is better than one

Posted on by Abby Lindenberg
Abby Lindenberg is founder and CEO of media platform caa. She discusses leadership challenges and forward-thinking approaches.
Abby Lindenberg is the founder and CEO of media platform caa.

I started dancing when I was 10 years old. In the dancing world, that’s about seven years too late. But I didn’t care. I was obsessed! That first year, I started with ballet. The second year, I doubled it, taking both ballet and jazz. By my senior year of high school, I was dancing at four different studios every single day of the week. I was no stranger to the competition circuit, taking on the famed solo position, and when it was recital season, there was no other activity that was more important than preparing for the big performance.

When I was in college, I started dancing salsa, and once again, I was obsessed. With a dancing background like mine, you might assume it was an easy transition for me. And in many ways, it was. I could turn fast and I could pick up on new moves incredibly easily. But for the first time in my dancing career, I, the follower, was at the behest of my partner, the lead. Completely ready to perform on my own, I would often predict the move my partner wanted to make and do the steps independently rather than wait for his lead. This, in the partner dancing world, is a big no-no. Everything from finding my frame to give both space and stability to my partner to waiting for the slight of a hand or subtle cue was an incredibly challenging transition from solo dancing to partner. Now, I love it. There is such freedom in letting go and trusting your partner. But 20 years ago, I fought it, thinking I either knew better or that it was my responsibility to do it on my own.

Leadership

What does this have to do with the business world or leadership? Many times, leaders feel very alone. At the end of the day, CEOs are decision-makers, but we can’t see the whole picture all the time. That is why it is so important to have an outside partner who knows the dance as well as you do and can hold you accountable in a way that someone inside the organization simply cannot. To keep my leadership skills strong, I call in my accountability partners, who time and time again have helped save the day.

I’m grateful that I have many accountability partners. I have my friend who is a fellow entrepreneur, who will meet up with me on a Sunday and walk up and down the pier on South Beach tossing over different problems we’re both experiencing, offering each other motivation, advice, or even mindfulness techniques. I have my best friend who will look at a particular problem from all sides of that coin, pointing out hard truths that I couldn’t see myself. And I have my dad and CFO who toggles between his different roles in my life, stepping up to give me financial wisdom or the “atta girl” that only a dad can deliver.

Much like my dance partners, after I lay out the situation, I let my account ability partner lead. I trust that, much like a well executed dance, they want to create something beautiful with me and can show me something that I can’t see in the moment.

When identifying your accountability partner, I like to consider three points:

  1. Is this a person who can give you a balanced option? Your accountability partner should never just agree with you or blow smoke up your behind.
  2. Can I really listen to this person? You might get responses that you don’t agree with. Can you be open to their constructive criticism?
  3. Can this person continually hold you accountable? This person shouldn’t be someone you just meet once. This should be someone you can follow up with, but also someone who will follow up with you.

What I’ve had to do in leadership is recognize that I cannot and should not do it all or know it all. But it is up to me to learn, grow and move the needle. Leaders need to know what they don’t know, seek out the answers, and be open and receptive to contradictory beliefs or ideas in order to be able to come back into the office and lead their teams to achieve the best results. Of course, you must have wonderful internal team members, experts in their areas, but my point here is that leaders must also have sage external advice. I have found that carefully curating my accountability partners from outside my company has enabled me to steer the best course of action for the betterment of the internal group.

Who are your accountability partners? How are you qualifying them to offer prudent and trusted advice and keep you on course? Most importantly, are you able to allow them to lead — meaning taking your blinders off and opening your ears to constructive criticism — to enable those moments of clarity?

Spotlight On: Chris Celtruda, Chief Executive Officer, Chromalloy

Posted on by Caa

Chris_Celtruda_Spotlight_OnOctober 2025 — In an interview with Invest:, Chris Celtruda, chief executive officer of Chromalloy, highlighted the company’s commitment to meeting surging demand in commercial aviation and power generation for data centers. The company is expanding its global manufacturing footprint, and working collaboratively with regulators to ensure supply chain resilience.

Since taking over as CEO in mid‑2024, what have you identified as the single greatest opportunity for Chromalloy to grow or differentiate itself?

A significant portion of my time is focused on growth. Chromalloy is a company that has been in operation for nearly 75 years and the company was founded on creating value for turbine engine owners, whether for an aerospace turbine engine or a ground-based power turbine engine. That is truly where our growth proposition originates. We are also providers of alternate part solutions to repair jet engines and gas turbines that are used for powering data centers and for trim power. We are the alternate to the original equipment manufacturer. Our engineering team has been working diligently to develop parts that function identically to the parts from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) like Pratt & Whitney, GE, or Siemens. 

For aerospace applications, our parts go to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for approval, and we are able to manufacture and sell them at a price that is more competitive than purchasing them directly from  the original equipment manufacturer.This means that our growth is intrinsically tied to creating value. This growth story is driven by several factors. On the aviation side, the supply chain has struggled with capacity, and the OEMs have had a difficult time meeting the demand for parts. Our ability to provide alternative parts and the manufacturing capacity we have invested in provides a significant growth vector for us. 

On the industrial side, the proliferation of data centers for AI, crypto and other cyber activities is a major driver. Every data center generally has a turbine engine to provide power at peak load. Many of the OEMs we work with, such as Solar and Siemens, are sold out through the end of 2026. We play a critical role in manufacturing parts to restore engines that are run out or worn out to fill the immediate need for power. We have very compelling end markets in commercial aviation and commercial power for data centers. The fact that we possess the technology, the capacity and the will to invest to answer the demands of the market is what will ultimately drive our growth.

How is Chromalloy balancing the demands of cost reduction for customers with investments in innovation?

That is an area where every year we budget a certain amount of our investment to drive productivity. It has been a very inflationary environment. The cost of raw materials, such as aluminum and steel, and the more exotic metals we consume has increased. There has also been labor inflation. One of the ways we offset material and labor cost increases is through productivity. First and foremost, we have a real commitment to lean manufacturing and continuous improvement. A portion of our organization focuses on teaching problem-solving to our employees. First pass yield, ensuring every part we make or repair is correct the first time, is a major driver of productivity. 

The second component is investment in technology. In any given year, we may invest $30-50 million in equipment across our network. Our core technologies include specialized welding techniques using lasers and electron beams. We also use electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD), which is the ceramic coating applied to turbine blades. Our investment in technology has automated some of these processes and combined processes, allowing us to perform work in one pass without errors. The last layer is industrial automation. We continue to hire people, and our overall headcount is growing. However, we find that skilled labor is a challenge. We often look at simple tasks and find ways to automate them using robots and cobots. 

When we inaugurated the new facility in Tampa, we showcased robots we are using for deburring and grinding. That is a task a human being used to perform and it was very tedious manual labor. We now have a robot that does that. We are looking at automating other high-volume, menial tasks. This allows the person to go and perform other high-value tasks. We view our ability to be competitive as driven by process through lean principles and driven by investment in technology. This in no way diminishes our role as an employer of choice. We tend to automate the very monotonous, repetitive steps that many people do not enjoy doing. That frees up our talented people to do things a machine cannot do, which require abstract reasoning and artisanship.

What role does sustainability play in your long‑term strategy, both in the manufacturing and repair processes and in the supply chain?

Technology is really important to everything that we do and we refresh our strategy annually. Through our market studies, we do a lot of research on what our competitors are doing from a technology point of view and what research is being done at government and university laboratories. We evaluate those technologies to determine which ones we need to understand and invest in to enhance our product and repair services. Our efforts are focused on several key areas, including coatings and additive manufacturing. We extensively utilize metallic 3D printing for tools, dies and casting forms, tasks previously performed by toolmakers, significantly accelerating the replication process. Additionally, we are dedicating considerable time to AI, having observed that even basic applications, such as Microsoft’s Copilot, yield significant time savings. 

We are actively benchmarking AI applications, particularly for factory automation. AI can automate tasks like invoice matching and releasing work orders with high accuracy, eliminating the need for a physical scheduler. This streamlines processes, converting orders to cash faster, and significantly impacting profitability. We believe AI tools will be invaluable in achieving these efficiencies. Beyond AI, we are exploring adjacent markets. With 75 years of experience in commercial aviation and long-standing relationships with the U.S. military and the energy/power market, we see opportunities to expand our turbomachinery solutions into the burgeoning commercial space market for propulsion systems. Our coatings technology may also apply to turbomachinery used for natural gas pipeline compressors.

Our approach involves building technology roadmaps that prioritize base technologies for future competitiveness and then evaluating markets where our competencies can be leveraged. This mindset allows us to address customer challenges related to part availability, affordability, and reliability. Our comprehensive suite of solutions fosters future growth and reinforces our reputation as a technology-driven problem-solver.

Images provided by Chromally

Want more? Read the Invest: Palm Beach report.

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Spotlight On: Elizabeth Goodwin, Senior Managing Director & Tennessee Market Leader, CBRE

Posted on by Caa

Elizabeth_Goodwin_Spotlight_OnOctober 2025 — In an interview with Invest:, Elizabeth Goodwin, senior managing director and Tennessee market leader at CBRE, said that Nashville’s rapid growth is driving the company to evolve its strategies across sectors, with a strong emphasis on technology, data, and client-focused innovation. “We’re now aligning more closely with the growth and needs of Nashville by offering those services locally,” Goodwin shared.

What changes over the past year have had the most significant impact on your organization, and in what ways?

Nashville is full of opportunities, but it’s also evolving quickly. Nashville’s rapid growth, particularly in the tech sector, is a key focus for CBRE. Our recent “Scoring Tech Talent in 2025” report highlighted Nashville’s strong position, ranking it third in the nation for tech job growth.
Another unique growth opportunity exists within healthcare. Last year, we added Alan Kirby as a leader of our Healthcare Services Group in Nashville to help us navigate this complex industry.

Across the board, CBRE is seeing strong growth in capital markets and leasing. We’ve also expanded our property management team to address our clients’ evolving needs.

As Nashville continues to grow, how is CBRE adjusting its strategies to meet your clients’ evolving needs?

We work closely with our clients to help them adapt and thrive by leveraging our CBRE data, being creative, and tapping into CBRE’s impressive platform to deliver solutions that make sense for each client’s business. Balancing those priorities is always complex, but I enjoy it. Our goal is to help our clients navigate these changes with confidence and to position CBRE as a trusted partner that adds measurable value in every engagement.

Could you expand on what’s driving office leasing activity?

There’s a real desire to be in Tennessee, and Nashville in particular, which is drawing in more businesses. This is clearly reflected in the numbers; our Q2 Office report showed leasing volume more than doubled quarter-over-quarter to 1.3 million square feet, with three leases exceeding 100,000 square feet.

We’re also seeing the ‘Amazon effect’ at play. The presence of Amazon and other major companies is attracting a wave of related businesses, bringing with them a highly skilled workforce. This influx of talent further fuels Nashville’s growth.
Additionally, Nashville has a strong educational base, with universities like Vanderbilt, Belmont, and Lipscomb, as well as the University of Tennessee system across the state. We’re a hub for young professionals, not just across the Southeast but across the country. This influx of new talent is vital to filling our offices.

What trends are you seeing in investor interest and tenant demand?

We’re starting to see a real shift in multifamily. Interest rates have come down, and for the first time in years, institutional banks are lending again — we’re already seeing significant deals close with major bank financing behind them. At the same time, Nashville’s tenant demand is steady, with 80-plus people moving here every day. That combination of strong demand and fresh capital is driving new activity. To ensure we’re ready to support this momentum, we’ve strategically expanded our multifamily team to four dedicated professionals, backed by a strong operations staff.

What types of commercial assets are most in demand right now across the Tennessee markets you oversee?

Retail has been a bit of a surprise. After a challenging period during the early stages of COVID, we’re witnessing robust absorption as people return to dining, shopping, and engaging in activities.

Healthcare is becoming more retail-oriented, too, with minute clinics and therapy offices being incorporated into mixed-use developments. So, really, mixed-use is booming.

To expand on that, we’re seeing some really interesting trends emerge across the board. Data centers are a hot topic, and that’s not just a Tennessee phenomenon. We’re seeing significant investment and growth in that sector nationwide. The demand is incredibly high — we’re talking about substantial increases in supply, as you can imagine. What’s particularly exciting for Tennessee is our strong infrastructure. The robust power grid, thanks to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), is a huge draw for data center developers, which positions us well to capitalize on this growth.

How important are amenities and sustainability features in today’s leasing landscape?

Amenities are extremely important — just as much as sustainability is, but they’re more tenant-specific. For some companies, sustainability is built into their broader mission, but amenities tend to be the priority across the board.

Office tenants want Class A spaces. If they’re coming back into the office, they want a reason to be there: gyms, outdoor spaces, Wi-Fi-enabled patios, on-site cafés, convenient lunch options within easy walking distance, and even dry-cleaning services. 

Developers are retrofitting older buildings to add amenities that just weren’t considered important eight to 10 years ago. Now, they’re essential. 

For example, CBRE has a solution that centralizes everything from tenant services to building amenities through an app, improving efficiency and the tenant experience. This tool is part of our property management services and is currently being implemented in spaces such as Nashville Yards. It’s all about creating the kind of experience that makes people feel comfortable and productive.

Flexible workspaces have been a major trend over the last few years. Is that still a priority, and how are you advising clients on that front?

For clients, I recommend uniformity, having one standard office size rather than several. That’s a shift for law firms and banks, which traditionally use office size as a status symbol. Now, even senior professionals are opting for smaller offices in exchange for better shared amenities like lounges, collaborative areas, and high-quality furnishings.

Flexible workspace is still a major trend. Our own office is set up that way — we call it “hoteling.” No one has a permanent desk. There are open areas, huddle rooms, and small offices that anyone can reserve.

We even have executive offices available to all, regardless of title. Interestingly, those are the least used spaces because they feel too large or formal. People tend to prefer more intimate, efficient spaces.

Looking ahead, what are your top priorities for CBRE in Tennessee over the next few years?

Nashville is expanding rapidly, and so are we. The city has established itself on the national and international stage. We consistently rank among the top markets for investors across multiple sectors.

This recognition demands that we provide our clients with the same access to cutting-edge tools, data, and services found in major markets like New York, California, and Texas.

Tennessee hasn’t always had that exposure, not because we were excluded, but rather, we weren’t yet on the radar. Now, we are.

We’ve had tremendous support from local leadership over the past decade, including strong mayors and successful public-private partnerships, and now it’s time to build upon that foundation.

Personally, it’s incredibly rewarding to be a part of this growth. As a Nashville native, I’ve witnessed the growth firsthand. I’m fortunate to be in a position at CBRE where I can play even a small role in shaping its future. It’s an exciting time for both the city and our company.

Want more? Read the Invest: Nashville report.

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