By Dave Scheiber
As the University of South Florida continues to blaze a path as a leader in research and innovation, building on its elite status as a member of the Association of American Universities, it has now introduced a bold, new leadership-oriented program built on community collaboration.
Leadership USF brings together 15 community leaders for a dynamic exchange of insights
and experiences among USF and area leaders throughout the Tampa Bay region – enriching
both the university and greater community.
The inaugural class will meet monthly for the next six months, giving them an opportunity
to gain a deeper understanding of USF’s various departments, including academic, research
and administrative units on all three campuses. The program will also include signature
events, such as a Bulls football game and a concert presented by the USF College of Design, Art and Performance.
“At the University of South Florida, we are strengthening our relationships throughout
the Tampa Bay region in ways we never have before — because we know we are better
together,” USF President Rhea Law said. “Leadership USF represents a significant milestone
in fostering impactful partnerships between our university and our surrounding communities.
We look forward to providing the inaugural class of participants with valuable knowledge
and resources they can bring back to their organizations.”
The program kicked off Friday with a full day of presentations anchored by Law and
Eric Eisenberg, senior vice president of the Office of University Community Partnerships. Michael Kelly, vice president for Athletics, discussed the new stadium project with the group and former NBA referee and undercover agent Bob Delaney, lead instructor
for USF Corporate Training and Professional Education, spoke about resiliency and self-care for leaders. There was also a fireside chat
hosted by Delaney with the new head coach of USF women’s beach volleyball, Pri Piantadosi-Lima, and Mindy McCord, head coach of women’s lacrosse.
Celeste Roberts, president and CEO of The Skills Center, said she especially enjoyed hearing from the coaches as that it showed her potential new opportunities for her organization to collaborate with USF.
“The way we have worked with USF, I’m very excited about, and I’m excited to expand it. We work with federal work-study students, service learning projects and internships. I’m excited about that because that builds the capacity within our organization," she said. "It’s a cost-savings to our organization, but on the flip side of that, I think it’s a benefit to the students who do the work. It helps them be able to come into the community — not just be on campus — but to see the issues and challenges we might experience and then help us to resolve them.”
“Already, I've gained a new level of insight into what the University of South Florida is all about," said Christopher Minner, executive vice president of marketing and communications at Tampa International Airport. "I've been able to connect with other leaders from across the Tampa Bay region who have also been invited to be a part of this wonderful program to see the extraordinary leadership and innovation and really cool things that are happening across Tampa Bay. All of us collectively, I think, are really excited about the opportunity to strengthen the way that we're working with the University of South Florida.”
The concept for Leadership USF began with Law as a way to introduce people in the community to the range of activities taking place at the university. She was inspired by other leadership programs she’s participated in, such as Leadership Tampa Bay and Leadership Florida, and has made leadership a hallmark of her career. Law served as CEO and chair of the board of the Florida law firm Fowler White Boggs and held numerous leadership positions with a wide array of Florida-based organizations, such as chairing the Florida Council of 100 , the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. and the Tampa Bay Partnership, among many other groups. And as a founding member of the USF Board of Trustees, she spent five years as vice chair and four as the board’s first and only female chair.
“When the president created my office about a year-and-a-half ago, we were contemplating what sort of AAU university we wanted to be – how did we want to differentiate ourselves and what were our strengths?” explained Eisenberg, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and interim provost. “The thing that she and I immediately recognized – given her professional background and my long-standing commitment to town and gown relationships – is that our communities are really our strength.”
That shared sentiment was underscored by the fact that USF is located in a burgeoning metropolitan area – one that is on the radar of many corporations and individuals around the country and world.
“It’s a real opportunity for students, faculty and staff to develop deep relationships with our community partners in every sector of the economy – education, non-profits, advocacy groups, corporations, military and more,” he said. “When the president was in Sarasota about a year ago, she remarked that our communities are our superpower for this university – and we set about building this office. It’s been fantastic, and we now have a much better way of connecting with our community partners.”
“There’s a saying that describes the great value of this initiative – it’s not who you know or what you know, but who knows what you know,” said Jay Riley, USF’s senior director of Special Projects and External Affairs in the Corporate Training and Professional Education program. “A lot of people in the inaugural class are connected in some way with the university, but usually in one specific area. Now, with this initiative, they’re going to be exposed to numerous areas of the university, and this broadens the potential for new, impactful collaborations across all three campuses."
“We want to create a network of mutually beneficial partnerships based on collaboration and the exchange of ideas.” – Mark Koulianos, assistant vice president of University Community Partnerships and executive director of USF Corporate Training and Professional Education
Leadership USF participants include Carlos Baia, Temple Terrace city manager; Tarnisha Cliatt, director of marketing and community relations for DuCon Construction; Maribel Garrett, community engagement coordinator, Neighborhood & Community Affairs for the City of Tampa; Justin Henderson, group talent manager at Enterprise Auto; David Howard, director of Tampa General Hospital’s People Development Institute; Tina James, senior manager for Corporate Social Integration at Florida Blue; Jamie Jenkins, former senior manager, Acceleration Center Strategy at PWC; Ramin Kouzehkanani, chief information & innovation administrator for Hillsborough County government; Jason Mathis, CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership; Christopher Minner, executive vice president of marketing and communications at Tampa International Airport; Celeste Roberts, president/CEO at The Skills Center; Avi Shaw, associate at Casa Ybor; Vani Nath Simmons, assistant center director for Community, Outreach, Engagement and Equity at Moffitt; Wendy Stough, director of communications and marketing for CAE Defense and Security; and Brian Eastman, director of staff, 6th Air Refueling Wing.
Elizabeth Metcalf, University Communications and Marketing, contributed to this article.