Military, Defense & Veterans Opportunities Summit

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The Florida Chamber Foundation’s 2019 Military, Defense & Veterans Opportunities Summit gathered leaders from Florida’s military and defense industry, economic development experts, policymakers and the business community to examine the challenges and opportunities facing this important industry.

Download Mark Wilson’s presentation by clicking here.

Schedule and Agenda

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Registration, Breakfast and Executive Networking l 8:00 a.m.

Welcome and Overview l 9:00 a.m.

Mel Ponder, House of Representatives, District 4

State of Play: Preparing for Disruption and Tomorrow’s Opportunities and Ensuring Competitiveness, Prosperity and Resiliency

Mark Wilson, President and CEO, Florida Chamber of Commerce

Florida’s Competitive Advantage: A Federal Perspective

Major General (Ret.) Michael Jones, The SPECTRUM Group; Florida Defense Alliance

Economic Engines for Florida’s Future: The Military, Defense & Homeland Security Marketplace

Moderator: Daniel Davis, President and CEO, JAX Chamber
Greg Britton, Chief of Strategic Partnerships, DEFENSEWERX / Interim Director, AFWERX Vegas
Kevin Carr, CEO, FloridaMakes
Warren Helm, Director and Site Leader, Cecil Field MRO Operations, Boeing
Chester Kennedy, CEO, BRIDG
Jamal Sowell, President and CEO, Enterprise Florida, Inc.

Lunch l 12:00 p.m.

Emerging Technologies, Expanding Industries, and Potential for Market Impact

Bill “Roto” Reuter, President, R-Squared Solutions

Leading the Space Race: Update on Space Force and Our Growing Commercial Competitiveness

Moderator: Belinda Keiser, Vice Chancellor of Community Relations and Student Advancement, Keiser University; Space Florida Board of Directors
Frank DiBello, President and CEO, Space Florida

Rebuilding Tyndall

Lt. Col. Michael Askegren, Base Civil Engineer, Tyndall Air Force Base

Mission Ready? From Frontline to Free Enterprise

Moderator: Kellie Jo Kilberg, Vice President, Randy Wise Homes; Chair, Florida Defense Alliance
George Cheros, President and CEO, National Center for Simulation
Jim Heald, Vice President, Strategic Programs, InDyne, Inc.
Tim Jones, President and CEO, Cybrix Group; Florida Defense Alliance
Buck McLaughlin, Range Operations Officer, Avon Park Air Force Range
Rick Miller, Partner and CEO, PHAROS Mission Critical Solutions
Chris Moore, MDMS IT Operations Manager, General Dynamics Information Technology

Keeping Florida the Most Veteran Friendly State

Danny Burgess, Executive Director, Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs

Working Together to Facilitate Transitions and Focus on Florida Veterans

Moderator: Joe Marino, Executive Director, Veterans Florida
Mona Dexter, Senior Director, Operations and Communications, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Jane Dowgwillo, PTAC State Manager, Florida SBDC Network
Kay Schwartz, Executive Director, Regional HR Operations, USAA

Closing Comments: Recap and Marching Orders

Tony Carvajal, Executive Vice President, Florida Chamber Foundation

Day 1 Concludes: Reception for All Attendees l 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Registration and Breakfast l 8:30 a.m.

Welcome and Overview l 9:00 a.m.

Partnering and Investing in Military Communities

Ken Lawson, Executive Director, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity

Hiring Our Heroes: Corporate Fellowship Program

Mona Dexter, Senior Director, Operations and Communications, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Florida’s Legislative Focus to Support Bases & Missions, Expand our Military and Defense Marketplace, and Honor and Support our Veterans

Moderator: Frank Walker, Vice President of Governmental Affairs, Florida Chamber of Commerce
Doug Broxson, Florida Senate, District 1
David Smith, House of Representatives, District 28
Tom Wright, Florida Senate, District 14

What Businesses, Bases and Agencies can do Together to Secure Each Region’s Future.

Lunch with Reports, Wrap Up and Next Steps: Where Do We Go From Here?

Summit Concludes l 1:30 p.m.

All events and times are subject to change

CANCELLATION POLICY:
Cancellation requests for registrations received by July 15, 2019 will be issued a refund, less a $75 per person administrative fee. All cancellations must be made in writing and e-mailed to tprice@flchamber.com.

Cancellation requests received after July 15, 2019 will not be issued a refund.

For questions, please call the Florida Chamber at 850.521.1200 or send an email to summits@FLFoundation.org.