EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine February 2018 | Page 26

Instead of training people to get jobs, our future may require a
higher emphasis on training people to create their own jobs.
be leaving to the next generation. What I have concluded is that
Florida’s businesses are the key to finding
when we improve the level of knowledge, entrepreneurship,
the solution.
In the case of creating economic prosperity and breaking
the generational cycle of poverty, Florida’s business community
understands that children in poverty today are the workforce of
the future. Smart investments today to help break the cycle
of poverty can result in multiple generations becoming
self-sufficient.
and skills of Floridians to the point where companies don’t need
to look anywhere else – that’s when we know we have been
successful and that Florida’s future will continue to be bright.
Florida 2030 is the research lighting the path toward solutions.
Florida’s businesses community has shown up and is taking a
leading role in investing in making our future brighter.
Research also shows us that the path with the highest
probability way to wealth is for people to create their own
businesses. If we could train more people in entrepreneurship,
we could grow more jobs in every region in our state. Instead
of training people to get jobs, our future may require a higher
emphasis on training people to create their own jobs.
When I analyze our economy and think about our path
toward the future, I often think about what type of state we will
Dr. Jerry D. Parrish is the Chief Economist and the Director
of Research for the Florida Chamber Foundation. In that
role, he is responsible for conducting in-depth analyses
on the Florida economy and on solutions to help secure
Florida’s future. Dr. Parrish is currently an Adjunct
Instructor in the Masters in Applied Economics Program
at Florida State University. He regularly publishes
research reports and articles on the Florida economy and
Florida’s competitiveness.
INVESTOR SPOTLIGHT
THE REAL (ESTATE) THING
John Wanamaker
Realtor, Coldwell Banker Commercial AI Group
When it comes to commercial real estate, John Wanamaker knows how
important it is to meet the exacting needs of companies considering a
move to Volusia County. He not only shares this expertise with his
clients, he shares it with his colleagues on the Board of Directors of
Team Volusia Economic Development Corporation. John knows that by
working together to help new companies find just the land or building,
we ensure a smooth transition to our area. That’s why he invests in
Team Volusia.
TeamVolusiaEDC.com
386.265.6332