EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine May 2020 | Page 36

Crisis collaboration. Team Volusia, the CEO Business Alliance and Volusia County’s Economic Development Division
have joined forces to fund and create VolusiaBusinessResources.com. The site offers extensive contact information
of local, state and federal organizations, all 16 Volusia County cities, chambers of commerce and other entities that
can provide information or assistance to companies impacted by COVID-19.
THE COMMUNITY THRIVES WHEN
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS TEAM UP
by Michael Jiloty
Great things can happen for the community when the public
sector and the private sector join forces and in pursuit of a
common goal. Just ask officials at Team Volusia Economic
Development Corporation, the countywide public/private
Charles Duva
partnership that has worked with a
variety of partners to bring hundreds
of high-paying jobs and millions of
dollars of capital investment to Volusia
County.
“Partners change, markets change
and the economy changes, so we have
to be agile enough to pivot quickly
in response to conditions,” said
Charles Duva, M.D., who is serving
a second term as Chair of Team Volusia. Duva, who is a founder
of Emergency Medical Professionals and DuvaSawko Company,
crisscrosses the line between public and private sectors. “Pivoting
can mean changing the lineup and bringing in additional partners
in response to rapidly changing dynamics.”
The most recent example of Team Volusia working in
partnership with both public and private sector partners to land
a significant project is the decision by Amazon.com to place a 1.4
million square foot fulfillment center in west Volusia County – in
Deltona. There were several organizations involved in the evolution
of the project including public and private sector entities. Their
collaboration resulted in the Amazon.com project coming to Volusia
County and bringing with it at least 500 new jobs and a capital
investment exceeding $100 million.
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