EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine May 2020 | Page 37

Team Volusia Economic Development Corporation played a leading role in the project, having established contact with Amazon officials as far back as 2013 and maintaining contact ever since. Duke Energy selected the site for its Site Readiness evaluation in 2014 in partnership with McCallum & Sweeney. Four years later, the Duke Energy Foundation provided the City of Deltona a grant to support the creation of an economic development plan for the industrial park. As site analysis and selection discussions sharpened, Team Volusia worked in partnership with the City of Deltona. Among other organizations working with Team Volusia and the city were CareerSource Flagler Volusia, Volusia County Government, Enterprise Florida and RMA, an economic development consulting firm that presented Deltona’s Portland Industrial Park as a prime site, meeting Amazon.com's requirements. “Obviously, as the project evolved and as the economy evolved, the team that brought the project to Volusia County evolved,” said Team Volusia President and CEO Keith Norden, Keith Norden CEcD. “This is a great project for the City of Deltona and for Volusia County and it illustrates the power of collaboration in the economic development process." Norden’s organization is one of three primary organizations that lead economic development efforts in Volusia County. Predictably, the three organizations emanate from both the public and private sectors. Team Volusia derives its funding from the public sector and the private sector, with the private sector providing slightly more than half the organization’s revenues. Team Volusia has become more muscular in recent years, but it had to overcome many obstacles when it was formed ten years ago. Community meetings were held throughout the county to generate support for the formation of a new organization, which did not come easy, despite compelling presentations by business icon J. Hyatt Brown and others who recognized economic development as essential to diversifying and strengthening the local economy. But the concept was new – and it meant change, so enthusiasm was guarded. Efforts by Brown and other community leaders, including the president of the Daytona Beach Chamber of Commerce, George Mirabal, finally resulted in the birth of the organization as Team Volusia Economic Development Corporation. However, early thoughts were to call it Metro Daytona Economic Development Corporation. “While that name was highly marketable outside the area, here You’re never too busy to reach your goals! Daytona State College Online puts you in control of your schedule, offering certificates, AS and AA degrees, and bachelor’s degrees. In fact, U.S. News & World Report placed Daytona State in the top tier of the Nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. Contact [email protected] to enroll today. 151039R_001 1/20 YOUR SUCCESS MATTERS MAY 2020 | 31 |