Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Appointments And Boards topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council appoints members to Equal Business Opportunity Advisory Council after large applicant pool
Summary
The City Clerk led a lengthy public selection process for the Equal Business Opportunity Advisory Council; councilmembers voted to appoint multiple applicants to the council seats. Applicants included local business owners, consultants and nonprofit leaders; selections will be ratified in the record.
Tampa City Council members heard three-minute presentations from more than two dozen applicants for seats on the city’s Equal Business Opportunity Advisory Council (EBOAC) before holding multiple rounds of votes and ratifications.
The clerk organized the selection by categories required by the EBOAC rules: African American citizen, Hispanic American citizen, Caucasian female citizen, Caucasian male citizen and citizen-at-large positions. Candidates who presented in person included small-business owners, contractors, consultants and nonprofit leaders.
Applicants who summarized experience during the public portion included Alan Nunez (design/build small business owner), Descartes Valmore (construction small business owner), Enyade Oyolola (law and business experience), Dr. Frank Perdo (engineer and MBE-certified firm owner), Gregory Halstead (former New Jersey police deputy chief and Tampa small-business owner), Keith Ware (security company CEO), Kerrick Williams (longtime local certified contractor), Stephanie Hopkins (owner of Black Wall Street Title and nonprofit founder) and Trina Pope (IDEA Business Solutions). Several others presented remotely.
Council members then voted in sequential rounds to fill specific category seats. Shirley Fox Knowles, the city clerk, tallied votes publicly and announced results after each round. The transcript shows council selected (by the tally reported on the record) Yanina Rosario for the Caucasian female citizen seat; Alan Nunez for the Hispanic American citizen seat; Gregory Halstead for the citizen-at-large seat; Stephanie Hopkins for a citizen-at-large seat; and Kerrick Williams for the ethnic minority citizen seat. Council ratified these appointments on the record.
Multiple council members thanked all applicants and encouraged those not selected to pursue other board and commission vacancies; councilors noted the high quality of applicants and said they would like to see many involved in other city roles. Several council members described plans to share additional opportunities and to work with applicants individually on how to participate in local government.
Ending: The clerk will produce the formal appointment records and return them to the council for administrative ratification and to the clerk’s office for publication of the official roster.
