One of my top priorities will be seeking and maximizing community-provided opportunities to fuel job creation in Lakeland, especially in the starting of small businesses.

As your Mayor, I plan to champion the continued success of business incubators to provide support and strategy to our community and its entrepreneurs. It will also be important to provide support for entrepreneur programs through hands-on challenges and nurturing relationships with local businesses, with a particular focus on programs that encourage and incentivize Lakeland’s college students to take up the noble journey of Entrepreneurship and the jobs that will be created as a result.

I will work with our Lakeland Economic Development Council to promote a continued focus on building technology-driven jobs; I want to help tech companies build a foundation with our colleges. 

Additionally, I am immensely aware of the warehouse industries’ role in Lakeland’s economic growth. These jobs provide a way of life, benefits, and stability, not just to its workers but to our community as a whole. 

Our hospital community is woefully in need of workers. Various hospital groups need around 3,500 nurses to take up arms in Lakeland and contribute to Lakeland’s already sterling medical reputation. I plan to support the high-caliber education programs that are available locally to drive an increase in talented medical professionals.

Lastly, because of our outstanding medical prominence, Lakeland has become a magnet city for many of Florida’s homeless. I want to fuel the economic health of Lakeland and the great State of Florida by instituting a variety of programs for our mental health and education facilities to assist in the solution of this issue. Lakeland currently has three large Homeless Shelters; however, homeless citizens cannot stay in shelters during the daytime, so the homeless population ends up in Lakeland’s parks.  As Mayor, I will work with local non-profits to explore new opportunities for State and Federal grants to provide additional funding to expand services and move homeless into permanent housing.