Florida has momentum; the next four years matter most

Florida rarely thinks small, and eight years ago, business and community leaders made a bold decision to prove what long-term visionary, planning, unity and accountability could accomplish.

 In 2018, the Florida Chamber Foundation launched the Florida 2030 Blueprint, a 10-year state strategic plan for 2020-2030, with a clear objective: to position Florida as a Top 10 global economy by 2030 while ensuring prosperity reaches every family and every community. Today, we are closer to that objective.

 The newly released Florida 2030 Blueprint Halftime Report provides an important snapshot that should encourage Floridians and also challenge us to plan for the next four years.

The encouraging news is that Florida’s economy is stronger and more competitive than ever before. Florida is now the fourth-largest economy in the country and the 15th-largest economy globally. Businesses continue choosing Florida to relocate, families continue moving here in record numbers, and entrepreneurs are launching companies at record levels.

And Florida continues to grow rapidly, expecting:

— +742K more jobs needed by 2030,

— 1.5 million more residents,

— 40 million more annual visitors, and

— 1.3 million new drivers.

Even amid a global pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical uncertainty, Florida strengthened its economic position. That did not happen by accident. It happened because leaders across sectors aligned around the Blueprint’s 39 measurable goals and stayed focused on outcomes.

 But this point in time is not a victory … yet. The data also makes clear that success will depend on confronting several realities head-on.

Housing affordability has emerged as the most significant threat to continued growth. Employers cannot recruit talent if workers cannot afford to live in the communities where jobs exist. Workforce challenges persist as well, not because opportunity is lacking, but because skills and training are not always aligned with available careers.

Perhaps most importantly, our long-term economic success will be determined by outcomes for Florida’s children. Economic competitiveness begins long before someone enters the workforce. It starts with safe homes, kindergarten readiness, reading proficiency by third grade, and strong math and literacy skills by eighth grade.

The Florida Chamber Foundation’s Halftime Report data shows progress: We have cut childhood poverty by 158,000 children since the launch of the Florida 2030 Blueprint, but the Halftime Report also reminds us that challenges remain concentrated in specific communities. Targeted, data-driven solutions must guide the next phase of our work.

As Karen Moore, founder and CEO of The Moore Agency and Chair of the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees, notes:

“The Florida 2030 Blueprint Halftime Report shows us that focused leadership and collaboration deliver measurable results and proof that long-term planning works when we all commit to the same goals.”

David Odahowski, president and CEO of the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation and Chair of the Florida Chamber Foundation Community Development Partners, adds:

“Florida’s momentum is real, but the next four years will define whether every community shares in our state’s prosperity.”

Florida has momentum. What we do with it matters.

2030 will require continued leadership from the business community, collaboration with policymakers, and a shared commitment to measurable results. Growth alone is not the goal. Sustainable prosperity in every ZIP code is.

“Halftime” is when winning teams make adjustments. Florida has the opportunity to do exactly that and ensure the next four years define this decade as one of lasting economic opportunities for all Floridians.

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Mark Wilson is president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Foundation.