Tampa General Hospital (TGH) has appointed Jennifer Crabtree as President of the Tampa Medical & Research District (TMRD). She will also serve as Senior Vice President of TGH.

The appointment is effective Oct. 1. In her role, she will lead the strategic direction and development of the TMRD, which is a growing hub for clinical care, research, biotechnology and academics anchored by TGH in collaboration with the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine.

“Jennifer has been an exceptional leader and an invaluable strategic partner in the growth and development of the Tampa Medical & Research District since its inception,” TGH President John Couris said.

“I could not think of a better person more equipped to lead the strategic direction and development of the District moving forward. I am confident that her skill set and passion for this work will meaningfully drive our vision for the District and unlock the true potential of our partnerships.”

TGH made a historic capital commitment into the TMRD to create an academic and health ecosystem that will attract top clinicians, scientists, educators and investors. Through its work, TMRD has increased access to experts, research, educational opportunities and revolutionary health care services throughout the Tampa Bay region.

By bringing together transformative health care and life sciences companies, the TBRD is fostering new health care technology, pharmaceuticals, treatment protocols, clinical trials and expanded care delivery to improve patient outcomes.

The TMDR, once complete, is projected by The Washington Economics Group to create and support nearly 58,000 jobs each year, while generating a total economic impact of $8.3 billion. That includes $4 billion in gross domestic product; $798 million in federal, state and local revenue; and $2.4 billion in household income.

As head of the TMRD, Crabtree will oversee the group’s Advisory committee, established in 2024 to guide strategy, continued development and expansion of the district.

The committee includes Couris; USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Dean Charles Lockwood; University of Tampa President Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg; TECO President and CEO Archie Collins; TGH Senior Vice President of External Affairs Robin DeLaVergne; USF Senior Vice President of University-Community Partnerships Eric Eisenberg; city of Tampa Development and Economic Opportunity Administrator Abbye Feeley; Florida Aquarium President and CEO Roger Germann; University of Tampa professor Paul Greenwood; Tampa Downtown Partnership President Kenyetta Hairston-Bridges; Cushman and Wakefield executive David Harris; Embarc Collective CEO Tim Holcomb; Florida Blue Market President Phillip Lee; Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA President and CEO Matt Mitchell; Hillsborough County Public Schools Chief of Innovation and Strategic Planning Marcos Murillo; Tampa Bay Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Craig Richard; Carlton Fields President and CEO Gary Sasso; development consultant Lee Schaffler; Casa Ybor CEO Darryl Shaw; USF Health Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement Joanne Sullivan; Strategic Property Partners CEO Josh Taube; and Tampa Museum of Art Executive Director Michael Tomor.

With the advisory council, Crabtree will continue partnering with the Tampa Bay EDC to attract talent and businesses in the life sciences field. Several have already been wooed, including Palantir, Medtronic, Versea Health, Inovus Medical, Life Pulse, Medability, Qualifacts and Aquafence.

The TMRD spans more than 1,500 acres in the greater Tampa area. It includes the TGH main campus on Davis Islands, the USF Morsani College of Medicine, the University of Tampa, the TGH Kennedy Emergency Center, the newly opened TGH Behavioral Health Hospital, the TGH Rehabilitation Hospital, and the USF Health Precision Medicine Biorepository, among others.

“When TGH first established the Tampa Medical & Research District, we had an ambitious vision to create a robust and inclusive health care and life sciences ecosystem, right here in the urban core of the city,” Crabtree said.

“Given the rapid growth Tampa is seeing, this feels like a pivotal moment to step into this role and continue building on the incredible things we’ve achieved already with our partners over the last few years. And at the same time, when we think about the potential this District still holds, we understand that this important work is just getting started.”

Prior to her elevation, Crabtree served as Vice President of Corporate Communications and Chief of Staff for Couris. In that role, Crabtree was an integral part of crafting Couris’ vision for TGH through leadership on strategic projects, including the TMRD.

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Northeast Florida’s manufacturing sector appears to have softened in March, as key elements are prompting concern.

The University of North Florida (UNF) Coggin College of Business monthly Jacksonville Economic Monitoring Survey showed contraction in several indicators last month. Manufacturers on the First Coast saw contraction in new orders, backlogs of work, finished goods inventory and employment in March when compared to the February numbers.

“In March, Jacksonville’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) registered 49, matching the national PMI figure,” said Albert Loh, UNF Coggin College Interim Dean who oversees the UNF monthly manufacturing report.

“A PMI below 50 signals contraction, indicating that the local manufacturing sector, like the nation’s, is facing softening conditions. This reading reflects a marginal decline in overall business activity, ending the modest expansion seen in prior months.”

The UNF business college conducts monthly surveys of First Coast manufacturers to determine production levels and other factors.

One of the most significant areas of contraction in North Florida manufacturing was in new orders. That factor dropped from 56 index points in February to 49 in March, the single largest index decline for any element in the survey.

Loh acknowledged that the notable drop in new orders among First Coast manufactures does not bode well for the coming weeks and months.

“This means more local firms reported a decline in new orders than those reporting increases, which is often an early warning sign for future slowdowns in production, hiring, and revenue,” Loh said in the report.

“Since new orders fuel upcoming output, a reading below 50 suggests that companies may start scaling back operations if this trend continues, especially in manufacturing sectors. For Jacksonville, a city with growing logistics and manufacturing activity, sustained declines in new orders could ripple through supply chains and reduce demand for transportation, warehousing, and other support services.”

One of those ripple effects is backlogs of work among First Coast manufacturing. While the contraction in that area was not as dramatic as new orders, backlogs are dropping as that index fell from 48 to 46 last month.

Loh said that’s another key factor that raises concern.

“For Jacksonville’s economy, a decline in backlogs may suggest that companies are working through existing orders without seeing a corresponding uptick in new demand, potentially leading to lower utilization of capacity and a weaker business outlook,” Loh said.

Some sectors of First Coast manufacturing expanded in March, such as output, new export orders and suppliers’ delivery times, among others. But those areas expanded by only modest levels.

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Former Rep. Joel Rudman, a staunch ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis, is out as a nominee for the Pensacola State College Board of Trustees.

That’s what Chair Don Gaetz told the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee early in Tuesday’s meeting.

Rudman, a Navarre Republican who resigned from the Legislature before a failed bid for Congress, had promised what Gaetz called a “list that he was keeping close to his vest of legislators who were criminally violating drug laws.” But, as Gaetz told it, Rudman “decided toward the end of the week last week, just before the weekend, to announce that he had declined to appear before the committee.”

“And apparently he left the country,” Gaetz said.

From there, Rudman preemptively resigned from serving as an acting Board member at Pensacola State College, saying he would continue to support DeSantis as a “private citizen.”

Gaetz said Rudman was an “aggressive nominee who couldn’t wait to come before the committee, then he decided to decline to come before the committee because we were going to give him some opportunities.”

“I was going to ask him to reveal all of his names and to provide the evidence,” Gaetz said.

“We have individuals, officers, from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement who are here. They’re prepared to take down all the evidence and all the names, but Dr. Rudman has not favored us with his appearance. And now has resigned from the Board. And so consequently, there is no action to be taken by the Ethics and Elections Committee because we have a resigned individual.”

Rudman was unanimously rejected during last week’s hearing of the Senate Higher Education Appropriations Committee.

Clearly, this hearing wouldn’t have gone much better.

We reached out to Rudman for comment, but did not get an immediate response. We will update if he offers context for Gaetz’s remarks.

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