SWFL Inc. Announces Speakers for State of the Region

SWFL Inc. Announces Speakers for State of the Region

Bonita Springs, Florida (July 14, 2022) – SWFL Inc. is proud to announce several speakers, panelists and experts from across Florida that will be presenting at State of the Region on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point. These individuals will discuss the trends, economics and policies that have a direct impact on Southwest Florida.

The first speaker is L.K. Nandam, Florida Department of Transportation District One Secretary, who will be providing an update on Southwest Florida’s transportation future. Nandam has over twenty years of experience in the transportation industry in both the private and public sectors. Prior to becoming the District Secretary, he served as the Director of Operations and District Traffic Operations Engineer at the Florida Department of Transportation and as a Senior Transportation Engineer with a private sector engineering firm. Nandam is the statewide Pedestrian/Bicycle Coalition Safety Champion and is passionate about safety and making a difference for the local communities. 

Victor Dover, Principal-in-Charge at Dover, Kohl & Partners, will speak at State of the Region on a new way of thinking when it comes to planning and land use. Dover, Kohl & Partners, a town planning and urban design practice based in Coral Gables, Florida. Dover was cited by Architecture Magazine as being among “the country’s best urban designers and architects." Work by Dover, Kohl & Partners has been published in Southern Living, Urban Land, Metropolitan Home and featured on HGTV, National Public Radio, CNN’s Earthwatch and in BusinessWeek magazine. The organization’s projects are also profiled in several planning textbooks, including The New Urbanism by Peter Katz, Community by Design by Kenneth Hall and Sustainable Urbanism by Doug Farr. 

Dover is also a board member of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) and the founding chair of the CNU Florida Chapter, the first of its kind. He is credentialed by the American Institute of Certified Planners and serves on the core committee setting green urbanism certification standards for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) rating system.

Additionally, Noah Valenstein, a founding partner in the consulting firm Brightwater Strategies Group, PLLC, will be leading an informative presentation on the quality of Southwest Florida’s water resources. Prior to rejoining Brightwater Strategies, Valenstein served as both the Secretary for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the state’s Chief Resilience Officer. Appointed in 2017, he was the first DEP secretary to serve two consecutive governors. He was unanimously confirmed by Florida’s bipartisan Cabinet, illustrating the respect he has earned from both sides of the aisle.

Today, Valenstein’s firm provides strategic guidance, lobbying and external affairs services to both the non-profit and private sectors. His years of service in high-profile public positions, as well as serving clients in the private sector, provide him with a unique perspective to assist clients in Florida. His work with national environmental associations, strong Washington D.C. relationships and past leadership positions on the United States Coral Reef Task Force, the United States Everglades Task Force and the Environmental Council of the States, allow him to advise national and international clients as well.

State of the Region will also include a Workforce Housing Panel featuring Matt Simmons of Maxwell, Hendry & Simmons, Danville Leadbetter of Soltura Development and Justin Thibaut of LSI Companies.

“We’re excited to bring these influential and experienced professionals from across the state to Southwest Florida. State of the Region is in a class by itself and it’s something you do not want to miss,” said Tiffany Esposito, President and CEO of SWFL Inc.

The event will be centered around solution-based discussions and will focus primarily on SWFL Inc.’s policy priorities which include workforce housing, water quality and workforce and talent development. State of the Region will also touch on a wide range of topics including transportation, infrastructure and the challenges the region faces with an influx of residents and expected growth, and address how Southwest Florida can move forward to solve the problems local businesses are facing each day.

State of the Region will be hosted on Wednesday, August 31 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point. Tickets can be purchased at www.swflinc.com/sotr. For questions and sponsorship opportunities, contact Hannah Phillips, SWFL Inc.’s Director of Programs and Events, at [email protected].

About SWFL Inc.

SWFL Inc. is a regional chamber of commerce serving the Southwest Florida business community. It connects businesses to a regional network of customers, offers educational resources to help them grow in a modern economy, and actively works to solve regional issues that impact the business community. At SWFL Inc., membership is free and open to all businesses to create (inc)lusive opportunities for all.

Ranked among the top one percent of chambers nationwide, SWFL Inc. produces exceptional business resources and programs to serve the business community, promote a region where businesses can grow and prosper and enhance the quality of life in Southwest Florida.

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